Epidemiological and clinical studies have revealed that
vitamin A and its derivatives (
carotenoids and
retinoids) can reduce the risk of ovarian tumours and may have a role in the metabolism of patients with
ovarian cancer. The aim of the study was identification and quantitative assessment of
carotenoids found in nature, mainly of
provitamin A group, in the tissue material obtained from patients with different lesions of the ovaries. Material for analysis was obtained from 100 women, aged 16-74, operated on for ovarian tumours in the Department of Gynaecology.
Carotenoid pigments were separated using column chromatography, thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. In the tissue material subjected to analysis, 14
carotenoids were identified, including
provitamin A
carotenoids;
beta-carotene,
beta-cryptoxanthin,
echinenone and hydroxyechinenone.
alpha-carotene was not found. In the whole group of pathological lesions, the total
carotenoid content was relatively low (mean 1.717 microg/g tissue) and the mean content of
provitamin A
carotenoids was 17.28%. These results are similar to results obtained in the group of normal ovarian tissue. In the group of benign mucinous tumours (1.042 microg/g tissue) and tumours in the
thecoma-
fibroma group (1.328 microg/g tissue) and
dysgerminoma group (1.279 microg/g tissue), the total
carotenoid content was lower. Only in the
endometriosis group was this value higher (2.185 microg/g tissue). Epoxy
carotenoids;
lutein epoxide,
violaxanthin and
mutatoxanthin were predominant (in %). Irrespective of histological classification,
beta-carotene,
beta-cryptoxanthin,
lutein,
lutein epoxide,
violaxanthin and
mutatoxanthin were identified in all tissue examined.
Antheraxanthin was isolated in all tissue except for normal ovarian tissue, serous malignant and mucinous benign and malignant tumours, endometrioid malignant tumours,
dermoid cysts,
corpus luteum cysts and simple
cysts. Hydroxyechinenone was isolated sporadically. Only in one case was
capsanthin isolated.
Carotenoids act as chemopreventive agents, irrespective of whether they are finally transformed into
vitamin A, and may represent a potentially powerful alternative to present chemotherapeutic approaches to the treatment of
ovarian cancer.