title: Effect of the consumption of a fruit and vegetable soup with high in vitro carotenoid bioaccessibility on serum carotenoid concentrations and markers of oxidative stress in young men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of the daily intake of a fruit & vegetable soup with high in vitro bioaccessibility of carotenoids on β-carotene and lycopene serum concentrations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen healthy young men (24 ± 1 years) received 300 mL/day of a carrot, tomato, and broccoli soup, containing 3.9 mg β-carotene and 4 mg lycopene, for 4 weeks followed by a 4-week washout period. The serum carotenoid response and oxidative markers were analyzed after 3 and 4 weeks of soup consumption and after a 4-week washout.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The in vitro bioaccessibility of β-carotene and lycopene was 55 and 43%, respectively, in the soup. Serum β-carotene concentrations were significantly higher than baseline (0.33 ± 0.05 μmol/L) after 3 weeks (0.69 ± 0.06 μmol/L) and 4 weeks (0.78 ± 0.10 μmol/L) of soup consumption (P < 0.001). Serum lycopene was also significantly higher compared with baseline levels (0.26 ± 0.08-0.56 ± 0.04 μmol/L and 0.60 ± 0.04 μmol/L, after 3 and 4 weeks, respectively) (P < 0.001). Although the highest concentration of both carotenoids was found after 4 weeks, the levels were not statistically different from the levels at 3 weeks. A 4-week washout significantly decreased serum carotenoid concentrations, although only β-carotene returned to baseline. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) increased significantly after soup supplementation compared with baseline, while superoxide dismutase was significantly lower only after 3 weeks. Glutathione reductase, lipid, protein, and DNA oxidative markers remained unchanged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The soup contributed to increasing the concentration of each carotenoid by more than 100% after 3 and 4 weeks of consumption, the maximum increase being observed after 4 weeks. Oxidative markers did not show any variation except for GPx. Serum lycopene half-life was longer than that of β-carotene, which may be important for studies evaluating both carotenoids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Rebeca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martínez-Tomás
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Larqué
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: González-Silvera
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Campillo
authors.forename: María Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Burgos
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wellner
authors.forename: Soledad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parra
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bialek
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alminger
authors.forename: Francisca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pérez-Llamas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake; D005638:Fruit; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D000077276:Lycopene; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D014675:Vegetables; D055815:Young Adult; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D019207:beta Carotene; D002338:Carotenoids; D000077276:Lycopene