Abstract

Epidemiological studies have suggested a correlation between consumption of carotenoid-rich food and incidence of chronic diseases. In this review chemical structure, bioavailability and mechanisms of action of carotenoids most represented in human diet, mainly ß-carotene and lycopene, are reported, with focus on results obtained with cells in culture.

Keywords: Carotenoids, in vitro cell models, antioxidant, connexins, cancer