Accumulation in chick livers of 9-cis versus all-trans beta-carotene.
Previous results indicated that beta-carotene, as present within the unicellular alga Dunaliella, accumulated in the liver of chicks to a much higher degree than did synthetic all-trans beta-carotene. Because the Dunaliella beta-carotene is composed of an approximately equal mixture of two stereoisomers, 9-cis and all-trans, we tested whether a similar mixture of purified beta-carotene isomers would yield comparable results. Indeed, analysis of liver following 2 wk of feeding show a 10-fold higher accumulation of beta-carotene in the chicks fed a mixture of purified 9-cis and all-trans beta-carotene as compared with those fed only all-trans beta-carotene. The ratio of 9-cis to all-trans beta-carotene in the liver was about three times higher than that present in the beta-carotene fed to the chicks. Retinol and retinyl esters accumulated to a similar degree in the livers of chicks given all treatments.
Mokady
S
S
Department of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Technion, Haifa, Israel.
Avron
M
M
Ben-Amotz
A
A
D000818:Animals; D001682:Biological Availability; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D002645:Chickens; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003460:Crystallization; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D019207:beta Carotene
D019207:beta Carotene; D002338:Carotenoids