title: Studies on hypercarotenemia due to excessive ingestion of carrot, pumpkin and papaw.
abstract: Hypercarotenemia is diagnosed by yellowing of skin. The present study was carried out to study the carotenoids, their metabolites and the vitamin A levels in hypercarotenemics on reporting, changes in serum carotenoids following cessation of feeding carotenoid-bearing foods, and to determine the carotenoids in stools of hypercarotenemics and non-hypercarotenemics. Hypercarotenemic subjects (n = 35) were tested on reporting for a 2-month to 3-month period. Feces from hypercarotenemics (n = 5) and non-hypercarotenemics (n = 8) were extracted and subjected to reverse phase-high-performance liquid chromatography. A questionnaire was administered to parents (n = 35) of these hypercarotenemic children. The serum α- and β carotenoids varied from 119 g/dl to trace and from 149 g/dl to trace respectively, with the monohydroxy metabolites varying from 214 g/dl to nondetectable and polyhydroxy metabolites from 823 g/dl to 7.0 g/dl. Longitudinal studies indicated that serum carotenoid levels declined while vitamin A levels were maintained. α-Carotenes and β-carotenes were not detected in the feces of hypercarotenemics but were present in non-hypercarotenemics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Gangodawila, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Nekadage Don Amal
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Wageesha
authors.forename: Sagarika
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ekanayake
authors.forename: Errol Radclif
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Jansz
authors.forename: Sanath
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lamabadusuriya
mesh_terms: D031042:Asimina; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D028464:Cucurbita; D018552:Daucus carota; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D006986:Hypervitaminosis A / Q000097:blood*; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D010290:Parents; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids