Hepatic Vitamin A Concentrations in Vervets (Chlorocebus aethiops) Supplemented with Carotenoids Derived from Oil Palm.

ABSTRACT: Commonly used in biomedical research, vervets (Chlorocebus aethiops) are omnivorous but primarily meet their vitamin A requirements from provitamin A carotenoids. Hypervitaminosis A has occurred in vervets that consume feed high in preformed vitamin A. We investigated the vitamin A status of vervets supplemented daily with various antioxidants derived from palm oil. Male vervets (n = 40) were placed for 23 wk on a high-fat diet (34.9% energy) containing 645 ? g retinol activity equivalents (RAE), with 515 ? g RAE from preformed vitamin A. Vervets were randomized to 5 treatments (duration, 20 mo): control; 100 mg d-?-tocopheryl acetate; 100 mg oil palm (Elaeis guineensis)-derived vitamin E; 50 mg oil palm-derived vitamin E + 50 mg carotenoid complex + unrestricted palm-derived water-soluble antioxidants; and 5) unrestricted water-soluble antioxidants. Livers (n = 38) were analyzed for vitamin A, ?-retinol (?-vitamin A), and carotenoids. Median hepatic vitamin A and total carotenoid concentrations were 6.49 ? mol/g and 4.30 nmol/g, respectively. Compared with controls, vervets fed the carotenoid complex had higher hepatic vitamin A (11.9 ± 5.1 ? mol/g), ? -vitamin A (1.3 ± 0.7 ? mol/g), ? -carotene (11.5 ± 5.3 nmol/g), ?-carotene (15.6 ± 8.6 nmol/g), and total carotenoids (28.1 ± 13.9 nmol/g) but lower lutein (0.66 ± 0.28 nmol/g) and zeaxanthin (0.24 ± 0.06 nmol). NHP may benefit from replacement of preformed vitamin A with carotenoids in feeds; however, bioconversion efficiency in these models should be investigated to determine optimal levels.

SUBMITTER: Mondloch SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6159682 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature