INGESTION BY MEN OF A COMBINED DOSE OF BETA-CAROTENE AND LYCOPENE DOES NOT AFFECT THE ABSORPTION OF BETA-CAROTENE BUT IMPROVES THAT OF LYCOPENE

A double-blind study was conducted in 10 healthy men to investigate se rum beta-carotene and lycopene responses after ingestion of individual and combined doses of beta-carotene (BC) and lycopene. On each dosing day, a baseline blood sample was drawn, followed by an oral dose of 0 .11. mmol (60 mg) of either all-trans BC or all-trans lycopene or by a combined oral dose of 0.11 mmol each. Subjects were tested with each of the three doses. The dose type was randomized. Blood (10 mL) was dr awn at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12 and 24 h after dosing. At 2 and 4 wk after th e first dose, the protocol was repeated with the other doses. After in gestion of the BC dose, serum BC concentrations significantly decrease d from baseline at 1 and 3 h followed by a continuous increase from ba seline that was significant at 12 and 24 h (P < 0.01). Serum lycopene concentrations significantly increased from baseline at 5 h after the lycopene dose (P < 0.008) and returned to baseline thereafter. Ingesti on of a combined dose of BC and lycopene resulted in a significant inc rease in serum concentrations of both BC and lycopene at 24 h (P < 0.0 5). The 24-h area under the curve (AUG) for BC was not different when BC was ingested alone or with lycopene, whereas the 24-h AUC for lycop ene was significantly greater when lycopene was ingested with BC than when ingested alone (P < 0.05). Our data suggest that ingestion of a c ombined dose of BC and lycopene has little effect on the absorption of BC but improves that of lycopene in men.