α-Carotene
Previtamin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
α-Carotene (alpha-carotene) is a form of carotene with a β-ionone ring at one end and an α-ionone ring at the opposite end. It is the second most common form of carotene.
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| Names | |
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| IUPAC name
(6′R)-β,ε-Carotene | |
| Systematic IUPAC name
1,3,3-Trimethyl-2-{(1E,3E,5E,7E,9E,11E,13E,15E,17E)-3,7,12,16-tetramethyl-18-[(1R)-2,6,6-trimethylcyclohex-2-en-1-yl]octadeca-1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17-nonaen-1-yl}cyclohex-1-ene | |
| Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol) |
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| ChEBI | |
| ChemSpider | |
PubChem CID |
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| UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) |
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| Properties | |
| C40H56 | |
| Molar mass | 536.873 |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Human physiology
Dietary sources
The following vegetables are rich in alpha-carotene:[1]
- Yellow-orange vegetables: Carrots (the main source for U.S. adults), sweet potatoes, pumpkin, winter squash
- Dark-green vegetables: Broccoli, green beans, green peas, spinach, turnip greens, collards, leaf lettuce, avocado
Research
A 2018 meta-analysis found that both dietary and circulating α-carotene are associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality. The highest circulating α-carotene category, compared to the lowest, correlated with a 32% reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality, while increased dietary α-carotene intake was linked to a 21% decrease in the risk of all-cause mortality.[3]