Interactions of carotenoids and dietary fiber – implications for bioavailability and colonic degradation

The project aims to study the impact that different types of dietary fiber could have on carotenoids during gastro-intestinal digestion. Their effect on different types of carotenoids will be studied, both individually, and from food matrices, by using an accepted digestion model. As carotenoids, with or without dietary fiber, could also potentially influence gut microbiota, such aspects will also be studied. In additional, carotenoid breakdown products and metabolites, which may be bioactive and available for absorption in the colon, will also be investigated. A final human study with 24 volunteers will strive to confirm findings generated in vitro in the laboratory. In this study, each person will consume three different test meals with different types of dietary fiber (2 meals) and one control meal, separated by a one week period.
This project is expected to reveal which dietary fiber may be especially hampering carotenoid availability, and which type has no influence or may even improve it. In addition, it will reveal new insights into the colonic fate of carotenoids. The results will be relevant especially for persons with low preformed vitamin A intake (vegetarians, people living in countries with low meat intake), and also for the general population in sight of the health relevance of these pigments.