Carotenoid is a well-studied group of natural bioactive pigment.
Over 700 types of carotenoids have been discovered from natural sources and, interestingly, many of them exert potential beneficial effects on human health beyond their well-known function as essential nutrient precursors (Fernández-García et al., 2012).
β-Carotene enhances the immunity via facilitating themonocyte's function to increase the number of surface molecules expressed while protecting cellular damage from oxidative stress.
With this anti-oxidative and immune modulatory power of carotenoids, β-carotene can extend its activity against several disease conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis and several neurodegenerative diseases.