title: Carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins in horse tissues: a comparison with cattle.
abstract: Carotenoids are important for human health because of their provitamin A function among other biological actions. Their implication on consumer point of view of cattle products have been widely studied, but very little information is available for horse products. The aim of this study was to study the accumulation of carotenoids, retinoids and tocopherol by HPLC and HPLC-MS analysis in different horse tissues (plasma, milk, adipose tissue and liver) and compare it with that of cattle. Fat color was also studied. Four groups of animals were studied (15 animals within each group): lactating mares (709.82±23.09 kg) and cows (576.93±31.94 kg) reared outdoors; and foals (556.8±25.9 kg, 14 months old) and calves (474.7±36.2 kg, 14 months old) reared indoors. Both mares and foals were from the Hispano-Breton breed, whereas both cows and calves belonged to the commercial crossbred Limousine-Retinta. Differences in plasma and milk carotenoids (P0.05). Both species showed different levels of accumulation of retinoids in the liver, with the foal having better accumulation (P<0.01, P<0.001). These results indicate that there are species-specific differences in the accumulation of carotenoids, retinol and tocopherol, but further studies are required to establish the mechanism of these differences.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Agricultural and Forestry Science,Universidad de Sevilla,Ctra. Utrera km. 1,41013 Seville,Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Álvarez
authors.affiliation: 2Food Colour & Quality Laboratory,Department of Nutrition and Food Science,Universidad de Sevilla,C/Profesor García González 2,41012 Seville,Spain.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Meléndez-Martínez
authors.affiliation: 2Food Colour & Quality Laboratory,Department of Nutrition and Food Science,Universidad de Sevilla,C/Profesor García González 2,41012 Seville,Spain.
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Vicario
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Agricultural and Forestry Science,Universidad de Sevilla,Ctra. Utrera km. 1,41013 Seville,Spain.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Alcalde
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D002417:Cattle / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003116:Color; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry; D024505:Tocopherols / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids; D024505:Tocopherols
keywords: bovine; carotenoids; horse; liver; retinoids