Supplementation with lutein from marigolds increases serum concentration
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Key takeaways:
- Serum lutein concentration increased to 0.81 µmol/L for free lutein and 0.9 µmol/L for ester lutein at day 15.
- The increases were maintained through days 40 and 60.
Daily supplementation of lutein via marigold extract increases serum concentration to levels associated with a lower risk of developing age-related eye disease, according to study results published in Nutrients.
“Today, lutein is one of the most sought-after bioactive compounds in the global food supplement market, mainly due to its protective role in the retina, in relation to the cosmetic industry (eg, sun light protection), and as a color additive in food and feed,” Begoña Olmedilla-Alonso, PharmD, PhD, of the Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos y Nutrición in Madrid, and colleagues wrote. “The main commercial source of lutein for dietary supplements comes from marigold flowers (Tagetes erecta), which are rich in carotenoids, especially lutein, which is mainly present as lutein ester (90%-99%).”
Lutein can also be found in free form and esterified with fatty acids in most fruits and vegetables.
In a cross-sectional study, 24 healthy subjects (12 women) aged 20 to 35 years and 50 to 65 years consumed 6 mg lutein per day from marigold extract in free form vs. ester form for 2 months. Blood samples were drawn at baseline, 15 days, 40 days and 60 days.
The serum lutein concentration increased an average of 2.4-fold to 0.81 µmol/L for free lutein and 0.9 µmol/L for ester lutein at day 15. These increases were maintained through days 40 and 60. The responses to free and ester lutein were not different at any time point.
The serum zeaxanthin concentration increased an average of 1.7-fold, with the increase maintained until day 60.
Serum lutein concentrations averaged 0.44 µmol/L in men and 0.31 µmol/L in women (P = .026) and 0.27 µmol/L in the younger cohort and 0.48 µmol/L in the older cohort (P = .011).
“Age and sex had a weak effect on the serum lutein response to the supplementation (free or ester lutein), with higher responses in men than in women and in the older group (50-65 years), although this did not reach statistical significance,” the authors wrote.
There were no differences in visual contrast threshold responses for free vs. ester lutein at any time points.
“We can conclude that a daily intake of 6 mg of lutein, from marigold lutein extracts (free and ester forms), for 15 days significantly increased serum lutein concentrations in normolipemic adults to levels associated with a lower risk of age-related eye disease, regardless of the chemical form of lutein supplied,” Olmedilla-Alonso and colleagues wrote. “Zeaxanthin, which is also present in marigold extract but at much lower concentrations, also produced a significant increase in its serum concentration.”
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