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. 2009 Feb 12;14(3):395–410. doi: 10.2478/s11658-009-0010-8

Interactions between canthaxanthin and lipid membranes — possible mechanisms of canthaxanthin toxicity

Agnieszka Sujak 1,✉
PMCID: PMC6275664  PMID: 19214394

Abstract

Canthaxanthin (β, β-carotene 4, 4′ dione) is used widely as a drug or as a food and cosmetic colorant, but it may have some undesirable effects on human health, mainly caused by the formation of crystals in the macula lutea membranes of the retina. This condition is called canthaxanthin retinopathy. It has been shown that this type of dysfunction of the eye is strongly connected with damage to the blood vessels around the place of crystal deposition. This paper is a review of the experimental data supporting the hypothesis that the interactions of canthaxanthin with the lipid membranes and the aggregation of this pigment may be the factors enhancing canthaxanthin toxicity towards the macula vascular system. All the results of the experiments that have been done on model systems such as monolayers of pure canthaxanthin and mixtures of canthaxanthin and lipids, oriented bilayers or liposomes indicate a very strong effect of canthaxanthin on the physical properties of lipid membranes, which may explain its toxic action, which leads to the further development of canthaxanthin retinopathy.

Key words: Canthaxanthin, Retinopathy, Macula lutea, Model lipid membranes, Molecular interactions

Full Text

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Abbreviation

AMD

age-related macular degeneration

DHPC

1,2 dihexanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine

DMPC

dimyristoyl-phosphatidylcholine

DMPE

1, 2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine

DPPC

dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine

DSPC

distearoyl-phosphatidylcholine

EYPC

egg yolk phosphatidylcholine

FTIR

Fourier transform ultra red

GSTP

glutathione S-transferase, zeaxanthin-binding protein

NMR

nuclear magnetic resonance

qlLBP

lutein-binding protein

RPE

retinal pigment epithelial cell

XBP

xanthophyll-binding protein

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