Olive oil, emulsified fat tied to better carotenoid absorption

A recent study has demonstrated the importance of both the type and the emulsification of dietary fat to carotenoid absorption.

The researchers used an identical salad for the in vitro and the human trial. They paired this with 28 g of one of the following fats: nonemulsified olive oil, emulsified olive oil, nonemulsified coconut oil, and emulsified coconut oil. A simulated in vitro digestion model was used to examine the bioaccessibility of total carotenoids (TCs).

Sixteen participants consumed the salad with four test fats in random order. The researchers then determined the concentrations of plasma triglyceride and carotenoid (lutein, zeaxanthin, α-carotene, β-carotene, and lycopene) every hour for 10 hours after the consumption.

Finally, the absorption of TC and individual carotenoids was assessed by the positive incremental area under the curve (iAUC) of plasma carotenoid concentrations.

TC bioaccessibility was higher with olive oil than with coconut oil (24.0 percent vs 14.9 percent) and with emulsified than with nonemulsified oils (23.5 percent vs 15.4 percent).

The positive iAUC_1‒10h of TC (55.2 percent), α-carotene (110.8 percent), and lycopene (45.8 percent) were likewise higher with olive oil than with coconut oil. In addition, emulsified fat generated 40-percent higher positive iAUC_1–10h of TC when compared with nonemulsified fat.

“Findings from this study may provide scientific support for designing excipient emulsions as potential dietary strategies to optimize the absorption of fat-soluble compounds,” the researchers said.