A Reflection-spectroscopy Measured Skin Carotenoid Score Strongly Correlates with Plasma Concentrations of All Major Dietary Carotenoid Species Except for Lycopene

Overview

Journal Nutr Res

Date 2024 Dec 25

PMID 39721110

Authors

Qiang Wu

Cheryl Webb Cherry

Stephanie Jilcott Pitts

Melissa N Laska

Neal Craft

Nancy E Moran

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Skin carotenoids can be measured non-invasively using spectroscopy methods to provide a biomarker of total dietary carotenoid and carotenoid-rich fruit and vegetable intake. However, the degree to which skin carotenoid biomarkers reflect intakes of specific carotenoids must be determined for specific devices. Previously, findings were mixed regarding the correlation between reflection spectroscopy (RS)-assessed skin carotenoids and individual plasma carotenoid concentrations. The current study expands on prior analyses to examine the cross-sectional associations between adult RS-assessed skin carotenoids and individual carotenoid species intakes and plasma concentrations, controlling for potential covariates. We hypothesized that RS-assessed skin carotenoid scores would strongly correlate with all major plasma carotenoid species other than lycopene. Cross-sectional data from 2 prior studies (n = 213 and n = 162) examining the validity and sensitivity of RS-assessed skin carotenoids as a biomarker of fruit and vegetable intake were used. Skin carotenoids were assessed using the Veggie Meter, which quantifies combined skin carotenoid concentrations. Plasma concentrations of α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, and lutein and zeaxanthin were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. Self-reported carotenoid intake was estimated from validated food frequency questionnaires. Skin carotenoid scores correlated moderately to strongly with individual plasma carotenoid species (Pearson's r = 0.52 to r = 0.78) except for lycopene (r = 0.04 to r = 0.07). Low correlations between skin carotenoid score and lycopene plasma concentrations and intake could be due to differential deposition, preferential oxidation/degradation, and/or device measurement bias. Validating skin carotenoid measurement techniques relative to other concentration biomarkers informs the interpretation of skin carotenoid biomarkers.

Citing Articles

Common and rare genetic variation intersects with ancestry to influence human skin and plasma carotenoid concentrations.

Han Y, Mwesigwa S, Wu Q, Laska M, Jilcott Pitts S, Moran N medRxiv. 2025; .

PMID: 39763521 PMC: 11703293. DOI: 10.1101/2024.12.20.24319465.

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