Carotenoid absorption in rats fed with vacuum-fried papaya chips depends on processed food microstructure associated with saturated and unsaturated oils

Many studies indicate that food matrix microstructure and type of dietary oil or fat play a key role in carotenoid absorption. Therefore, this work was designed to highlight the relationship between processed This study aimed evaluate consumption carotenoid-rich fruit snack on lipid profile, glycemia especially absorption/bioconversion Wistar rats. Animals were fed with mixtures based vacuum-fried papaya chips either soy (PC-S) palm (PC-P) during 7 days, receiving 0.29 mg lycopene/kg/day 0.35 total carotenoids/kg/day. Lycopene retinoids analyzed plasma liver rats by HPLC-DAD. Results showed did not affect profile rat plasma, regardless oil. Wide-field confocal microscopy analyses helped understand why lycopene accumulation higher (p < 0.05) PC-P (0.442 µg/g liver) than those PC-S (0.291 liver). A better dissolution crystalloid found PC-P. Conversely, bioconversion provitamin carotenoids observed for products. The effect underlined epifluorescence showing homogeneous small droplets These results could be recommanded as healthy snack, being source bioavailable diversified diet.