β-Carotene: Beyond provitamin A

Abstract β-Carotene or beta-carotene denotes a bright red-orange colored pigment naturally occurring in plant-based foods such as carrot, tomato, potato, watermelon, and many more. It is one of the most abundant members of carotenoids and responsible for the striking colors of many birds and aquatic animals. Beyond the antioxidant characteristic, like the majority of plant bioactives show, β-carotene works as a retinol (vitamin A) precursor. Moreover, regular intake of diets rich in β-carotene can reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataract, osteoclastogenesis, and coronary heart diseases. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has categorized β-carotene as generally regarded as safe (GRAS) and recommended its use as a nutrient supplement for adult and infant foods. Likewise, β-carotene has also been approved as a color additive in food products; however, the available technical data is insufficient to decide the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for this compound. This chapter provides comprehensive details regarding biogenesis, extraction, isolation/purification, and the role of β-carotene toward the physiology of living organisms.