Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Bioavailability

Beta-Carotenebiofortified maize is being developed through plant breeding as a sustainable agronomic approach to alleviate vitamin A deficiency. As a result, researchers conducted a study regarding the bioavailability of beta-carotene as a source for vitamin A. According to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, beta-carotene in biofortified maize has good bioavailability as a plant source of vitamin A (Sept. 1 2010). Six healthy women each consumed three 250-g portions of maize porridge as follows: 1) beta-carotenebiofortified maize porridge containing 527 µg (0.98 µmol) total beta-carotene, 2) white maize porridge with a beta-carotene reference dose containing 595 µg (1.11 µmol) added beta-carotene and 3) white maize porridge with a vitamin A reference dose containing 286 µg retinol activity equivelent (1.00 µmol) added retinyl palmitate. Each portion contained 8 g of added sunflower oil. The porridges were consumed in random order separated by 2 weeks. Blood samples were collected over nine hours. Retinyl palmitate was analyzed in plasma triacylglycerolrich lipoprotein (TRL) fractions by HPLC with coulometric array electrochemical detection.

Mean areas under the curve for retinyl palmitate in the TRL fractions (nmol · h) were 24.0 ± 9.4, 89.7 ± 34.7 and 80.1 ± 24.8 after ingestion of the beta-carotenebiofortified maize porridge, the white maize porridge with the beta-carotene reference dose and the white maize porridge with the vitamin A reference dose, respectively. On average, 6.48 ± 3.51 µg of the beta-carotene in beta-carotenebiofortified maize porridge and 2.34 ± 1.61 µg of the beta-carotene in the reference dose were each equivalent to 1 µg retinol.