Fig 6. Amino acid neurotransmitters are positively correlated with lutein concentrations in infant hippocampus and occipital cortex.

Post-mortem infant brain tissues (age 1 to 488 days) from the frontal cortex, hippocampus, and occipital cortex were analyzed for both lutein and amino acid neurotransmitters. Results are shown as metabolite (scaled intensity) by lutein concentration (pmol/g). In the hippocampus (n = 24), (A) aspartate and (B) gamma-aminobutyrate had moderate, positive correlations with lutein. In the occipital cortex (n = 28), (C) gamma-aminobutyrate, and (D) N-acetylglutamate had moderate, positive correlations with lutein. No moderate correlations were observed in the frontal cortex. Neurotransmitter:lutein correlations with r values ≥ |0.45| and P < 0.05 are reported. HPC: hippocampus; OC: occipital cortex.