TY - JOUR A2 - Crenn, P. A2 - Nassir, F. AU - Liu, Ying AU - Shaw, Ju-Jean AU - Swaisgood, Harold E. AU - Allen, Jonathan C. PY - 2013 DA - 2013/02/19 TI - Bioavailability of Oil-Based and β-Lactoglobulin-Complexed Vitamin A in a Rat Model SP - 270580 VL - 2013 AB - β-Lactoglobulin is capable of binding fat-soluble compounds including vitamin A palmitate and is suggested to specifically enhance intestinal uptake of retinol. In this study, bioavailability of a vitamin-A-retinyl palmitate complex in skim milk and in water-based liquids was investigated in vitamin-A-depleted rats. First, rats were fed a vitamin-A-free pellet diet for 6 wk and were thereafter gavage-fed with vitamin A in oil, vitamin-A-β-lactoglobulin complex, vitamin A in oil + skim milk, and vitamin-A-β-lactoglobulin + skim milk for 2 wk and 42 wk. Vitamin A repletion, as judged by vitamin A accumulation in serum and liver, occurred in all the treatments. Vitamin-A-β-lactoglobulin complex treatments had statistical equivalence with oil-based vitamin A treatments. In a second experiment, vitamin-A-depleted rats were fed UHT-processed skim milk fortified with either oil-based or freeze-dried β-lactoglobulin-complexed retinyl palmitate. Liver and serum vitamin A were analyzed by HPLC to indicate vitamin A status in the rats. Results showed no significant difference in bioavailability of retinyl palmitate from milk made with either regular oil-based or β-lactoglobulin-complexed fortifiers. The vitamin-A-β-lactoglobulin complex, being water soluble, may be useful for fortification of nonfat products. SN - null UR - https://doi.org/10.5402/2013/270580 DO - 10.5402/2013/270580 JF - ISRN Nutrition PB - Hindawi Publishing Corporation KW - ER -