title: Dietary beta-carotene absorption and metabolism in ferrets and rats.
abstract: The ability of the ferret (Mustela putorius furo) to absorb dietary beta-carotene was studied to determine its appropriateness as a laboratory animal model for studies on beta-carotene metabolism. At baseline, the mean serum beta-carotene level in ferrets was 0.6 micrograms/dl and no beta-carotene was present in liver or adipose tissue. After the ferrets were fed 4 or 20 mg of beta-carotene/kg body wt daily for 2 wk, serum levels were 15.3 and 41.5 micrograms/dl, liver values were 0.9 and 4.1 micrograms/g and adipose tissue values were 0.1 and 0.2 microgram/g of beta-carotene, respectively. Thus, like humans, ferrets are able to absorb dietary beta-carotene intact. Further, these animals can store quantifiable amounts of dietary beta-carotene in their liver and, to a lesser extent, in adipose tissue. In contrast, serum beta-carotene levels in rats fed the two levels of beta-carotene were very low (0.5 to 0.6 microgram/dl) and no beta-carotene was found in liver or adipose tissue. Thus, the ferret is a more appropriate animal model for studying the intestinal absorption of beta-carotene and its storage and metabolism in body tissues.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Ribaya-Mercado
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Holmgren
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Russell
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002335:Carnivora / Q000378:metabolism*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005289:Ferrets / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000378:metabolism; D019207:beta Carotene
chemical_list: D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids