title: Mongolian gerbils can utilize provitamin-A carotenoids in deep-fried carrot chips.
abstract: Deep-fried carrot chips, containing provitamin-A carotenes, were developed as an alternative mode of dietary intervention to combat vitamin A deficiency. The biological use of carotenoids in this product as vitamin A precursors was evaluated in Mongolian gerbils. Male 4-wk-old gerbils were fed a diet containing all essential nutrients for 1 wk. Then six gerbils were killed, and the remaining gerbils were fed the diet without vitamin A for 6 wk to produce marginal vitamin A deficiency. After depletion, six gerbils were killed and the remainder divided into four groups of 12 gerbils each and fed vitamin A-containing diet (+VA), beta-carotene-containing diet (BC), carrot chip-containing diet (CC), or diet containing no vitamin A/provitamin-A carotenes (-VA). The first three diets contained approximately 6 microg RE/g. Six gerbils from each group were killed after 2 wk of consuming these diets, and 6 after 4 wk. Final body weight and weekly food consumption did not differ among groups after 2 or 4 wk of repletion. Total liver vitamin A stores of BC and CC gerbils killed after 4 wk of repletion were not different from those of gerbils killed before depletion, but those of -VA gerbils were significantly lower (P < 0.05) and those of +VA gerbils were significantly higher (P < 0.05). Plasma retinol levels of gerbils killed after 4 wk of repletion, including the -VA group, did not differ. Total liver alpha- and beta-carotenes and 9-cis beta-carotene contents of the CC group were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than in the BC group after 4 wk of repletion. This carrot chip product effectively reversed vitamin A deficiency in gerbils.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Science and Dietetics, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0806, USA.
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sulaeman
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Giraud
authors.forename: M Michelle
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Naslund
authors.forename: Judy A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Driskell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001682:Biological Availability; D001835:Body Weight; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D018552:Daucus carota / Q000737:chemistry*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005849:Gerbillinae; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids