British Journal of Nutrition

Table of Contents - 2007 - Volume 97, Issue 03  

Full Papers

Differential effect of dietary antioxidant classes (carotenoids, polyphenols, vitamins C and E) on lutein absorption

Emmanuelle Reboula1a2a3a4, Sinay Thapa1a2a3a4, Franck Tourniairea1a2a3a4, Marc Andréa1a2a3a4, Christine Juhela5, Sophie Morangea6, Marie-Josèphe Amiota1a2a3a4, Denis Lairona1a2a3a4 and Patrick Borela1a2a3a4 c1

a1 INSERM, U476, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, Marseille, F-13385, France

a2 INRA, UMR1260, Marseille, F-13385, France

a3 Univ Aix-Marseille 2, Marseille, F-13385, France

a4 IPHM-IFR 125, Marseille, F-13385, France

a5 Avantage Nutrition, 116 Chemin des Sables Jaunes, Marseille, F-13012, France

a6 Clinical Investigation Center, 270 Bd Sainte Marguerite, Marseille, F-13009, France

Abstract

Lutein is assumed to protect the human retina from blue light and oxidative stress and diminish the incidence of age-related macular degeneration. This antioxidant is commonly ingested with other dietary antioxidants. The aim of the present study was to assess whether the main dietary antioxidants, i.e. carotenoids, polyphenols and vitamins C and E, affect lutein absorption. We measured the effect of adding a mixture of antioxidants (500 mg vitamin C, 67 mg (100 IU) vitamin E and 1 g polyphenols) to a lutein-containing meal (18 mg) on the postprandial lutein response in the chylomicron-rich fraction in eight healthy men. Lutein response was weakest ( − 23 %; P = 0·07) after ingestion of the meal containing antioxidants (21·9 (sem 4·6) v. 28·4 (sem 7·2) nmol × h/l). To assess the effect of each class of antioxidants and potential interactions, we subsequently evaluated the effect of various combinations of antioxidants on lutein uptake by human intestinal Caco-2 TC-7 cells. A full factorial design showed that both a mixture of polyphenols (gallic acid, caffeic acid, (+)-catechin and naringenin) and a mixture of carotenoids (lycopene plus β-carotene) significantly (P < 0·05) impaired lutein uptake by ( − 10 to − 30 %), while vitamins C and E had no significant effect. Subsequent experiments showed that the aglycone flavanone naringenin was the only polyphenol responsible for the effect of the polyphenol mixture, and that the carotenoid effect was not carotenoid species-dependent. Taken together, the present results suggest that lutein absorption is not markedly affected by physiological concentrations of vitamins C and E but can be impaired by carotenoids and naringenin.

(Received June 27 2006)

(Revised October 09 2006)

(Accepted October 16 2006)

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Correspondence:

c1 *Corresponding author: Dr Patrick Borel, fax +33 4 91 78 21 01, email Patrick.Borel@medecine.univ-mrs.fr