Mandarin orange compound beta-cryptoxanthin and stress in young women
What it found
Drinking mandarin orange juice rich in beta-cryptoxanthin kept a saliva stress marker from rising during a stressful week in 23 young women.
The same compound reduced stress signs dose-dependently in male mice.
What they found
Studies in people
Saliva stress marker in women
In the placebo group, a saliva enzyme linked to stress was clearly higher in the evening than in the morning during training. In the group drinking mandarin juice with beta-cryptoxanthin, this evening rise did not happen.
Anxiety questionnaires unchanged
Self-reported anxiety scores and feelings of stress on questionnaires were about the same in both groups of women. Physical condition, sleep time and sense of achievement also showed no difference between the groups.
Animal and lab studies
Stress response in male mice
Male mice exposed to territorial stress had heavier adrenal glands, a sign of stress. Drinking beta-cryptoxanthin in their water prevented this weight gain, and larger amounts gave a stronger effect.
Other findings
Amount used in the trial
The mandarin juice given to the women contained 3.3 mg of beta-cryptoxanthin per 125 mL bottle. This amount comes from about three Satsuma mandarin oranges.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that taking in beta-cryptoxanthin from mandarin oranges may help lower the physical stress response in young women.
- Their mouse work suggests the stress-lowering effect depends on the amount taken, so smaller doses might also work in people.
- They advise future research to test older age groups and to see if even lower daily amounts can reduce stress.
How it was done
Earlier small tests suggested that beta-cryptoxanthin, a natural substance found in Satsuma mandarins, might lower stress in women. The authors wanted to confirm this in a new group of female students facing a demanding training period.
Twenty-three healthy female university students drank either 125 mL of mandarin juice rich in beta-cryptoxanthin or a matching placebo juice every morning after breakfast. They did this for one week before and five days during a stressful pharmacy training placement. Separately, 54 male mice were given different amounts of the compound in their drinking water while exposed to territorial stress for one day.
What it can’t tell you
- This trial only included young women in their twenties, so it cannot show whether men or older adults would respond the same way.
- The animal work used male mice under territorial stress, which may not match how stress works in people.
- The study lasted less than two weeks, so it cannot show what happens over longer periods.
The paper
- Title
- Anti-stress Effect of β-Cryptoxanthin in Satsuma Mandarin Orange on Females
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Unno K, Noda S, Nii H, Kawasaki Y, Iguchi K, Yamada H (2019). Anti-stress Effect of β-Cryptoxanthin in Satsuma Mandarin Orange on Females. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin. doi:10.1248/bpb.b19-00325Free full textPubMed 31366875DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error