Intestinal absorption of beta-carotene ingested with a meal rich in sunflower oil or beef tallow: postprandial appearance in triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins in women.
BACKGROUND
Evidence indicates that different types of fat have different effects on the postprandial plasma triacylglycerol response. Therefore, the type of fat may influence the appearance of beta-carotene in postprandial triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins, which is used as an indicator of intestinal beta-carotene absorption.


OBJECTIVE
We compared in female subjects the appearance of beta-carotene in plasma triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins after beta-carotene was ingested with a meal containing sunflower oil or beef tallow.


METHODS
Women (n = 11) each ingested 2 different vitamin A-free, fat-rich meals that were supplemented with beta-carotene (47 micromol) and contained equivalent amounts (60 g) of sunflower oil or beef tallow. Blood samples were collected hourly from 0 to 10 h; additional samples were collected at selected intervals until 528 h. In a subgroup of the women (n = 7), plasma chylomicrons and 3 subfractions of VLDLs were separated by cumulative rate ultracentrifugation.


RESULTS
The appearance of beta-carotene in chylomicrons and in each VLDL subfraction was lower after ingestion with the meal containing sunflower oil than after ingestion with the meal containing beef tallow (P < 0.03). In chylomicrons, the area under the concentration-versus-time curve (AUC) for beta-carotene was 38.1 +/- 13.6% lower (P < 0.03); in contrast, the AUC for triacylglycerol was higher (P < 0.05) after the sunflower-oil-rich meal than after the beef-tallow-rich meal.


CONCLUSIONS
Ingestion of beta-carotene with a meal rich in sunflower oil as compared with a meal rich in beef tallow results in lower appearance of beta-carotene and greater appearance of triacylglycerol in triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins.
Hu
X
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Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and the Center for Designing Foods to Improve Nutrition, Iowa State University, Ames 50011-1120, USA.
Jandacek
R J
RJ
White
W S
WS
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002914:Chylomicrons / Q000737:chemistry; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000378:metabolism*; D004224:Diterpenes; D005223:Fats / Q000378:metabolism; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000502:physiology*; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000737:chemistry; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL / Q000737:chemistry; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000378:metabolism; D019518:Postprandial Period; D000084562:Retinyl Esters; D000074242:Sunflower Oil; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014461:Ultracentrifugation; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000502:physiology
D002914:Chylomicrons; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004224:Diterpenes; D005223:Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D008074:Lipoproteins; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL; D010938:Plant Oils; D000084562:Retinyl Esters; D000074242:Sunflower Oil; D014280:Triglycerides; D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A; C014794:retinol palmitate; C013698:tallow