The world faces an unprecedented growth in cancer incidence. The increase in
the incidence of cancer represents an alarming menace and greater challenge to the
scientific community. Despite the advances made in basic scientific knowledge
related to cancer as well as clinical treatment of certain malignancies, death rates from
some common forms of cancer continue to rise. Furthermore, most of the drugs used
presently in cancer therapy are highly toxic to a wide spectrum of organs such as
gastro-intestinal tract, heart, lungs, kidney, bone marrow and brain and their
subsequent failure has been observed to be a frequent cause of death from cancer. One
of the most promising strategies for cancer control today is chemoprevention. A
growing interest is seen in the pharmacological evaluation of various plant products to
assess their chemopreventive activity. Carotenoids, which belong to the chemical
group known as isoprenoid polyenes, are lipid-soluble yellow-orange-red pigments
found in all higher plants and some animals. Carotenoids are considered key
molecules for life. Light capture, photosynthesis photoprotection, excess light
dissipation and quenching of singlet oxygen are among key biological functions of
carotenoids relevant for life on earth. Biological properties of carotenoids allow for a
wide range of commercial applications. Indeed, recent interest in the carotenoids has
been mainly for their nutraceutical properties. Numerous studies have reported that
carotenoids have the potential to prevent cancers, diabetes, inflammatory and
cardiovascular disease (CVD). In the present study, the xanthophyll carotenoid mesozeaxanthin
(MZ) was evaluated for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic,
cytotoxic, induction of apoptosis in transformed cells and antitumour effects. In
addition to this, the anti-carcinogenic effect of MZ was studied against various
chemical carcinogens induced cancer models in animals and its possible
chemopreventive mechanism of action was also analysed. We further evaluated
chemoprotective, radioprotective and hepato-protective potential of MZ.
Oxidative stress is an imbalance between production of free radicals and antioxidative
systems and has been associated with several degenerative diseases
including cancer. The antioxidant potential of carotenoid MZ was evaluated both in
vitro and in vivo. MZ was found to scavenge superoxide radicals, hydroxyl radicals
and nitric oxide radicals and inhibited in vitro lipid peroxidation. MZ also exhibited
significant singlet oxygen quenching activity. MZ scavenged stable free radicals like
