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Bioavailability of carotenoids and tocopherols from foods is determined by the efficiency of transfer from food/meal to mixed micelles during digestion, incorporation into chylomicrons for trans-epithelial transport to lymphatic/blood system, and distribution to target tissues. Fats and oils are important factors for facilitating the absorption of lipophilic compounds. However, dietary fats and oils are composed of various types of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids which may differentially impact the bioavailability of carotenoids and tocopherols from foods. We have investigated the effects of several common commercial lipids on bioavailability using an in vitro digestion model and Caco-2 human intestinal cells. Meals consisted of mixed salad vegetables containing a single test lipid. Micellarization and cellular uptake of β-carotene (βC) and lycopene (LYC) during small intestinal digestion was increased by lipids rich in unsaturated fatty acids: soybean oil > olive > canola > butter. In contrast, type of lipid minimally affected the bioaccessibility of lutein (LUT) and zeaxanthin (ZEA). To examine the influence of type of dietary triglyceride on uptake and basolateral secretion of carotenoids, Caco-2 cells grown on Transwell membranes were incubated with micellar mixtures of fatty acids (1.0 mM) mimicking the types and ratio of saturated to unsaturated (mono- + poly-unsaturated) fatty acids (FA) present in butter (70 : 30), olive oil (7 : 93) and soybean oil (11 : 89). Cells were exposed to micelles containing βC, LUT, α-tocopherol (α-TC) and a mixture of test fatty acids. Uptake and basolateral secretion of βC, LUT and α-TC were greater in cells pre-treated with mixtures enriched in unsaturated compared to saturated FA and these effects were mediated by increased assembly and secretion of chylomicrons. These results suggest that dietary fats/oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids promote carotenoid and α-TC bioavailability by enhancing their micellarization during digestion and intestinal transport.

Biofortification to increase provitamin A carotenoids is an agronomic approach to alleviate vitamin A deficiency. Two studies compared biofortified foods using in vitro and in vivo methods. Study 1 screened maize genotypes (n = 44) using in vitro analysis, which demonstrated decreasing micellarization with increasing provitamin A. Thereafter, seven 50% biofortified maize feeds that hypothesized a one-to-one equivalency between β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene were fed to Mongolian gerbils. Total liver retinol differed among the maize groups (P = 0.0043). Study 2 assessed provitamin A bioefficacy from 0.5% high-carotene carrots added to 60% staple-food feeds, followed by in vitro screening. Liver retinol was highest in the potato and banana groups, maize group retinol did not differ from baseline, and all treatments differed from control (P < 0.0001). In conclusion, β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene have similar bioefficacy; meal matrix effects influence provitamin A absorption from carrot; and in vitro micellarization does not predict bioefficacy.

While the impact of food composition and processing on carotenoid bioavailability has been the subject of several investigations, the effect of meal patterning remains unknown. The aim of this pilot study was to assess the impact of select consumption patterns on the bioavailability of carotenoids from vegetables. On three randomized testing days, subjects consumed raw salad vegetables and 8 g canola oil over a two meal period in three meal patterns. Meal patterns included consumption of 100% of vegetables and oil in the first meal and 0% in the second, 75% in the first meal and 25% in the second, and 50% in the first meal and 50% in the second. Additional protein-rich "chef's salad" ingredients were distributed equally between meals. We hypothesized that carotenoid absorption would be highest when 50% of vegetables and oil were consumed at each meal and lowest when 100% were consumed at once. Blood was collected 0 to 12 hours postprandially and triacylglycerol-rich lipoprotein fractions (TRL) were isolated by ultracentrifugation. TRL carotenoid concentrations were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector. Considering all carotenoids, absorption expressed as area under the curve was greatest when ≥75% of vegetables were consumed in a single meal (P < .05). Absorption of carotenes also followed this trend (P < .05 for α- and β-carotene). For xanthophylls, consuming all vegetables in one meal increased absorption compared to intake of 50% at each meal (P < .05). These data suggest that carotenoid absorption may be the greatest when daily recommended vegetables are consumed in one meal compared to smaller doses over multiple meals., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Scope: Dietary lipids are considered to be primary potentiators of carotenoid absorption, yet the amount and source required to optimize bioavailability has not been systematically evaluated. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of both amount and source of triacylglycerols on postprandial absorption of carotenoids from vegetable salads., Methods and Results: Healthy subjects (n = 29) were randomized using a Latin square design (3 × 3) and consumed three identical salads with 3, 8, or 20 g of canola oil, soybean oil, or butter. Blood was collected from 0-10 h and triacylglycerol-rich fractions (TRLs) were isolated by ultracentrifugation. Carotenoid contents of TRL fractions were analyzed by HPLC-DAD. Considering all lipid sources, 20 g of lipid promoted higher absorption compared to 3 and 8 g for all carotenoid species (p < 0.05), except for α-carotene (p = 0.07). The source of lipid had less impact on the absorption of carotenoids than amount of lipid. Pooling results from all lipid amounts, monounsaturated fatty acid rich canola oil trended toward enhancing absorption of lutein and α-carotene compared to saturated fatty acid rich butter (p = 0.06 and p = 0.08, respectively)., Conclusion: While both amount and source of co-consumed lipid affect carotenoid bioavailability from vegetables, amount appears to exert a stronger effect., (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)