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Zeaxanthin

Sources, Properties and Benefits

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Handbook of Food Bioactive Ingredients

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Abstract

Zeaxanthin is one carotenoid molecule commonly found in a variety of fruits and vegetables, such as yellow corn, saffron, orange juice, honeydew, goji berry, paprika, spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, zucchini, and brussels sprout. It is the pigment that provides red, yellow, and orange colors to many plants and even can be found in animal products like chicken egg yolk. It also belongs to the fat-soluble xanthophyll family which is the oxygenated derivatives of carotenes. The chemical structure of zeaxanthin is a symmetric polyene-like molecule containing nine alternating conjugated carbon double and single bonds. Zeaxanthin has two chiral centers but only three stereoisomeric forms because both stereoisomers, (3R, 3′S) – zeaxanthin and (3S, 3′R) – zeaxanthin, are identical. These two stereoisomers are also called meso-zeaxanthin found in the macula of the central retina and lutein found in peripheral regions of the retina since the macula is where the zeaxanthin and lutein are stored. Zeaxanthin offers several human health benefits with potential antioxidant ability and anti-inflammatory properties. Many studies showed that zeaxanthin and other carotenoids can decrease the risk of eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma. Zeaxanthin not only protects human eyes from absorbing harmful blue light but also gets involved in the eye development of fetuses and optimal vision during young adulthood. This chapter will discuss the sources and properties of zeaxanthin, the methods of extraction and isolation of zeaxanthin, human health benefits of zeaxanthin, and the other applications.

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  1. Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Food Engineering, Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Chi-Ching Lee

  2. Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Mehmet Demirci

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. International Iberian Food Laboratory, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain

    Seid Mahdi Jafari

  2. Massey University, Riddet Institute, Palmerston North, New Zealand

    Ali Rashidinejad

  3. Nutrition and Food Science Group, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain

    Jesus Simal-Gandara

Section Editor information

  1. International Iberian Food Laboratory, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain

    Seid Mahdi Jafari

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Lee, CC., Demirci, M. (2023). Zeaxanthin. In: Jafari, S.M., Rashidinejad, A., Simal-Gandara, J. (eds) Handbook of Food Bioactive Ingredients. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81404-5_53-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81404-5_53-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-81404-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-81404-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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