Therapeutic Effects of Carotenoids: Trends and Advances

Although not essential nutrients, dietary compounds with bioactive properties exert beneficial effects on human health. Among these substances, carotenoids are natural pigments found in plant, animal, and microbial sources, which possess antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory potentials and combat oxidative stress. This chapter discusses carotenoid food sources, antimicrobial activity, their effects on human disease incidences, and innovative technologies for their acquisition. Analytical and quantification technologies have contributed to nutritional research and a better understanding of carotenoid benefits in chronic diseases. In summary, clinical and epidemiological studies with carotenoids have shown their efficacy in ocular diseases and certain types of cancer up to the periods analyzed, as their antioxidant characteristics corroborate with the reduction of lipid peroxidation and positively induce the reduction of the initial cell degeneration condition. However, the process of action mechanism still needs to be consolidated, although there is already scientific evidence of their preventive and therapeutic capacity in diseases. Thus, extraction, stabilization, and plant genetic engineering technologies are essential to maximize the potential impact on carotenoid health benefits, ensuring availability and efficacy in human nutrition and thus allowing their application in promoting global population health.