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Dietary ß-Carotene Elevates Plasma Steady-State and Tissue Concentrations of ß-Carotene and Enhances Vitamin A Balance in Preruminant Calves¹

Peter P. Hoppe^*,2, Boon P. Chew, Anton Safer^**, Ingrid Stegemann and Hans K. Biesalski

^* Animal Nutrition Research Station, BASF Aktiengesellschaft, 76877 Offenbach, Germany Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 88164-6320 ^** Department of Biometrics, Knoll Aktiengesellschaft, 67061 Ludwigshafen, Germany Departments of Biological Chemistry and Nutrition, University of Hohenheim, 70539 Stuttgart, Germany

Preruminant calves are regarded as a model for studying ß-carotene bioavailability in humans. The objectives of this trial were to determine the relationship between multiple ß-carotene doses and plasma steady-state concentration, accumulation in selected tissues, and vitamin A balance in liver. Seventy newborn Holstein calves in six treatments (n = 10/treatment) were fed a complete milk replacer diet low in vitamin A and supplemented with ß-carotene doses of 0, 0.23, 0.46, 0.92, 1.84 or 3.68 µmol/(kg body wt · d) for 28 d. Ten calves were killed on d 1. Plasma ß-carotene increased in relation to log transformations of dose and time (P < 0.05) in all supplemented calves and steady state was attained after 4 wk. For doses up to 0.92 µmol/(kg body wt · d), the dose-response relationship was linear. A dose-dependent accumulation of ß-carotene was found for liver, heart, lungs, adrenals and adipose tissue. All-trans-ß-carotene was the only isomer in plasma and adrenals and the predominant isomer in the remaining tissues. In liver, vitamin A increased with ß-carotene uptake. Hepatic balance between vitamin A accumulation and loss was achieved at ß-carotene intake of 0.36 µmol/(kg body wt · d) for a calf of 45 kg. It is concluded that preruminant calves within 1 mo of age utilize ß-carotene as a source of vitamin A, and that for testing bioavailability of ß-carotene sources, doses up to 0.92 µmol ß-carotene/(kg body wt · d) are most appropriate.

KEY WORDS: • preruminant calves • ß-carotene • vitamin A • plasma steady-state

¹ The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 USC section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

² To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Manuscript received 10 April 1995. Revision accepted 24 August 1995.