For 44 wk, thirty male volunteers were given daily either 60 mg of syn
thesized all-trans beta-carotene, a naturally-occurring beta-carotene
derived from Dunaliella bardawil, or a placebo. Basal levels of 9-cis
beta-carotene in plasma, platelets, and mononuclear cells were 10, 20,
and 25% of those of the all-trans form, respectively. The plasma leve
ls reached a maximum after two weeks of administration and plateaued t
hereafter in the subjects who took the beta-carotene preparations. The
all-trans beta-carotene level in the subjects given the synthesized a
ll-trans form was almost twice that for the Dunaliella preparation. Th
e plasma 9-cis level was found to be higher in the all-trans beta-caro
tene group than in the Dunaliella group, despite no intake of the 9-ci
s form in the all-trans group and the higher intake of the 9-cis form
in the Dunaliella group. This finding suggests that isomerization of t
he all-trans form to the 9-cis form may occur in the body either durin
g or after absorption.