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(Journal of Nutrition. 2000;130:1189-1196.)
© 2000 The American Society for Nutritional Sciences


Article

Carotenoid Bioavailability in Humans from Tomatoes Processed in Different Ways Determined from the Carotenoid Response in the Triglyceride-Rich Lipoprotein Fraction of Plasma after a Single Consumption and in Plasma after Four Days of Consumption

Karin H. van het Hof*1, Ben C. J. de Boer*, Lilian B. M. Tijburg*, Bianca R. H. M. Lucius*, Itske Zijp*, Clive E. West{dagger}, Joseph G. A. J. Hautvast{dagger} and Jan A. Weststrate*

* Unilever Research Vlaardingen, Vlaardingen, The Netherlands; and {dagger} Division of Human Nutrition and Epidemiology, Wageningen Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

1To whom correspondence should be addressed.


    ABSTRACT
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 
Tomatoes are the main dietary source of lycopene, and the bioavailability of lycopene from tomato paste is higher than that from fresh tomatoes. We investigated systematically the effect of mechanical homogenization and heating on the bioavailability of carotenoids from canned tomatoes. Further, we compared the carotenoid response in triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRL) after single consumption with the change in fasting plasma carotenoid concentrations after 4 d of daily consumption. In a split plot design, 17 men and women consumed tomatoes which had received minimal additional heating and 16 others consumed extensively additionally heated tomatoes (1 h at 100°C). These tomatoes were not, mildly or severely homogenized. The tomato products were consumed daily (ca. 22 mg/d lycopene) for 4 d. Eleven participants provided postprandial blood samples on the d 1 and all gave fasting blood samples on d 1 and 4. Homogenization enhanced the lycopene response significantly (P < 0.05) both in TRL [mean areas under the curves: 54.9, 72.0 and 88.7 nmol · h/L (SE 11.0) for not, mildly and severely homogenized tomatoes, respectively] and in plasma [mean changes: 0.19, 0.22 and 0.23 µmol/L (SE 0.009), respectively]. Additional heating also tended to enhance the lycopene responses in TRL (P = 0.14) and plasma (P = 0.17). Similar effects to those for lycopene were found for ß-carotene. We conclude that the intactness of the cellular matrix of tomatoes determines the bioavailability of carotenoids and that matrix disruption by mechanical homogenization and/or heat treatment enhances the bioavailability. The carotenoid response in plasma after 4 d intervention can be used to compare the bioavailability of carotenoids from different foods.


KEY WORDS: • carotenoids • lycopene • bioavailability • tomatoes • humans


    INTRODUCTION
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 
High lycopene and tomato intakes have been found to be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer (Giovannucci et al. 1995Citation ). Interestingly, the association was strongest for tomato paste, which was the tomato product that showed the best correlation with serum lycopene levels. Differences in lycopene bioavailability among different tomato products may explain this latter observation. This is supported by the finding that the lycopene response in plasma or triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRL)2 is higher after consumption of tomato paste than after consumption of fresh tomatoes (Gärtner et al. 1997Citation , Porrini et al. 1998Citation ). The production of tomato paste from fresh tomatoes involves homogenization and heat treatment. Previous studies have shown that a combination of these treatments enhances the bioavailability of carotenoids from vegetables (Rock et al. 1998Citation , Van Zeben and Hendriks 1948Citation ). However, up until now, the contribution of each of these processes has not been clear. As heat treatment can have a deleterious effect on the micronutrient content of vegetables, it is important to determine systematically the separate effect of homogenization and heat treatment on the bioavailability of lycopene and ß-carotene from tomatoes and the interaction between these two processes.

Various approaches have been used to investigate carotenoid bioavailability. Most studies have used carotenoid responses in plasma following 3 to 6 wk supplementation as a measure of carotenoid bioavailability (e.g., Micozzi et al. 1992Citation , Rock et al. 1998Citation , Törrönen et al. 1996Citation , Van Zeben and Hendriks 1948Citation ). Recently, the carotenoid response in the TRL-fraction of plasma was suggested as a valuable model, because TRL contain newly absorbed carotenoids (Van Vliet 1996Citation ). A disadvantage of such a single-dose protocol is the large number of blood samples that need to be drawn. However, longer term supplementation is also a burden on the volunteers and labor-intensive. Therefore, we determined whether a short-term intervention period would be a suitable approach to estimate carotenoid bioavailability from tomatoes processed in different ways. We compared the postprandial carotenoid response in the TRL fraction of plasma after a single consumption with the carotenoid response in fasting plasma after 4 d consumption of the same tomato products. The tomato products had been homogenized to different degrees and heat treated to determine systematically the effect of these processing conditions on the bioavailability of carotenoids from canned tomatoes.


    MATERIALS AND METHODS
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 
Volunteers.

Participants were recruited via advertisements in the weekly periodical of the laboratory, in local newspapers and on local radio and television stations. Volunteers were employees of Unilever Research Vlaardingen or inhabitants of the surrounding area. They were eligible when they met the following criteria: aged between 18 and 70 y; body mass index (BMI) between 19 and 30 kg/m2; no excessive use of alcohol (males <= 28 glasses/wk, females <= 21 glasses/wk); intensive sporting activities <= 10 h/wk; smoking <= five cigarettes, cigars or pipes/d. Volunteers were apparently healthy, as assessed by questionnaire, and they did not use any medications except oral contraceptives and did not report gastrointestinal disturbances. Their body weight was stable for at least the previous 2 mo, and they had not used dietary supplements (e.g., vitamins or minerals) during the month prior to the start of the study. Volunteers were excluded if they were adhering to a medically prescribed, weight loss or vegetarian diet or if they were pregnant or lactating. Volunteers who were selected for participation in the postprandial measurement of the carotenoid response in TRL had normal fasting serum triglyceride concentrations (i.e., <3.0 mmol/L) and normal whole-blood hemoglobin concentrations (i.e., >=8.0 mmol/L for males; >=7.5 mmol/L for females).

Volunteers received information on the background and design of the study and they gave their informed consent before participation. The protocol of the study was approved by the Medical Ethical Committee of Unilever Nederland BV.

Study design.

The study had a split-plot design with three degrees of homogenization of the tomatoes (none, i.e., whole tomatoes; mild, i.e., blended tomatoes; severe, i.e., tomatoes blended under high pressure) and two levels of additional heat treatment (minimal, i.e., only heating before serving; extensive, i.e., 1 h at 100°C before serving). The effect of homogenization was tested within persons during three experimental periods and that of additional heat treatment between persons (Fig. 1Citation ). Thirty-six volunteers were divided in two groups, by gender.



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Figure 1. Experimental design of the study. Thirty-three men and women completed in the study, 17 in the group of minimal additional heat treatment and 16 in the group of extensive additional heat treatment. The order of consumption of the tomatoes with varying degrees of homogenization, served during either of the three experimental periods, was randomized among the participants. The experimental meals were consumed daily from d 1 to 4, and blood samples were taken on d 1 and 4 to determine the plasma response. The three experimental periods were separated by 10 d of wash-out. Eleven of the 33 subjects participated in the triglyceride-rich lipoprotein response measurements which took place on d 1 of each experimental period (n = 6 in the group of minimal additional heat treatment and n = 5 in the group of extensive additional heat treatment).

 
The tomato products were served as part of a pasta meal at lunch on four consecutive days, and no other vegetables, fruits or tomato products were consumed during these days. These 4-d experimental periods were separated by a wash-out period of 10 d during which volunteers returned to their habitual diet with a restriction for their consumption of vegetables, fruits and tomato products. Fasting blood samples were taken before and at the end of each experimental period for analysis of plasma carotenoid concentrations and plasma total antioxidant activity.

A subgroup of 12 participants, 6 for each heat treatment group, participated in measurements of the postprandial carotenoid response in the TRL following consumption of the tomato products (Fig. 1)Citation . On d 1 of each of the three experimental periods, they consumed the tomato-pasta meals in the morning, instead of at lunch. After a fasting blood sample had been drawn, they consumed the meal within 30 min. Additional blood samples were taken 2, 3, 4.5, 6 and 8 h after start of consumption of the experimental meal for measurement of carotenoids, retinyl palmitate, triglycerides and total antioxidant activity in the TRL-fraction of plasma. A low-fat, carotenoid-free lunch was provided after the 4.5-h blood sample.

Based on previous studies, we calculated that the number of volunteers included in the 4-d study would be sufficient to show a 35% difference in plasma lycopene response in the parallel comparison of the heat-treatment effects (CV within subjects 28%; unpublished data). The choice of the number of volunteers for the measurement of the carotenoid response in TRL was based on practical considerations because no data were available on the within-person variation of lycopene responses in TRL.

Tomato products, experimental meals and background diet.

Starting material for the tomato products were peeled and canned whole tomatoes (Lycopersicum esculentum) (Lipton, Stockton, CA). In the factory, these tomatoes had received a 55-min heat treatment at 100°C after canning to ensure microbiological safety. After reaching 100°C in the center of the cans, they had been cooled to about 50°C within 1 h. We did not use fresh tomatoes because the physical and chemical properties of fresh tomatoes may change during storage, and that might have interfered with the effects of processing which we assessed in a cross-over study design over 3 wk.

Mildly homogenized tomatoes were prepared on the experimental days by blending for 2 min (Ultra-Turrax T50; IKA-Labortechnik, Staufen, Germany). Severe homogenization included blending for 2.5 min using the same blender, followed by processing in a high-pressure homogenizer at 200 bar (APV-GAULIN homogenizer, type Lab 60–10 TBS; APV-GAULIN GmbH, Lübeck, Germany). Severely homogenized tomatoes were prepared in one batch before the start of the experiment, and batches of 2.8–3 kg were stored at -20°C until use on the experimental days.

Additional heat treatment was given on the experimental days, just before serving. The minimally additionally heated tomatoes were heated to ~80°C and served immediately thereafter, whereas the extensively additionally heated tomatoes were first boiled for 1 h and then served.

Tomato products were served with macaroni, ham and a white sauce and a dessert of custard. The total energy content and macronutrient composition of the meals were the same for all volunteers, and the total energy content was about 70% of an average Dutch main meal (Voorlichtingsbureau voor de Voeding 1993Citation ) to ensure that everyone would be able to consume the complete meal. Participants consumed the experimental meals under supervision in the kitchen of our laboratory. They were free to choose their own foods during the rest of each experimental day. However, they were instructed not to consume products high in carotenoids, such as vegetables, fruits, fruit juices and tomato products, or high in vitamin A, such as liver products. Compliance was assessed by questionnaire.

During the postprandial studies, volunteers consumed no other foods until 8 h after consumption of the experimental meal, except for a standard lunch of low fat and carotenoid and vitamin A-free products 4.5 h after start of consumption of the experimental meal. This lunch was consumed under supervision as well.

Seven days before the start of each experimental period, volunteers received the same instructions with respect to consumption of carotenoid and vitamin A-rich products as during the experimental periods. We supplied them with frozen ready-to-eat meals (Iglo, Veldhoven, the Netherlands), which were low in carotenoids, to replace their hot main meal.

Analysis of tomato products and experimental meals.

Duplicate portions of the complete experimental meals (3 samples per type), as consumed, were analyzed for macronutrient and fiber content. The meals were formulated to provide 157 µg of preformed retinol (Holland et al. 1991Citation ). The carotenoid content of the tomato products (9 samples per type) was determined by HPLC on a ET 200/4 nucleosil 100–5CN column (Machery & Nagel, Duren, Germany). After extensive extraction (five times, until the last extract was colorless) with tetrahydrofurane/methanol (1:1, v/v), ethyl-ß-apo-8'-carotenoate was added as internal standard. ß-Carotene and lycopene were separated by gradient elution with n-heptane/4% isopropanol 0–3 min 97.5:2.5 (v/v); 3–15 min change from 97:2.5 to 50:50 (v/v); 16–30 min 97.5:2.5 (v/v) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min and a column temperature of 20°C. The eluent was monitored by UV-Vis detection at 450 nm for ß-carotene and at 470 nm for lycopene. In this system, {alpha}-carotene coelutes with ß-carotene. Because tomatoes contain no {alpha}-carotene (Khachik et al. 1992Citation ), the HPLC response is considered to be ß-carotene. Table 1Citation shows the macronutrient and fiber content of the experimental meals and the carotenoid content of the tomato products.


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Table 1. Composition of experimental meals1

 
The integrity of the cells in the differently processed tomato products was assessed by light microscopy. After addition of sodium azide (0.01 g/L) for preservation of the samples, the samples were examined as wet preparations. Figure 2Citation shows photographs of representative samples of the homogenized tomato products. The majority of the cells were intact in the minimally additionally heated tomatoes, whereas after severe homogenization, and/or extensive additional heat treatment, many of the cell walls were no longer intact. Heat treatment had a less destructive effect than severe homogenization, as more cells were still intact after extensive heat treatment only.



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Figure 2. Light microscopy pictures of tomato products (bar = 100 um). (A) mildly homogenized, minimally additionally heated tomatoes; (B) mildly homogenized, extensively additionally heated tomatoes; (C) severely homogenized, minimally additionally heated tomatoes; (D) severely homogenized, extensively additionally heated tomatoes.

 
In vitro release of lycopene from tomato products.

Mild extraction of lycopene was used as an in vitro test to estimate the in vivo release of this carotenoid from tomatoes. Ca. 1 g of tomato product was mixed thoroughly by using a vortex during 1 min with 3 mL n-heptane. After 30 min at room temperature in the dark, the sample was mixed again on a vortex for 1 min and subsequently centrifuged at 1000 x g for 3 min. The supernatant was collected, the residue was mixed with n-heptane for 1 min on a vortex and immediately thereafter centrifuged. Lycopene content of the extracts was determined by spectophotometry (UV 2101 PC; Shimadzu Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) at 470 nm, using an extinction coefficient of 3450 L · mol-1 · cm-1. The release of lycopene was calculated as the amount of lycopene measured after mild extraction expressed as proportion of the amount measured after extensive extraction (Table 1)Citation .

Collection and analysis of blood samples.

Blood samples were obtained from fasting subjects before and after each of the 4-d experimental periods. In a subgroup, additional samples were collected for measurement of the carotenoid response in TRL after consumption of the experimental meal. Blood samples were collected into sodium EDTA-coated tubes, and plasma was separated by centrifugation at 1500 x g for 10 min at room temperature. Plasma samples were stored at -80°C until analysis or isolation of the TRL-fraction. Isolation of the TRL-fraction was performed as described by Van Vliet et al. (1995)Citation . After thawing, 3.5 mL plasma was overlayered with 8 mL NaCl (9 g/L; d = 1.004 kg/L) The samples were centrifuged for 1 h at 150,000 x g at 20°C in a Beckman L8–60M ultracentrifuge (Beckman Instruments, Palo Alto, CA). The TRL-containing fraction was then removed (2.1 mL) and stored at -80°C until further analysis within 6 wk.

Prior to analysis of the carotenoid and retinyl palmitate content, the TRL-fraction was extracted with n-heptane/ether (3:1, v/v). Carotenoid concentrations in plasma and carotenoid and retinyl palmitate concentrations in TRL were determined by HPLC on a nucleosil 100 5CN column (Machery & Nagel) with n-heptane as mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.7 mL/min. Ethyl-apo-8-carotenoate was used as internal standard. UV-Vis detection was used to monitor concentrations of lycopene at 470 nm, ß-carotene at 450 nm and retinyl palmitate at 325 nm. Intra-assay variation was 4.5% for lycopene and 3.9% for ß-carotene in plasma.

The ferric-reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and the TRL-fraction were determined as a measure of total antioxidant activity, as described by Benzie and Strain (1996)Citation . Total cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations in plasma and triglyceride concentrations in the TRL-fraction were assessed by using commercially available colorimetric test kits (plasma cholesterol: CHOD-PAP, Boehringer, Mannheim, Germany; plasma triacylglycerol: GPO-PAP (Roche, Basel, Switzerland)/GPO-Trinder (Sigma, St. Louis, MO); triglycerides in TRL: Unimate 5 TRIG kit (Roche).

Statistical evaluation.

The data obtained were normally distributed as determined by visual evaluation. The data were analyzed using ANOVA with persons (within heat treatment) and period as blocks and heat treatment (minimal or extensive) and degree of homogenization (none, mild or severe) as factors in a split-plot model. The significance of the treatment effects on the in vitro release of lycopene from the tomato products was determined by two-way ANOVA with heat treatment and degree of homogenization as factors. If a significant interaction was found between the effect of additional heat treatment and degree of homogenization, their effects were tested separately. For the carotenoid responses in the TRL-fraction, the statistical analysis was performed with and without the triglyceride response included as covariable. The responses considered were changes in plasma concentrations and changes from baseline in TRL concentrations at each time point as well as the area under the curve of the concentrations in TRL. Treatment effects on carotenoid responses in plasma and TRL and antioxidant activity in TRL were tested one-sided, based on the hypothesis that a more extensive heat treatment or more severe homogenization would induce larger responses. For all other variables (i.e., plasma lipid concentrations, antioxidant activity of plasma, triglyceride and retinyl palmitate concentrations in TRL and in vitro lycopene release), differences among treatments were tested two-sided. P-values < 0.05 were considered significant.

Results are expressed as means (SD) for descriptive variables and as least square means (SE) for all other variables.


    RESULTS
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 
Volunteers.

Thirty-three participants completed the study (Table 2Citation ). One subject dropped out before the start of the study for unknown reasons, and two others did not complete the study due to illness. Eleven volunteers participated in the measurement of the TRL-responses. Only two of the 33 volunteers smoked (<= 5 cigarettes/d).


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Table 2. Baseline characteristics of participants of the postprandial and 4-d study, per treatment group1

 
In vitro release of lycopene from tomato products.

A significant difference was found in lycopene extractability from the different tomato products which was assessed as the percentage of lycopene extracted after mild heptane treatment as compared to the contents measured after extensive extraction (see Table 1Citation ). Both additional heat treatment and homogenization enhanced the release of lycopene during mild extraction. However, as 100% release was already reached by minimally heated, severely homogenized tomatoes, additional heat treatment did not further enhance the release of lycopene from the severely homogenized tomato products (Fig. 3Citation ).



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Figure 3. In vitro release of carotenoids from tomato products (lycopene content measured after mild extraction, expressed as proportion of the content measured after extensive extraction. Values are means ± SE, n = 3). The proportion of lycopene release was significantly different among all degrees of homogenization for the minimally additionally heated tomatoes and between severely homogenized and not or mildly homogenized for the extensively additionally heated tomatoes (P < 0.05). Additional heat treatment significantly enhanced the release of lycopene only for the unhomogenized and mildly homogenized tomatoes (P < 0.05).

 
Carotenoid response in TRL after a single consumption of tomato products.

The triglyceride responses in the TRL-fraction of plasma were not significantly different among the treatments (Tables 3Citation and 4), and inclusion of the triglyceride response as covariable did not change the treatment effects on carotenoid responses in TRL. Therefore, here we consider the treatment effects on the carotenoid responses without correction for triglyceride concentrations.


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Table 3. Effect of homogenization of tomatoes on the response of carotenoids and antioxidant activity in human triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRL) and plasma after 1 or 4 d of consumption of the tomato products, respectively1

 
In line with the enhanced in vitro release of lycopene, we found significantly larger areas under the curves of the TRL-response of both lycopene and ß-carotene after consumption of the severely homogenized tomatoes than after consumption of the whole tomatoes (Table 3Citation and Fig. 4Citation ). Additional heat treatment also tended to induce a larger TRL-response of lycopene and ß-carotene (P = 0.14, Table 4Citation and Fig. 5Citation ). The change in ferric reducing ability of the TRL reflected the changes in carotenoid concentration (Figs. 3Citation , 4)Citation . Homogenization significantly improved the antioxidant activity of TRL (Table 3)Citation , whereas the effect of additional heat treatment was not significant (Table 4)Citation . The responses of retinyl palmitate (results not shown) were not significantly different among the different treatments.



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Figure 4. Changes in concentrations of triglycerides, lycopene and antioxidant activity of triglyceride-rich lipoprotein fraction of human plasma after single consumption of tomato products (21–23 mg lycopene/serving) with different degrees of homogenization. Values are means ± SE, n = 33. Antioxidant activity determined as ferric reducing ability (see Methods section).

 

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Table 4. Effect of additional heat treatment of tomatoes on the response of carotenoids and antioxidant activity human triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRL) and plasma after 1 or 4 d consumption of the tomato products, respectively1

 


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Figure 5. Changes in concentrations of triglycerides, lycopene and antioxidant activity of triglyceride-rich lipoprotein fraction of human plasma after single consumption of tomato products (21–23 mg lycopene/serving), with minimal or extensive heat treatment. Values are means ± SE, n = 16 or 17. Antioxidant activity determined as ferric-reducing ability (see Methods section).

 
Carotenoid response in plasma after 4 d of consumption of tomato products.

The effect of homogenization and heat treatment on the change in fasting plasma lycopene concentrations following 4 d of consuming the differently processed tomatoes were similar to those found for the lycopene response in TRL after single consumption. We observed significantly larger plasma lycopene responses with increasing degree of homogenization (Table 3)Citation . Further, additional heat treatment tended to increase the plasma lycopene response (P = 0.17, Table 4Citation ).

There was a significant interaction between the effects of the degree of homogenization and those of additional heat treatment on the plasma response of ß-carotene. Homogenization enhanced the plasma response of ß-carotene only if the tomatoes were not given additional heat treatment (Table 5Citation ). Furthermore, a significant effect of additional heat treatment was found only for whole tomatoes, whereas it did not enhance the plasma ß-carotene response induced by homogenized tomatoes.


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Table 5. Effect of homogenization and additional heat treatment of tomatoes on ß-carotene response in human plasma after 4-d consumption of the tomato products1

 
The FRAP was not affected by any of the treatments, and no significant differences were found among the different degrees of homogenization or additional heat treatment (Tables 3Citation and 4)Citation . Total cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations in plasma were unaffected (results not shown).


    DISCUSSION
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 
The present study is the first to demonstrate the separate effects of homogenization and additional heating on the bioavailability of carotenoids from tomatoes and the interaction between these treatments. It appears that both processes effectively enhance the carotenoid bioavailability from tomatoes, although the effect of additional heating was not always significant. The split-plot study design we used had less power to show significant effects of heat treatment as compared to that of homogenization. The processing effects were apparent both in the carotenoid response in TRL after single consumption and in fasting plasma after 4 d consumption of the tomato products. This indicates that, qualitatively, the plasma response of carotenoids after short-term supplementation is a good model to compare the bioavailability of carotenoids from different foods. Disruption of the tomato matrix also enhanced the extractability of carotenoids from the tomatoes. The in vitro release of carotenoids from a food matrix can thus be used as a screening method for the effects of processing on carotenoid bioavailability.

Comparison of carotenoid responses in TRL and plasma.

The use of the postprandial carotenoid response in the TRL-fraction of plasma as a measure of carotenoid absorption is based on the fact that carotenoids present in chylomicrons originate directly from the enterocytes. In contrast, in experiments with repeated carotenoid consumption, changes in fasting plasma carotenoid concentrations are not only affected by the amount of carotenoids absorbed, but also by carotenoid metabolism, tissue distribution and transfer of carotenoids between lipoproteins in blood. As mentioned above, we found similar differences in lycopene responses in plasma and TRL among the different treatments. This indicates that both approaches can be used to determine the effects of tomato processing on lycopene bioavailability. However, the sizes of the differences found between TRL responses were generally larger than those found between plasma responses. In addition, the number of volunteers required to show significant treatment effects was larger for the 4 d plasma response. This indicates that the postprandial lycopene response in TRL is more sensitive than the response in plasma after 4 d consumption. The plasma response is thus best applied if large differences are expected among treatments and/or if a larger number of volunteers can be included in the study. With respect to ß-carotene, the results were slightly different because we found a significant interaction between the degree of homogenization and additional heat treatment for the response of ß-carotene in plasma but not in TRL. This suggests that, in contrast to lycopene, for ß-carotene bioavailability, the postprandial TRL-response is a less sensitive measure than the plasma response after 4 d. It should be noted however, that the ß-carotene intake was low (i.e., 1 mg, see Table 1Citation ).

Four days is not sufficient to achieve a new steady state in plasma carotenoid concentrations, as this takes at least 3 wk (Micozzi et al. 1992Citation ). The differences we observed after 4 d will relate to those observed after longer intervention although, quantitatively, they may differ. However, a short intervention period has several advantages. It is less labor-intensive and compliance with instructions is probably better during a short period. In contrast to a single-dose design, it is possible to apply more realistic conditions and investigate the effect of the test meals as part of a normal diet. This latter aspect may be particularly relevant.

We found a second peak in carotenoid concentrations in TRL following the consumption of a second carotenoid-free, low-fat meal after the 4.5-h blood sample. This was also reported by Borel et al. (1998)Citation , who used a comparable design. In studies where only one meal was supplied, only one peak at 4–7 h was found (O’Neill and Thurnham 1998Citation , Van den Berg and Van Vliet 1998Citation , Van Vliet et al. 1995Citation ). Borel et al. (1998)Citation explained their finding by the larger ß-carotene content of their test meal as compared to the earlier studies (i.e., 120 mg vs. ca. 15 mg, respectively). In the present study, we supplied 21–23 mg lycopene (Table 1)Citation . The amount of fat in our test meals was less than that used by others (i.e., 23 g vs. 43–50 g). Consequently, the triglyceride content of the TRL was lower. This may have reduced our initial carotenoid responses due to a limited capacity of chylomicrons to take up carotenoids, as suggested by Borel et al. (1996)Citation . Part of the initially absorbed carotenoids may have remained in the enterocytes and entered the bloodstream following the uptake of the second meal.

Effects of homogenization and heat treatment.

The extent to which the food matrix, in which carotenoids are incorporated, is intact is an important determinant of carotenoid bioavailability as indicated by the present results. The first steps of carotenoid absorption include disruption of the food matrix, mechanically and by digestive enzymes, and the subsequent release of the carotenoids from this matrix and from protein complexes (Britton 1995Citation ). Homogenization and heat treatment disrupt cell membranes, whereas heat treatment has been suggested to disrupt further the protein-carotenoid complexes (Erdman et al. 1988Citation ). Previous studies have shown that homogenization or a combination of homogenization and heat treatment enhances carotenoid bioavailability from vegetables in humans (Gärtner et al. 1997Citation , Porrini et al. 1998Citation , Rock et al. 1998Citation , Törrönen et al. 1996Citation , Van Zeben and Hendriks 1948Citation ). Our results indicate that the difference in carotenoid bioavailability from tomato paste vs. fresh tomatoes (Gärtner et al. 1997Citation , Porrini et al. 1998Citation ) can be explained by alterations of the cellular matrix of tomatoes, probably due to the effect of both homogenization and heat treatment. It should be noted however, that we used canned instead of fresh tomatoes as the null condition.

The canned tomatoes used were heated for 55 min at 100°C during manufacturing. Further processing was still able to enhance the bioavailability of carotenoids from these tomatoes significantly, despite the processing steps which had previously been applied. As anticipated, homogenization under high pressure was more effective in increasing carotenoid bioavailability than homogenization under normal pressure. As shown in Figure 2Citation , in part of the cells, the cell walls were still intact after mild homogenization, whereas high-pressure treatment destroyed the majority of the cell structures. The release of carotenoids from intact cells is thus indeed a limiting factor for carotenoid uptake. This confirms data from Van Zeben and Hendriks (1948)Citation , who found that homogenization of cooked carrots enhanced the bioavailability of ß-carotene as measured by changes in plasma concentrations.

Published data on the effects of heat treatment on the bioavailability of carotenoids from vegetables are not consistent. A study in ferrets found no significant differences in ß-carotene responses following consumption of unheated or heated carrot juice or carrot chromoplasts (Zhou et al. 1996Citation ). In another study with preruminant calves, Poor et al. (1993)Citation found an enhanced ß-carotene reponse when steamed homogenized carrots were compared with raw homogenized carrots, although this effect was not significant. As the cellular matrix of the carrots had been disrupted most in case of the carrot juice, these results may indicate that heat treatment is more effective for less homogenized carrots. That would be in line with our observation of an enhanced plasma ß-carotene response by additional heating of whole tomatoes but not homogenized tomatoes. Also, the amount of cis-isomers of ß-carotene may have interfered with these findings as heat treatment can induce in cis-trans isomerization in tomatoes (Nguyen and Schwartz 1998Citation ). The responsiveness of plasma concentrations of all-trans ß-carotene to supplementation is larger than that of cis-isomers (Gaziano et al. 1995Citation , Tamai et al. 1995Citation ). However, we could not quantify the presence of cis-isomers of ß-carotene with the analytical method used.

The increases in carotenoid concentrations in TRL were accompanied by an increase in the total antioxidant activity of the TRL-fraction of plasma (Figs. 3CCitation and 4CCitation ). In contrast, no significant differences were found in fasting plasma after 4 d. Uric acid accounts for 60% of the variation in the FRAP (Benzie and Strain 1996Citation , Cao and Prior 1998Citation ). As TRL do not contain uric acid or other endogenous antioxidants, the sensitivity of this fraction of plasma to show differences in antioxidant uptake may be larger than that of plasma itself. The implication of such a postprandial increase in ferric-reducing ability for the overall antioxidant status remains however to be established.

In conclusion, the cellular matrix of tomatoes, which can be disrupted by mechanical homogenization and/or heat treatment, determines the bioavailability of carotenoids. The carotenoid response in plasma after 4 d of consumption can be used to compare the bioavailability of carotenoids from different foods. This conclusion is based on the finding that the treatment effects shown were similar to those found in postprandial changes of carotenoids in TRL.


    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
 
We thank the volunteers for their enthusiasm to participate in this trial. In addition, we acknowledge the expert help of H. Boers, W. Dubelaar, G. Liebrechts and M. Slotboom from the dietary staff who prepared and served the experimental meals and of E. Haddeman, E. van Haften, W. Tuitel and K. van Wijk who assisted in the organization of the study. C. Blonk, J. Don, Y. Gielen, A. Kasteleins, G. Kivits, J. Mathot, W. van Nielen, I. Samwell and S. Sies are thanked for collection and analysis of the blood samples and for analysis of the experimental meals. We thank M. Asquith for the microscopy images of the tomato products and T. Wiersma for statistical evaluation of the results.


    FOOTNOTES
 
2 Abbreviations used: BMI, body mass index; FRAP, ferric-reducing ability of plasma; TRL, triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. Back

Manuscript received August 27, 1999. Initial review completed October 14, 1999. Revision accepted December 23, 1999.


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