β-carotene and retinol contents in the meat of herbivorous ungulates with a special reference to their public health importance.
The aim of this study was to estimate total carotenoids, β-carotene and retinol concentrations in the livers and muscles of some ungulates (cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats and horses) in comparison with the Wistar rats as a control. Cattle and horses had the highest contents of total carotenoids and β-carotene. Unexpectedly, sheep was the highest accumulator of retinol with a mean concentration of 203 ± 23.34 µg/g, while the least accumulator was buffalo, having a mean value of 58.28 ± 13.77 µg/g. Livers had higher contents of the examined phytochemicals than muscles. Consumption of these tissues may provide human with some needs from these important phytochemicals, though ingestion of livers, especially that of the sheep, is not advisable for the pregnant women.
Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.
Wageh Sobhy
WS
Darwish
Yoshinori
Y
Ikenaka
Alaa Eldin
AE
Morshdy
Kamal Ibrahim
KI
Eldesoky
Shouta
S
Nakayama
Hazuki
H
Mizukawa
Mayumi
M
Ishizuka
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D006041:Goats; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry; D011247:Pregnancy; D011634:Public Health; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012756:Sheep; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000032:analysis*; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000032:analysis*
D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A