Identification of products from canthaxanthin oxidation

  • Food Chem. 2016 Apr 15;197(Pt A):836-40. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.11.053.
Raphael C Mordi  1 ,  John C Walton  2
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Chemistry, School of Natural and Applied Sciences, College of Science and Technology, Covenant University, Km 10, Idiroko Road, OTA, Ogun State, Nigeria. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 2. EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, North Haugh, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, UK. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 26617024 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.11.053
Abstract

Canthaxanthin is a carotenoid that lacks pro-vitamin A activity but is known to have antioxidant activity. The products of its oxidation in oxygen were found to be mainly substituted apo-carotenals and apo-carotenones. The product profile resembles that obtained in the oxidation of β-carotene, except that with canthaxanthin these products are the 4-oxo-β-apo-carotenals and 4-oxo-β-apo-carotenones. Epoxides and diepoxides were clearly identified from β-carotene oxidation but in contrast, with canthaxanthin, apart from 5,6-epoxy-canthaxanthin, which was detected at the early stage of oxidation and minor quantities of 5,6-epoxy-β-ionone and 5,6-epoxy-4-oxo-β-apo-11-carotenal, no Other epoxides were detected. The identities of these products lead us to suggest that the mechanism of canthaxanthin oxidation bears significant similarity to that of β-carotene.

Keywords
4-Oxo-β-ionone (PubChem CID: 33736); Antioxidant; Apo-carotenoids; Canthaxanthin; Canthaxanthin (PubChem CID: 14523227); Carotenoids; Oxidation; β-Carotene; β-Carotene (PubChem CID: 5280489).
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