Why Is Zeaxanthin the Most Concentrated Xanthophyll in the Central Fovea?
Diet-based xanthophylls (zeaxanthin and lutein) are conditionally essential polar carotenoids preferentially accreted in high concentrations (1 mM) to the central retina, where they have the capacity to impart unique physiologically significant biophysical biochemical properties implicated in cell f...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2020-05-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/5/1333 |
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| author | Justyna Widomska John Paul SanGiovanni Witold K. Subczynski |
| author_facet | Justyna Widomska John Paul SanGiovanni Witold K. Subczynski |
| author_sort | Justyna Widomska |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Diet-based xanthophylls (zeaxanthin and lutein) are conditionally essential polar carotenoids preferentially accreted in high concentrations (1 mM) to the central retina, where they have the capacity to impart unique physiologically significant biophysical biochemical properties implicated in cell function, rescue, and survival. Macular xanthophylls interact with membrane-bound proteins and lipids to absorb/attenuate light energy, modulate oxidative stress and redox balance, and influence signal transduction cascades implicated in the pathophysiology of age-related macular degeneration. There is exclusive transport, sequestration, and appreciable bioamplification of macular xanthophylls from the circulating carotenoid pool to the retina and within the retina to regions required for high-resolution sensory processing. The distribution of diet-based macular xanthophylls and the lutein metabolite meso-zeaxanthin varies considerably by retinal eccentricity. Zeaxanthin concentrations are 2.5-fold higher than lutein in the cone-dense central fovea. This is an ~20-fold increase in the molar ratio relative to eccentric retinal regions with biochemically detectable macular xanthophylls. In this review, we discuss how the differences in the specific properties of lutein and zeaxanthin could help explain the preferential accumulation of zeaxanthin in the most vulnerable region of the macula. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:58:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4f44b340c28145e79b32be7271715b20 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:58:19Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-4f44b340c28145e79b32be7271715b202023-11-19T23:44:14ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432020-05-01125133310.3390/nu12051333Why Is Zeaxanthin the Most Concentrated Xanthophyll in the Central Fovea?Justyna Widomska0John Paul SanGiovanni1Witold K. Subczynski2Department of Biophysics, Medical University of Lublin, Jaczewskiego 4, 20-090 Lublin, PolandDepartment of Nutritional Sciences, The University of Arizona, 1657 East Helen Street, Tucson, AZ 85721, USADepartment of Biophysics, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USADiet-based xanthophylls (zeaxanthin and lutein) are conditionally essential polar carotenoids preferentially accreted in high concentrations (1 mM) to the central retina, where they have the capacity to impart unique physiologically significant biophysical biochemical properties implicated in cell function, rescue, and survival. Macular xanthophylls interact with membrane-bound proteins and lipids to absorb/attenuate light energy, modulate oxidative stress and redox balance, and influence signal transduction cascades implicated in the pathophysiology of age-related macular degeneration. There is exclusive transport, sequestration, and appreciable bioamplification of macular xanthophylls from the circulating carotenoid pool to the retina and within the retina to regions required for high-resolution sensory processing. The distribution of diet-based macular xanthophylls and the lutein metabolite meso-zeaxanthin varies considerably by retinal eccentricity. Zeaxanthin concentrations are 2.5-fold higher than lutein in the cone-dense central fovea. This is an ~20-fold increase in the molar ratio relative to eccentric retinal regions with biochemically detectable macular xanthophylls. In this review, we discuss how the differences in the specific properties of lutein and zeaxanthin could help explain the preferential accumulation of zeaxanthin in the most vulnerable region of the macula.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/5/1333luteinzeaxanthinmacular xanthophylllipid bilayermaculaAMD |
| spellingShingle | Justyna Widomska John Paul SanGiovanni Witold K. Subczynski Why Is Zeaxanthin the Most Concentrated Xanthophyll in the Central Fovea? Nutrients lutein zeaxanthin macular xanthophyll lipid bilayer macula AMD |
| title | Why Is Zeaxanthin the Most Concentrated Xanthophyll in the Central Fovea? |
| title_full | Why Is Zeaxanthin the Most Concentrated Xanthophyll in the Central Fovea? |
| title_fullStr | Why Is Zeaxanthin the Most Concentrated Xanthophyll in the Central Fovea? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Why Is Zeaxanthin the Most Concentrated Xanthophyll in the Central Fovea? |
| title_short | Why Is Zeaxanthin the Most Concentrated Xanthophyll in the Central Fovea? |
| title_sort | why is zeaxanthin the most concentrated xanthophyll in the central fovea |
| topic | lutein zeaxanthin macular xanthophyll lipid bilayer macula AMD |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/5/1333 |
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