Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T14:24:23.087Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Bioavailability of carotenoids in human subjects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2007

Robert S. Parker ,
Joy E. Swanson ,
Cha-Sook You ,
Alison J. Edwards  and
Tina Huang
Robert S. Parker*
Affiliation:
Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
Joy E. Swanson
Affiliation:
Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
Cha-Sook You
Affiliation:
Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
Alison J. Edwards
Affiliation:
Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
Tina Huang
Affiliation:
Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Robert S. Parker, fax +1 607 255 1033, email rsp3@cornell.edu
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

There is growing need for accurate information regarding the bioavailability of carotenoids, both with respect to carotenoids per se and to the vitamin A value of provitamin A carotenoids in foods or supplement preparations. Little quantitative information is currently available, owing primarily to the lack of adequate methods to assess carotenoid bioavailability. Methods applied to xenobiotic drugs are in most cases not useful for carotenoids, many of which circulate in appreciable quantities in human plasma. Reported ranges of carotenoid bioavailability (% dose absorbed) range from 1–99, and variability is generally high both within and between treatments. With the current methods, relative bioavailability is more readily assessed than absolute bioavailability. The most commonly applied methods include measuring the increase in plasma carotenoid concentration following chronic intervention, and use of postprandial chylomicron (PPC) carotenoid or retinyl ester response following a single dose of carotenoid. The advantages and limitations of these approaches, together with examples of each, are discussed. A new PPC approach utilizing extrinsic-stable-isotope-labelled vitamin A (2H4-labelled retinyl acetate) is under development in our laboratory, and examples of its application are presented. The currently available data suggest that oil solutions of carotenoids are more bioavailable than those from food matrices, and heating can improve the bioavailability of carotenoids from some food products. Increased availability of labelled carotenoids and retinoids should aid the development of reliable methods of carotenoid bioavailability assessment. Such data are needed for dietary recommendations, supplement formulation, and design of intervention strategies involving carotenoids.

Keywords

BioavailabilityCarotenoidsVitamin APostprandial chylomicron technique
Type
Micronutrient Group Symposium on ‘Recent developments in bioavailability of micronutrients’
Information
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society , Volume 58 , Issue 1 , February 1999 , pp. 155 - 162
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1999

References

Blomhoff, R, Green, MH, Green, JB, Berg, T & Norum, KR (1991) Vitamin A metabolism: new perspectives on absorption, transport and storage. Physiology Reviews 71, 951–990.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bone, RA, Landrum, JT, Fernandez, L & Tarsis, SL (1988) Analysis of the macular pigment by HPLC: retinal distribution and age study. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 29, 843–849.Google ScholarPubMed
de Pee, S & West, C (1996) Dietary carotenoids and their role in combating vitamin A deficiency: a review of the literature. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 50, Suppl. 3, S38–S53.Google Scholar
Gartner, C, Stahl, W & Sies, H (1997) Lycopene is more available from tomato paste than from fresh tomatoes. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 66, 116–122.Google Scholar
Hammond, BR, Johnson, EJ, Russell, RM, Krinsky, NI, Yeum, KJ, Edwards, R & Snodderly, DM (1997) Dietary modification of human macular pigment density. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 38, 1795–1802.Google Scholar
Haskell, MJ, Handelman, GJ, Peerson, JM, Jones, AD, Rabbi, MA, Awal, MA, Wahed, MA, Dilip, M & Brown, KH (1997) Assessment of vitamin A status by the deuterated-retinol-dilution technique and comparison with hepatic vitamin A concentration in Bangladeshi surgical patients. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 66, 67–74.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mayne, ST & Parker, RS (1989) Antioxidant activity of dietary canthaxanthin. Nutrition and Cancer 12, 225–236.Google Scholar
Miller, NJ, Sampson, J, Candeias, LP, Branley, PM & Rice-Evans, CA (1996) Antioxidant activities of carotenes and xanthophylls. FEBS Letters 384, 240–246.Google Scholar
Novotny, JA, Ducker, SR, Zech, LA & Clifford, AJ (1995) Compartmental analysis of the dynamics of β-carotene in an adult volunteer. Journal of Lipid Research 36, 1825–1838.Google Scholar
Olson, JA (1987) Recommended dietary intakes (RDI) of vitamin A in humans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 45, 704–716.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
O'Neill, ME & Thurnham, DI (1998) Intestinal absorption of β-carotene, lycopene and lutein in men and women following a standard meal: response curves in the triacylglycerol-rich lipoprotein fraction. British Journal of Nutrition 79, 149–159.Google Scholar
Ong, DE (1994) Cellular transport and metabolism of vitamin A: roles of the cellular retinoid-binding proteins. Nutrition Reviews 52, S24–S31.Google Scholar
Parker, RS (1996) Absorption, metabolism and transport of carotenoids. FASEB Journal 10, 542–551.Google Scholar
Parker, RS (1997) Bioavailability of carotenoids. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 51, Suppl. 1, S86–S90.Google Scholar
Parker, RS, Brenna, JT, Swanson, JE, Goodman, KJ & Marmor, B (1997) Assessing metabolism of β-[13C]carotene using high-precision isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Methods in Enzymology 282, 130–140.Google Scholar
Parker, RS, Swanson, JE, Marmor, B, Goodman, KJ, Spielman, AB, Brenna, JT, Viereck, SM & Canfield, WK (1993) Study of β-carotene metabolism in humans using 13C-β-carotene and high precision isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 691, 86–95.Google Scholar
Rock, CL, Lovalvo, JL, Ementiser, C, Ruffin, MT, Flatt, SW & Schwartz, SJ (1998) Bioavailability of β-carotene is lower in raw than in processed carrots and spinach in women. Journal of Nutrition 128, 913–916.Google Scholar
Swanson, JE & Parker, RS (1996) Biological effects of carotenoids in humans. In Handbook of Antioxidants, pp. 337–367 [Packer, L and Cadenas, E, editors]. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker Inc.Google Scholar
Traber, MG, Diamond, SR, Lane, JC, Brody, RI & Kayden, HJ (1994) β-Carotene transport in human lipoproteins. Comparisons with a-tocopherol. Lipids 29, 665–669.Google Scholar
van Vliet, T (1996) Absorption of β-carotene and other carotenoids in humans and animal models. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 50, Suppl. 3, S32–S37.Google Scholar
van Vliet, T, Schreurs, WHP & van den Berg, H (1995) Intestinal β-carotene absorption and cleavage in men: response of β-carotene and retinyl esters in the triglyceride-rich lipoprotein fraction after a single oral dose of b-carotene. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 62, 110–116.Google Scholar