Evidence for decreased interaction and improved carotenoid bioavailability by sequential delivery of a supplement

• Published in: Food science & nutrition Vol. 5; no. 3; pp. 424 - 433
• Main Authors: Salter‐Venzon, Dawna, Kazlova, Valentina, Izzy Ford, Samantha, Intra, Janjira, Klosner, Allison E., Gellenbeck, Kevin W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.05.2017; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Bioavailability; Carotenoids; Competition; Dietary supplements; digestion; Gastrointestinal system; Health; Micelles; nutrition; Original Research; Sequential delivery; sequential release; Tomatoes; Transit time; Viability; digestion; nutrition; Bioavailability; carotenoids; sequential release
• ISSN: 2048-7177; 2048-7177
• DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.409

Despite the notable health benefits of carotenoids for human health, the majority of human diets worldwide are repeatedly shown to be inadequate in intake of carotenoid‐rich fruits and vegetables, according to current health recommendations. To address this deficit, strategies designed to increase dietary intakes and subsequent plasma levels of carotenoids are warranted. When mixed carotenoids are delivered into the intestinal tract simultaneously, competition occurs for micelle formation and absorption, affecting carotenoid bioavailability. Previously, we tested the in vitro viability of a carotenoid mix designed to deliver individual carotenoids sequentially spaced from one another over the 6 hr transit time of the human upper gastrointestinal system. We hypothesized that temporally and spatially separating the individual carotenoids would reduce competition for micelle formation, improve uptake, and maximize efficacy. Here, we test this hypothesis in a double‐blind, repeated‐measure, cross‐over human study with 12 subjects by comparing the change of plasma carotenoid levels for 8 hr after oral doses of a sequentially spaced carotenoid mix, to a matched mix without sequential spacing. We find the carotenoid change from baseline, measured as area under the curve, is increased following consumption of the sequentially spaced mix compared to concomitant carotenoids delivery. These results demonstrate reduced interaction and regulation between the sequentially spaced carotenoids, suggesting improved bioavailability from a novel sequentially spaced carotenoid mix. A randomized, double‐blind, repeated‐measure, cross‐over study in adult humans evaluated the change of carotenoid levels in the plasma fraction for 8 hr after oral doses of a sequentially spaced carotenoid mix, in comparison to a nearly identical mix without sequential spacing. The carotenoid change from baseline, measured as area under the curve, is increased following consumption of the sequentially spaced mix over the change from baseline when carotenoids are delivered concomitantly. Spearman's correlation analysis also demonstrates less interaction and regulation between the sequentially spaced carotenoids, suggesting improved bioavailability from a novel sequential release mixed carotenoid formulation.