β-Carotene: an Unusual Type of Lipid Antioxidant

DOI Web Site 被引用文献65件
  • G. W. Burton
    Division of Chemistry, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada KIA OR6.
  • K. U. Ingold
    Division of Chemistry, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada KIA OR6.

抄録

<jats:p>The mechanism of lipid peroxidation and the manner in which antioxidants function is reviewed. β-Carotene is a purported anticancer agent, which is believed by some to have antioxidant action of a radical-trapping type. However, definitive experimental support for such action has been lacking. New experiments in vitro show that β-carotene belongs to a previously unknown class of biological antioxidants. Specifically, it exhibits good radical-trapping antioxidant behavior only at partial pressures of oxygen significantly less than 150 torr, the pressure of oxygen in normal air. Such low oxygen partial pressures are found in most tissues under physiological conditions. At higher oxygen pressures, β-carotene loses its antioxidant activity and shows an autocatalytic, prooxidant effect, particularly at relatively high concentrations. Similar oxygen-pressure-dependent behavior may be shown by other compounds containing many conjugated double bonds.</jats:p>

収録刊行物

  • Science

    Science 224 (4649), 569-573, 1984-05-11

    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

被引用文献 (65)*注記

もっと見る

キーワード

詳細情報 詳細情報について

問題の指摘

ページトップへ