Bioava i la bility of ca roteno ids

Abstract: Bioavailability can be defined as the proportion of a nutrient ingested which becomes available to the body for metabolic processes or the proportion of a nutrient being capable of being absorbed and available for use or storage or, more briefly, the proportion of a nutrient ingested that can be used. Results of studies carried out in Indonesia indicate that the bioavailability of provitamin A in dark-green leafy vegetables and carrots is extremely low. Purified carotene in oil was found to be more bioavailable than carotene from leafy vegetables and carrots. Carotenoids from fruits were found to be more bioavailable than those from dark-green leafy vegetables and carrots. An algorithm of factors which influence bioavailability of carotenoids with the mnemonic ‘SLAMANGHI ’ has been developed: Species of carotene; molecular Linkage; Amount of carotene consumed in a meal; Matrix in which the carotenoid is incorporated; Absorption modifiers; Xutrient status of the host; Genetic factors; Host related factors; and Interactions. Thus, the bioavailability of carotenoids is influenced by both extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Data should be collected to quantify each of these factors in order to develop a model to predict the bioavailability of carotenoids from different foods under a range of conditions in the host