Effect of carotenoids on gut health and inflammatory status: A systematic review of in vivo animal studies

Abstract

Carotenoids have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, being a potential bioactive compound for gut health. The objective of this systematic review was to investigate the effects of carotenoids on gut microbiota, gut barrier, and inflammation in healthy animals. The systematic search from PubMed, Scopus, and Lilacs databases were performed up to March 2023. The final screening included thirty studies, with different animal models (mice, rats, pigs, chicks, drosophila, fish, and shrimp), and different carotenoid sources (β-carotene, lycopene, astaxanthin, zeaxanthin, lutein, and fucoxanthin). The results suggested that carotenoids seem to act on gut microbiota by promoting beneficial effects on intestinal bacteria related to both inflammation and SCFA production; increase tight junction proteins expression, important for reducing intestinal permeability; increase the mucins expression, important in protecting against pathogens and toxins; improve morphological parameters important for digestion and absorption of nutrients; and reduce pro-inflammatory and increase anti-inflammatory cytokines. However, different carotenoids had distinct effects on gut health. In addition, there was heterogeneity between studies regarding animal model, duration of intervention, and doses used. This is the first systematic review to address the effects of carotenoids on gut health. Further studies are needed to better understand the effects of carotenoids on gut health.

Keywords:

• Carotenoids
• xanthophylls
• animal model
• gut health
• inflammation

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Educational Personnel (CAPES), Brazil, for the doctor’s scholarship support to TSM and MDVM in the Capes-Print Program (88887.694298/2022-00), and the National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq, Brazil) for scholarship support (404770/2021-5) and Fapemig (CDS-APQ-01808-22).

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.