Lutein Accretion Corresponds to Activity of Metabolic Pathways during Brain Development

Lutein is well known for its role as an antioxidant in the macula of the eye, and recent reports suggest that lutein may be important for other areas of the brain as well. For instance, lutein is correlated with cognition scores in older adults, and lutein was found throughout the infant brain in areas important for learning and memory. We hypothesize that lutein has importance beyond its role as an antioxidant in the developing brain. The objective of this study was to better understand the role of lutein in the infant brain. To accomplish this task, we performed post‐mortem metabolomic analyses of human infant brain tissues from three regions important for learning and memory, including the frontal cortex, hippocampus, and occipital cortex. Metabolomic profiles were compared to lutein concentration in each sample, and those metabolites that correlated to lutein concentrations in these brain regions were identified and reported here. We found that lutein positively correlated with metabolites of lipid pathways, amino acid neurotransmitters, as well as the antioxidant homocarnosine. Furthermore, these correlations were independent of infant age and were often brain region specific. Revealing connections between lutein and metabolic pathways will hopefully shed light on other important roles of lutein in the human brain during development. This study was funded by Abbott Nutrition.