Bioavailability of b-carotene (bC) from purple carrots is the same as typical orange carrots while high-bC carrots increase bC stores in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus)

Vitamin A (VA) deficiency is a worldwide public health problem. Biofortifying existing sources of b-carotene (bC) and increasing dietary bC could help combat the issue. Two studies were performed to investigate the relative bC bioavailability of a bC supplement to purple, high-bC orange, and typical orange carrots using Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus). In study 1, which used a traditional bioavailability design, gerbils (n 32) received a diet containing orange, purple, or white carrot powder, or white carrot powder þa bC supplement. In study 2, which included bC-biofortified carrots, gerbils (n 39) received orange, high-bC orange, purple, or white carrot powder in their diet. Both studies lasted 21 d and the gerbils were killed to determine the effect of carrot type or supplement on serum and liver bC, a-carotene, and VA concentrations. Liver stores of bC or VA in the gerbils did not differ between orange and purple carrot diets when equal amounts of bC from each of the diets were consumed (P.0·05). Both the orange and purple carrot diet resulted in higher liver VA compared with the supplement (P,0·05). HighbC carrots resulted in more than 2-fold higher bC and 1·1 times greater VA liver stores compared with typical orange carrots (P,0·05). These results suggest that high-bC carrots may be an alternative source of VA to typical carrots in areas of VA deficiency. Second, phenolics including anthocyanins and phenolic acids in purple carrot do not interfere with the bioavailability of bC from purple carrots.