Available Technologies

Background

Carotenoids are highly sought-after functional ingredients used in a wide range of applications, including food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and animal feed. Their consumption is also encouraged because of their well-recognized health benefits. However, carotenoids are highly hydrophobic and practically insoluble in water. In addition, the naturally predominant all-trans isomers exhibit poor solubility, resulting in low bioavailability and difficulties in formulation and processing. To address these challenges, various methods have been employed to isomerize carotenoids in organic solvents, including heat treatment and heavy-metal-catalyzed reactions. However, these approaches raise concerns regarding cost and safety. Therefore, there is a need for effective methods to enhance carotenoid dispersibility and bioavailability.

Description and Advantages

Kyoto University researchers developed a novel method to readily isomerize trans-carotenoids into cis-carotenoids in a dispersed state within an aqueous medium, without the use of organic solvents or heavy-metal catalysts. This technology is expected to enable efficient conversion to the cis form, thereby improving the bioavailability and solubility of carotenoids. This method utilizes natural compounds suitable for use in food and pharmaceutical applications, and is capable of stabilizing the otherwise unstable cis-form carotenoids.