lutein

Brief Natural carotenoid products provide unique health benefits and are also important as colorants. Our proprietary technology allows us to offer a wide range of products for many unique applications. XanGuardTM lutein & lutein esters products are formulated as stable, ready to use ingredients for a wide range of food, supplement, and cosmetic applications. Our standard products are available as pure extracts, granular preparations, cold-water dispersible powers and as oil suspensions. Chemicals Lutein is a lipophilic molecule and is generally insoluble in water. The presence of the long chromophore of conjugated double bonds (polyene chain) provides the distinctive light-absorbing properties. The polyene chain is susceptible to oxidative degradation by light or heat and is chemically unstable in acids. The principal natural stereoisomer of lutein is (3R, 3’R, 6’R)-beta, epsilon-Carotene-3, 3’-diol. As a colorant It was used as a natural colorant due to its orange-red color. Lutein was traditionally used in chicken feed to provide the yellow color of broiler chicken skin. As a food additive lutein has the E number E161b. Naturally Extracted Found in green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, lutein is employed by organisms as an antioxidant and for blue light absorption. Lutein is covalently bound to one or more fatty acids present in some fruits and flowers, notably marigolds (Tagetes). Saponification of lutein esters yields lutein in approximately a 2:1 weight-to-weight conversion. Lutein is also found in egg yolks, animal fats and the corpus luteum.