Carotenoids May Reduce Risk of Ovarian Tumors, Cancer

BIALYSTOK, Poland--According to a study published in the October issue of Oncology Reports (Nov;14(5):1385-92, 2005), various carotenoids may reduce the risk of ovarian tumors and cancer.

Researchers identified and quantified carotenoids found in nature, mainly of the provitamin A group, in the tissue material obtained from patients with different lesions of the ovaries. Material for analysis was obtained from 100 women, aged 16 to 74, operated on for ovarian tumors. Carotenoid pigments were separated using column chromatography, thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography.

In the tissue material subjected to analysis, 14 carotenoids were identified, including provitamin A carotenoids beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, echinenone and hydroxyechinenone; alpha-carotene was not found. In the whole group of pathological lesions, the total carotenoid content was relatively low (mean 1.717 mcg/g tissue) and the mean content of provitamin A carotenoids was 17.28 percent. The results are similar to results obtained in the group of normal ovarian tissue. In the group of benign mucinous tumors (1.042 mcg/g tissue) and tumors in the thecoma-fibroma group (1.328 mcg/g tissue) and dysgerminoma group (1.279 mcg/g tissue), the total carotenoid content was lower. Only in the endometriosis group was this value higher (2.185 microg/g tissue). Epoxy carotenoids; lutein epoxide, violaxanthin and mutatoxanthin were predominant. Irrespective of histological classification, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, lutein epoxide, violaxanthin and mutatoxanthin were identified in all tissue examined. Antheraxanthin was isolated in all tissue except for normal ovarian tissue, serous malignant and mucinous benign and malignant tumors, endometrioid malignant tumors, dermoid cysts, corpus luteum cysts and simple cysts. Hydroxyechinenone was isolated sporadically. Only in one case was capsanthin isolated.

Researchers concluded carotenoids act as chemopreventive agents, irrespective of whether they are finally transformed into vitamin A, and may represent a potentially powerful alternative to current chemotherapeutic approaches to the treatment of ovarian cancer.