title: Bioavailability and nutritional effects of carotenoids from organically and conventionally produced carrots in healthy men.
abstract: It has been hypothesised that organically grown vegetables are healthier than conventionally produced ones due to a higher content of phytochemicals. However, few data from controlled human studies exist. The aim of the present study was to compare the carotenoid content and antioxidant capacity of organically and conventionally produced carrots under defined conditions. Furthermore, a human intervention study was conducted to compare bioavailability, plasma antioxidant capacity, endogenous DNA strand breaks and immune parameters in healthy men ingesting carrots from different agricultural systems. Thirty-six volunteers consumed either organically or conventionally produced blanched carrots (200 g/d; 2 weeks) or no carrots in a double-blind, randomised intervention study. No statistically significant differences were observed in the total carotenoid contents (121 (sd 7) microg/g organic v. 116 (sd 13) microg/g conventional) and the antioxidant capacities (0.43 (sd 0.08) mumol Trolox equivalents/g organic v. 0.32 (sd 0.07) mumol Trolox equivalents/g conventional) of the carrots administered to the volunteers. Intake of organically or conventionally produced carrots significantly increased (P < 0.001) plasma alpha- and beta-carotene concentrations in both intervention groups without differences in plasma carotenoid concentrations. Consumption of carrots did not lead to significant changes in the plasma antioxidant status, endogenous DNA strand breaks and parameters of the immune system in all groups. Therefore, these results indicate that the agricultural system has neither an effect on the carotenoid content, the antioxidant capacity of carrots, nor on the bioavailability of carotenoids and on antioxidant, antigenotoxic and immunological effects as assessed in a human intervention study.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology and Biochemistry of Nutrition, Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Haid- und Neu-strasse 9, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Berenike A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Stracke
authors.forename: Corinna E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Rüfer
authors.forename: Achim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bub
authors.forename: Karlis
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Briviba
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seifert
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kunz
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Watzl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D001682:Biological Availability; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004249:DNA Damage; D018552:Daucus carota / Q000737:chemistry*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005504:Food Analysis / Q000379:methods; D058870:Food, Organic / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002338:Carotenoids