ARS | Publication request: Vitamin A equivalence of carotenoids from high-carotenoid cassava in healthy well-nourished women [abstract]

Submitted to: Experimental Biology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: March 15, 2012
Publication Date: April 25, 2012
Citation: La Frano, M.R., Woodhouse, L.R., La Porte, D., Burri, B.J. 2012. Vitamin A equivalence of carotenoids from high-carotenoid cassava in healthy well-nourished women [abstract]. Experimental Biology. LBA 301.

Technical Abstract: Biofortification of cassava with beta-carotene (BC) may be a solution to vitamin A (VA) deficiency in countries where it is a staple food. However, data regarding the bioavailability of BC in this food is limited. We compared absorption and VA equivalence of BC in triacylgyceride–rich lipoprotein (TRL) plasma fractions after ingestion of cassava meals. Ten women consumed 3 different porridges, each with 100 g of cassava: 1) Biofortified cassava (containing 2 mg BC) with 15 mL oil (BFO); 2) Biofortified cassava without oil (BF); and 3) white cassava (C) with oil and a 0.3 mg retinyl palmitate (RP) tracer. Porridges were consumed in random order with 2 wk washouts. Blood was collected 6 times from -0.5 - 10 h. TRL were separated by ultracentrifugation and analyzed by HPLC with coulometric array electrodetection. Analysis showed significant increases in BC absorption and RP formation in TRL after both biofortified cassava meals, with BC and RP area-under-the-curves being highest in BFO. The VA equivalence (defined as nmol BC/nmol RP) of both biofortified cassavas was 4:1. This suggests that biofortified cassava can be a good source of BC and VA. Supported by HarvestPlus.