Optha-LL

Uses

Beta carotene is a vitamin A precursor found in various nutritional supplements and health products.

Beta-carotene is FDA approved to be used as a nutrient supplement and to be even added in infant formula as a source of vitamin A. It is also approved to be used as a color additive for food products, drugs (with the label of "only as a color additive") and cosmetics.

It is used commonly for the reduction of photosensitivity in patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria and other photosensitivity diseases.

Xanthophylls are taken for nutritional supplementation, and also for treating dietary shortage or imbalance.

Lycopene is an ingredient found in a variety of supplements and vitamins.

Effective for:

• Vitamin A deficiency. Taking vitamin A by mouth is effective for preventing and treating symptoms of vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A deficiency can occur in people with protein deficiency, diabetes, over-active thyroid, fever, liver disease, cystic fibrosis, or an inherited disorder called abetalipoproteinemia.

Possibly Effective for:

• Breast cancer. Premenopausal women with a family history of breast cancer who consume high levels of vitamin A in their diet seem to have reduced risk of developing breast cancer. It is not known if taking vitamin A supplements has the same benefit.
• Cataracts. Research suggests that high intake of vitamin A in the diet is linked to a lower risk of developing cataracts.
• Diarrhea related to HIV. Taking vitamin A along with conventional medicines seems to decrease the risk of death from diarrhea in HIV-positive children with vitamin A deficiency.
• Malaria. Taking vitamin A by mouth seems to decrease malaria symptoms in children less than 3 years-old living in areas where malaria is common.
• Measles. Taking vitamin A by mouth seems to reduce the risk of measles complications or death in children with measles and vitamin A deficiency.
• Precancerous lesions in the mouth (oral leukoplakia). Research suggests that taking vitamin A can help treat precancerous lesions in the mouth.
• Recovery from laser eye surgery (photoreactive keratectomy). Taking vitamin A by mouth along with vitamin E seems to improve healing after laser eye surgery.
• Complications after pregnancy. Taking vitamin A seems to reduce the risk of diarrhea and fever after pregnancy in malnourished women.
• Complications during pregnancy. Taking vitamin A by mouth seems to reduce the risk of death and night blindness during pregnancy in malnourished women.
• Eye disease affecting the retina (retinitis pigmentosa). Research suggests that taking vitamin A can slow the progression of an eye disease that causes damage to the retina.

As a dietary supplement:

• Vitamin E deficiency resulting from impaired absorption.
• Increased requirements due to diet rich in polyunsaturated fats.
• For healthy hair & skin
• As an Antioxidant
• Hemolytic anemia due to Vitamin E deficiency

Therapeutic use

: Heavy metal poisoning, Hepatotoxin poisoning, Hemolytic anemia, Oxygen therapy and replacement therapy in nutritional deficiency states for the betterment of skin and hair.

Optha-LL is also used to associated treatment for these conditions: Deficiency, Vitamin A, Nutritional supplementationFolate supplementation therapy, Mineral supplementation, Nutritional supplementation, Vitamin supplementationNutritional supplementationDeficiency, Vitamin A, Deficiency, Vitamin D, Degenerative Retinal Disorders, Disorder of the Epithelium, Disorder of the Mesoderm, Inner ear disorder, Vitamin Deficiency, Vitamin E Deficiency, Nutritional supplementationVitamin Deficiency, Long-chain omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, Dietary supplementation

How Optha-LL works

Beta-carotene is an antioxidant that presents significant efficacy against the reactive oxygen species singlet oxygen. Beta-carotene acts as a scavenger of lipophilic radicals within the membranes of every cell compartments. It also presents an oxidative modification of LDL. The presence of long chains of conjugated double bonds is responsible for its antioxidative properties by allowing beta-carotene to chelate oxygen-free radicals and dissipate their energy. The chelation of free radicals inhibits the peroxidation of lipids.

The effect of beta-carotene in the immune response is thought to be related to the direct effect on the thymus which increases the production of immune cells.

Xanthophylls have antioxidant activity and react with active oxygen species, producing biologically active degradation products. They also can inhibit peroxidation of membrane phospholipids and reduce lipofuscin formation, both of which contribute to their antioxidant properties. Lutein is naturally present in the macula of the human retina. It filters out potentially phototoxic blue light and near-ultraviolet radiation from the macula. The protective effect is due in part, to the reactive oxygen species quenching ability of these carotenoids. Lutein is more stable to decomposition by pro-oxidants than are other carotenoids such as beta-carotene and lycopene. Lutein is abundant in the region surrounding the fovea, and lutein is the predominant pigment at the outermost periphery of the macula. Zeaxanthin, which is fully conjugated (lutein is not), may offer somewhat better protection than lutein against phototoxic damage caused by blue and near-ultraviolet light radiation. Lutein is one of only two carotenoids that have been identified in the human lens, may be protective against age-related increases in lens density and cataract formation. Again, the possible protection afforded by lutein may be accounted for, in part, by its reactive oxygen species scavenging abilities. Carotenoids also provide protection from cancer. One of the mechanisms of this is by increasing the expression of the protein connexin-43, thereby stimulating gap junctional communication and preventing unrestrained cell proliferation.

Vision:Vitamin A (all-trans retinol) is converted in the retina to the 11-cis-isomer of retinaldehyde or 11-cis-retinal. 11-cis-retinal functions in the retina in the transduction of light into the neural signals necessary for vision. 11-cis-retinal, while attached to opsin in rhodopsin is isomerized to all-trans-retinal by light. This is the event that triggers the nerve impulse to the brain which allows for the perception of light. All-trans-retinal is then released from opsin and reduced to all-trans-retinol. All-trans-retinol is isomerized to 11-cis-retinol in the dark, and then oxidized to 11-cis-retinal. 11-cis-retinal recombines with opsin to re-form rhodopsin. Night blindness or defective vision at low illumination results from a failure to re-synthesize 11-cis retinal rapidly.
Epithelial differentiation: The role of Vitamin A in epithelial differentiation, as well as in other physiological processes, involves the binding of Vitamin A to two families of nuclear retinoid receptors (retinoic acid receptors, RARs; and retinoid-X receptors, RXRs). These receptors function as ligand-activated transcription factors that modulate gene transcription. When there is not enough Vitamin A to bind these receptors, natural cell differentiation and growth are interrupted.

The mechanism of action for most of vitamin E's effects are still unknown. Vitamin E is an antioxidant, preventing free radical reactions with cell membranes. Though in some cases vitamin E has been shown to have pro-oxidant activity.

One mechanism of vitamin E's antioxidant effect is in the termination of lipid peroxidation. Vitamin E reacts with unstable lipid radicals, producing stable lipids and a relatively stable vitamin E radical. The vitamin E radical is then reduced back to stable vitamin E by reaction with ascorbate or glutathione.

Dosage

Optha-LL dosage

Vitamin A deficiency For severe deficiency with corneal changes: 500,000 unit/day for 3 days, followed by 50,000 unit/day for 2 wk and then 10,000-20,000 unit/day for 2 mth as follow-up therapy.

For cases without corneal changes: 10,000-25,000 unit/day until clinical improvement occurs (usually 1 -2 wk).

Betterment of Cardiovascular health: 400 mg - 800 mg / day

Deficiency syndrome in adults: 200 mg - 400 mg / day

Deficiency syndrome in children: 200 mg / day

Thalassemia: 800 mg / day

Sickle-cell anemia: 400 mg / day

Betterment of Skin & Hair: 200 mg - 400 mg / day (Topical use is also established for beautification)

Chronic cold in adults: 200 mg / day

Side Effects

Hypervitaminosis A characterised by fatigue, irritability, anorexia, weight loss, vomiting and other Gl disturbances, low-grade fever, hepatosplenomegaly, skin changes, alopoecia, dry hair, cracking and bleeding lips, SC swelling, nocturia, pains in bones and joints.

Overdoses (>1g) have been associated with minor side effects, including hypertension, fatigue, diarrhea and myopathy

Toxicity

Beta-carotene is not toxic but the high and constant administration of this substance can translate into skin yellow coloration. Some reports have indicated that administration of high and periodic doses of beta-carotene are correlated to the increase in cancer incidence. This risk seems to be very elevated in the case of smokers. The registered LD50 of beta-carotene is >5000 mg/kg.

Acute toxicity to vitamin A can occur when adults or children ingest >100x or >20x the RDA, respectively, over a period of hours or a few days. The RDA for vitamin A differs depending on age and sex and can range from 300 - 900 μg retinol activity equivalents (RAE) per day. Symptoms of acute systemic toxicity generally include mucocutaneous involvement (e.g. xerosis, cheilitis, skin peeling) and may involve mental status changes. Children are typically more susceptible to acute vitamin A toxicity - daily intakes of as little as 1500 IU/kg have been observed to result in toxicity.

Chronic vitamin A toxicity can develop following the long-term ingestion of high vitamin A doses. While there is a wide variation in the lowest toxic vitamin A dose, the ingestion of >25 000 IU daily for 6 years or 100,000 IU daily for 6 months is considered to be toxic. Chronic vitamin A toxicity can affect many organ systems and can lead to the development of osteoporosis and CNS effects (e.g. headaches).

There is no data available for effects in pregnancy, breast feeding, hepatic impairment, or renal impairment. However, it appears that the process of vitamin E elimination is strict and self regulating enough that vitamin E toxicity is exceedingly rare. Studies showing adverse effects from excess vitamin E generally involve people consuming more than 1000mg/day for weeks to months.

Precaution

Cholestatic jaundice; fat-malabsorption conditions. Monitor patients closely for toxicity. Liver impairment and children.

Vitamin E may enhance the anticoagulant activity of anticoagulant drugs. Caution is advised in premature infants with high dose Vitamin E supplementation, because of reported risk of necrotizing enterocilitis.

Interaction

Decreased absorption with neomycin. Increased risk of hypervitaminosis A with synthetic retinoids eg, acitretin, isotretinoin and tretinoin. Increased risk of toxicity when used with alcohol.

Vitamin E may impair the absorption of Vitamin A. Vitamin K functions impairement happens at the level of prothrombin formation and potentiates the effect of Warfarin.

Volume of Distribution

No pharmacokinetic studies have been performed regarding the volume of distribution of beta-carotene.

0.41L/kg in premature neonates given a 20mg/kg intramuscular injection.

Elimination Route

After administration of beta-carotene, some of the administered dose is absorbed into the circulatory system unchanged and stored in the fat tissue. The coadministration of beta-carotene and a high-fat content diet is correlated to a better absorption of beta-carotene. The absorption is also dependent on the isomeric form of the molecule where the cis conformation seems to present a higher bioavailability. The absorption of beta-carotene is thought to be performed in 6-7 hours.

The reported AUC of beta-carotene when administered orally from 0 to 440 hours after initial administration was reported to be 26.3 mcg.h/L. The maximal concentration of beta-carotene is attained in a dual pharmacokinetic profile after 6 hours and again after 32 hours with a concentration of 0.58 micromol/L.

Readily absorbed from the normal gastrointestinal tract

10-33% of deuterium labelled vitamin E is absorbed in the small intestine. Absorption of Vitamin E is dependant upon absorption of the fat in which it is dissolved. For patients with poor fat absorption, a water soluble form of vitamin E may need to be substituted such as tocopheryl polyethylene glycol-1000 succinate.

In other studies the oral bioavailability of alpha-tocopherol was 36%, gamma-tocotrienol was 9%. The time to maximum concentration was 9.7 hours for alpha-tocopherol and 2.4 hours for gamma-tocotrienol.

Half Life

The apparent half-life of beta-carotene is of 6-11 days after initial administration.

1.9 hours

44 hours in premature neonates given a 20mg/kg intramuscular injection. 12 minutes in intravenous injection of intestinal lymph.

Clearance

The clearance rate of beta-carotene administered orally is 0.68 nmol/L each hour.

6.5mL/hr/kg in premature neonates given a 20mg/kg intramuscular injection.

Elimination Route

The unabsorbed carotene is excreted in feces. It is also excreted in feces and urine as metabolites. The consumption of dietary fiber can increase the fecal excretion of fats and other fat-soluble compounds such as beta-carotene.

Alpha tocopherol is excreted in urine as well as bile in the feces mainly as a carboxyethyl-hydrochroman (CEHC) metabolite, but it can be excreted in it's natural form .

Pregnancy & Breastfeeding use

Pregnancy Category A. Adequate and well-controlled human studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus in the first trimester of pregnancy (and there is no evidence of risk in later trimesters).

Use in pregnancy: Vitamin E may be used in pregnancy in the normally recommended dose but the safety of high dose therapy has not been established.

Use in lactation: There appears to be no contraindication to breast feeding by mothers taking the normally recommended dose.

Contraindication

Hypervitaminosis A; pregnancy (dose exceeding RDA).

No known contraindications found.

Special Warning

Use in Children: Vitamin E is safe for children

Acute Overdose

Large doses of vitamin E (more than 1 gm/day) have been reported to increase bleeding tendency in vitamin K deficient patients such as those taking oral anticoagulants.

Storage Condition

Store at a cool and dry place, Protect from light and moisture.

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