BETA CAROTENE

First approved in 1964

Details

Stereochemistry	ACHIRAL
Molecular Formula	C40H56
Molecular Weight	536.8726
Optical Activity	NONE
Defined Stereocenters	0 / 0
E/Z Centers	9
Charge	0

SHOW SMILES / InChI

Structure Search

SMILES

CC(\C=C\C=C(C)\C=C\C1=C(C)CCCC1(C)C)=C/C=C/C=C(C)/C=C/C=C(C)/C=C/C2=C(C)CCCC2(C)C

InChI

InChIKey=OENHQHLEOONYIE-JLTXGRSLSA-N

InChI=1S/C40H56/c1-31(19-13-21-33(3)25-27-37-35(5)23-15-29-39(37,7)8)17-11-12-18-32(2)20-14-22-34(4)26-28-38-36(6)24-16-30-40(38,9)10/h11-14,17-22,25-28H,15-16,23-24,29-30H2,1-10H3/b12-11+,19-13+,20-14+,27-25+,28-26+,31-17+,32-18+,33-21+,34-22+

HIDE SMILES / InChI

Molecular Formula	C40H56
Molecular Weight	536.8726
Charge	0
Count

Stereochemistry	ACHIRAL
Additional Stereochemistry	No
Defined Stereocenters	0 / 0
E/Z Centers	9
Optical Activity	NONE

Description
Sources: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/999.html
Curator's Comment: Description was created based on several sources, including http://www.drugs.com/monograph/lumitene.html

Beta-carotene is found in many foods and is sold as a dietary supplement. Beta-carotene is a carotenoid, weak antioxidant; precursor of vitamin A, which is essential for vision and growth. Used to reduce the severity of photosensitivity reactions in patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP). Has been used in high-dose antioxidant supplements containing ascorbic acid and vitamin E with zinc in high-risk patients with age-related macular degeneration. Beta-carotene is also used to decrease asthma symptoms caused by exercise; to prevent certain cancers, heart disease, cataracts; and to treat AIDS, alcoholism, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, epilepsy, headache, heartburn, high blood pressure, infertility, Parkinson’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, schizophrenia, and skin disorders including psoriasis and vitiligo.

Originator

Approval Year

Targets

Primary Target	Pharmacology	Condition	Potency
free radicals 4 Target ID: free radicals Sources: http://www.jidonline.org/article/S0022-202X(15)44993-0/pdf	Blocker 555
singlet excited oxygen 1 Target ID: singlet excited oxygen Sources: http://www.jidonline.org/article/S0022-202X(15)44993-0/pdf	Modulator 846
POU domain, class 5, transcription factor 1 1 Target ID: P20263 Gene ID: 18999.0 Gene Symbol: Pou5f1 Target Organism: Mus musculus (Mouse) Sources: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25019987	Inhibitor 8504
Protein delta homolog 1 1 Target ID: Q09163 Gene ID: 13386.0 Gene Symbol: Dlk1 Target Organism: Mus musculus (Mouse) Sources: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25019987	Inhibitor 8504
Hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha 10 Target ID: Q61221\|\|\|Q8R385 Gene ID: 15251.0 Gene Symbol: Hif1a Target Organism: Mus musculus (Mouse) Sources: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25019987	Inhibitor 8504

Conditions

Condition	Modality	Highest Phase	Product
Macular degeneration 4 Sources: http://www.drugs.com/monograph/beta-carotene.html	Primary	Phase III 665	Unknown Approved Use Unknown
Erythropoietic protoporphyria 2 Sources: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/900968	Primary	Approved 8583	SOLATENE Approved Use Erythropoietic protoporphyria Launch Date 1975
Neuroblastoma 26 Sources: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25019987	Primary	Basic research	Unknown Approved Use Unknown
Head and neck cancer 50 Sources: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00169845	Preventing	Phase III 665	Unknown Approved Use Unknown
Cardiovascular diseases 72 Sources: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00000541	Preventing	Phase II 1147	Unknown Approved Use Unknown
Maternal mortality, fetal loss, or infant mortality 1 Sources: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00198822	Preventing	Phase III 665	Unknown Approved Use Unknown
Retinitis pigmentosa 10 Sources: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01680510	Primary	Phase III 665	Unknown Approved Use Unknown
Psoriasis 87 Sources: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01628081	Primary	Phase III 665	Unknown Approved Use Unknown
Chronic pancreatitis 3 Sources: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00319358	Palliative	Phase III 665	Unknown Approved Use Unknown

PubMed

Title	Date	PubMed
Cardiovascular effects of low versus high-dose beta-carotene in a rat model.	2015-10	26225824
Β-carotene inhibits neuroblastoma tumorigenesis by regulating cell differentiation and cancer cell stemness.	2014-08-08	25019987
Beta carotene therapy for erythropoietic protoporphyria and other photosensitivity diseases.	1977-09	900968

Patents

Sample Use Guides

In Vivo Use Guide

For Erythropoietic Protoporphyria 0–300 mg (50,000–500,000 IU beta carotene) daily; For Macular Degeneration 15 mg daily in combination with ascorbic acid 500 mg daily, vitamin E 400 units daily, and zinc (as zinc oxide) 80 mg daily, with copper (as cupric oxide) 2 mg daily

Route of Administration: Oral

In Vitro Use Guide

In vitro evaluation of BC (Beta-carotene) on rat H9c2 cells showed that the agent significantly improved vitality of these cells in a dose range of 2.5–10 uM.

Substance Class	Chemical Created by `admin` on `Mon Mar 31 17:36:05 GMT 2025` Edited by `admin` on `Mon Mar 31 17:36:05 GMT 2025`
Record UNII	01YAE03M7J
Record Status	`Validated (UNII)`
Record Version

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Name

Type

Language

BETA CAROTENE

Official Name

English

CI 40800

Preferred Name

English

BETA-CAROTENE

Preferred Name

English

CI 75130

Preferred Name

English

betacarotene [INN]

Common Name

English

CI FOOD ORANGE 5

Common Name

English

BETA CAROTENE [HSDB]

Common Name

English

BETA CAROTENE [DSC]

Common Name

English

INS NO.160A(III)

Common Name

English

BETACAROTENE [EP IMPURITY]

Common Name

English

PROVATENE

Common Name

English

CAROTEN BASE 35468

Common Name

English

E-160A(III)

Common Name

English

BETA CAROTENE [ORANGE BOOK]

Common Name

English

FOOD ORANGE 5

Common Name

English

C.I.-40800

Code

English

BETACAROTENE [MART.]

Common Name

English

BETACAROTENE

Official Name

English

CAROTENE,BETA

Common Name

English

SOLATENE

Brand Name

English

.BETA.-CAROTENE [MI]

Common Name

English

SERLABO

Common Name

English

BETA CAROTENE [USP MONOGRAPH]

Common Name

English

BETA CAROTENE [USP-RS]

Common Name

English

all-trans-?-Carotene

Common Name

English

ROVIMIX .BETA.-CAROTENE

Common Name

English

INS-160A(III)

Common Name

English

PROVATENOL

Common Name

English

LUCARATIN

Brand Name

English

BETA,BETA-CAROTENE

Common Name

English

BETAVIT

Brand Name

English

BETA CAROTENE [VANDF]

Common Name

English

BETA-CAROTENE (CONSTITUENT OF LYCOPENE AND TOMATO EXTRACT CONTAINING LYCOPENE) [DSC]

Common Name

English

BETA-CAROTENE [FCC]

Common Name

English

BETACAROTENE [EP MONOGRAPH]

Common Name

English

CAROTENE,BETA [VANDF]

Common Name

English

(ALL-E)-1,1'-(3,7,12,16-TETRAMETHYL-1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17-OCTADECANONAENE-1,18-DIYL)BIS(2,6,6-TRIMETHYLCYCLOHEXENE)

Common Name

English

Betacarotene [WHO-DD]

Common Name

English

BETA CAROTENE [USAN]

Common Name

English

NSC-62794

Code

English

BETA-CAROTENE (CONSTITUENT OF SPIRULINA) [DSC]

Common Name

English

LUCAROTIN 30SUN

Common Name

English

BETA, BETA-CAROTENE

Common Name

English

Classification Tree Code System Code

WHO-ATC

A11CA02