Micellarization of β-carotene during in vitro digestion of maize and uptake by Caco-2 intestinal cells is minimally affected by xanthophylls

Currently consumed varieties of maize contain limited pro-vitamin A (VA) carotenoids despite relatively high levels of lutein (LUT) and zeaxanthin (ZEA). Here we determined the relative bioaccessibility of pro-VA carotenoids and their interactions with xanthophylls. First, we examined four accessions of maize containing 0.4 – 11.3 µg/g β-carotene (BC) + β-cryptoxanthin (BCX) with ratios of xanthophylls to pro-VA carotenoids ranging from 1.9 – 7.0. Recovery of carotenoids in cooked maize exceeded 80% after simulated digestion. Mean efficiencies of micellarization of BC, BCX, LUT and ZEA were 16.7, 27.7, 30.3 and 27.9%, respectively, and were independent of the ratio of xanthophylls to pro-VA carotenoids. We also digested white maize to which 3.3 µg/g BC in extra light olive oil (2% v/w) and increasing amounts of LUT (0 – 33.3 µg/g) were added. Efficiency of micellarization of BC was 21.7% in the absence of LUT and increased to 30.2% (P < 0.05) when LUT content was 7x that of BC. Incorporation of BC into synthetic micelles also increased (P < 0.05) when LUT to BC ratio was ≥10. Caco-2 cells accumulated 270, 240 and 180 pmol BC/mg cell protein (P < 0.05) in absence of LUT and at LUT to BC ratios of 7 and 13, respectively. These results suggest that the potential bioavailability of pro-VA carotenoids in maize does not appear to be markedly affected by the relative levels of xanthophylls found in cultivars of maize. Supported in part by HarvestPlus & OARDC.This study was supported by funding from HarvestPlus and Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC)

Past, Present and Future of Human Milk Research

Human milk is the best source of infant nutrition and is recognized as a biological fluid vital for optimal growth and development. It has established short- and long-term benefits to infants and mothers. Sapiens\u27 milk has coevolved with mammalian species for millennia which has resulted in this remarkable secretory product of nutrient-rich milk. The nutritional composition and nonnutritive bioactive factors in human milk are uniquely appropriate for the infant, which provides survival and healthy development. Research over the past 2-3 decades focused on increasing the understanding about the composition of human milk and different factors that influence the composition such as stage of lactation, impact of maternal diet, geographical location, gestational age at infant birth, and circadian rhythm. Presently, collaborative efforts are ongoing in communicating the clinical advantages of human milk composition in relation to public health. Different groups are also working on the establishment of reference in the form of databases using reference and growth standard methodology. Toward the future, with computational and modeling methods, the next stage is to understand human milk as a biological system. Cellular agriculture is also the next exciting field of human milk research

Impact of style of processing on retention and bioaccessibility of β-carotene in cassava (Manihot esculanta

We previously demonstrated that the quantity of -carotene (BC) partitioning in mixed micelles during simulated small intestinal digestion, i.e., the bioaccessibility, of boiled cassava is highly correlated with the BC content of different cultivars. However, cassava is also traditionally prepared by fermentation and roasting. These different methods of preparation have the potential to affect both the retention and bioaccessibility of BC. Here, we first compared retention of BC in boiled cassava, gari (fermentation followed by roasting), and fufu (fermentation followed by sieving and cooking into a paste) prepared from roots of three cultivars. BC content in unprocessed cultivars ranged from 6-8 µg/g wet weight, with cis isomers accounting for approximately one-third of total BC. Apparent retention of BC was approximately 90% for boiled cassava and fufu. In contrast, roasting fermented cassava at 195°C for 20 min to prepare gari decreased BC content by 90%. Retention was increased to 63% when temperature was decreased to 165°C and roasting was limited to 10 min. Processing was also associated with a decline in all-trans-BC and concomitant increase in 13-cis-BC. The efficiency of micellarization of all-trans and cis isomers of BC during simulated digestion was 25-30% for boiled cassava and gari and independent of cultivar. However, micellarization of BC isomers during digestion of fufu was only 12-15% (P &lt; 0.05). These differences in retention and bioaccessibility of BC from cassava products prepared according to traditional processing methods suggest that gari and fufu may provide less retinol activity equivalents than isocaloric intake of boiled cassava