Beta-carotene Absorption and Bioconversion to Vitamin A From Biofortified Cassava Gari
| Status: | Completed |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Food Studies, Ocular, Metabolic |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Ophthalmology, Pharmacology / Toxicology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 18 - 45 |
| Updated: | 2/7/2015 |
| Start Date: | July 2014 |
| End Date: | June 2015 |
| Contact: | Ellen L Bonnel, PhD |
| Email: | ellen.bonnel@ars.usda.gov |
| Phone: | 530-752-4184 |
Beta-carotene Absorption and Bioconversion to Vitamin A in a Biofortified Cassava Gari Meal and a White Cassava Gari Meal With Added Red Palm Oil
The goal of the research study is to determine the absorption, metabolism, and bioconversion
of carotenoids such as beta-carotene to vitamin A from gari made with biofortified cassava
compared to a mixture of red palm oil and gari made from typical white cassava.
of carotenoids such as beta-carotene to vitamin A from gari made with biofortified cassava
compared to a mixture of red palm oil and gari made from typical white cassava.
Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a major public health problem in most of the developing world,
especially Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The primary issue in vitamin A deficient
populations is the low vitamin A content of the diet. Beta-carotene is the most abundant
provitamin A carotenoid in nature and in human tissues. Increasing the concentrations of
bioavailable vitamin A-forming carotenoids in staple foods by selective breeding is a good
strategy for improving vitamin A status. Cassava, bred to contain high amounts of vitamin
A-forming carotenoids is one such food, since it is a staple crop in Africa and parts of
South America. A popular cassava product Africa is gari, which is fermented, dewatered,
milled, and roasted so that it can be used for porridges and in baking. However, the effect
of feeding biofortified gari meals on carotenoid and vitamin A concentrations in the body is
not known. A common practice is to add red palm oil to typical white cassava gari. Red palm
oil is a very rich source of alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, in highly bioavailable forms.
Unfortunately, little is known of the bioconversion of red palm oil cassava mixture
carotenoids to vitamin A.
The primary purpose of this study is to determine the effect of consuming gari that is made
from biofortified cassava on carotenoid and vitamin A concentrations. The investigators will
compare carotenoid and vitamin A concentrations in individuals fed biofortified gari to the
same individuals fed gari made from ordinary cassava. The investigators hypothesis is that
the biofortified gari will increase carotenoid and vitamin A concentrations in
triacylglycerol-rich plasma (TRL). The secondary purpose of this study is to investigate the
effect of a meal of high carotenoid red palm oil added to typical white gari on carotenoids
and vitamin A. Adding red palm oil to white gari should be an effective method for
increasing carotenoids and vitamin A status in the gari meal, and thus humans. The
investigators will match the amount of retinol equivalents in the biofortified cassava gari
and red palm oil-containing white cassava gari. This will let us compare their effectiveness
at increasing carotenoid and vitamin A concentrations in the TRL plasma fraction after
consumption. This will allow us to compare their bioavailability and bioconversion
efficiencies.
especially Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The primary issue in vitamin A deficient
populations is the low vitamin A content of the diet. Beta-carotene is the most abundant
provitamin A carotenoid in nature and in human tissues. Increasing the concentrations of
bioavailable vitamin A-forming carotenoids in staple foods by selective breeding is a good
strategy for improving vitamin A status. Cassava, bred to contain high amounts of vitamin
A-forming carotenoids is one such food, since it is a staple crop in Africa and parts of
South America. A popular cassava product Africa is gari, which is fermented, dewatered,
milled, and roasted so that it can be used for porridges and in baking. However, the effect
of feeding biofortified gari meals on carotenoid and vitamin A concentrations in the body is
not known. A common practice is to add red palm oil to typical white cassava gari. Red palm
oil is a very rich source of alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, in highly bioavailable forms.
Unfortunately, little is known of the bioconversion of red palm oil cassava mixture
carotenoids to vitamin A.
The primary purpose of this study is to determine the effect of consuming gari that is made
from biofortified cassava on carotenoid and vitamin A concentrations. The investigators will
compare carotenoid and vitamin A concentrations in individuals fed biofortified gari to the
same individuals fed gari made from ordinary cassava. The investigators hypothesis is that
the biofortified gari will increase carotenoid and vitamin A concentrations in
triacylglycerol-rich plasma (TRL). The secondary purpose of this study is to investigate the
effect of a meal of high carotenoid red palm oil added to typical white gari on carotenoids
and vitamin A. Adding red palm oil to white gari should be an effective method for
increasing carotenoids and vitamin A status in the gari meal, and thus humans. The
investigators will match the amount of retinol equivalents in the biofortified cassava gari
and red palm oil-containing white cassava gari. This will let us compare their effectiveness
at increasing carotenoid and vitamin A concentrations in the TRL plasma fraction after
consumption. This will allow us to compare their bioavailability and bioconversion
efficiencies.
Inclusion Criteria:
- healthy
- non-pregnant, non-lactating
- premenopausal women
- non-smoking
- body mass index between 18 and 35
- total cholesterol concentrations between 90 and 225 mg/dL
- blood pressure under 140/90 mm Hg
Exclusion Criteria:
- anemia, Hemoglobin less than 11.5 g/dL
- medications such as gemfibrozil, niacin, lovastatin, simvastatin, ezetimibe)
- medications that affect retinoid or carotenoid metabolism (Accutane)
- medications that impair fat absorption (Xenical, orlistat)
- dietary supplements containing vitamin A
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