Merck, 40395-1MG, α-Carotene

General description
Carotenoids are natural products used in the food, animal feed, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries. α-Carotene, a carotenoid with one β-ring and one ε-ring, is commonly present in the food. Orange carrots show a high concentration of α-carotene.
Application
α-Carotene may be used as a standard in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for carotenoid quantification in Corynebacterium glutamicum.
Biochem/physiol Actions
α-Carotene exhibits provitamin A activity. It can act as an efficient inhibitor than β-carotene on certain growth factors, like N-myc activity. α-Carotene serves as a good biomarker for fruit and vegetable consumption. High serum concentrations of α-carotene are associated with lower cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.