Abstract:
Hypercarotenaemia can occur at any age but it is more commonly seen in
infants and young children due to the excessive intake of carotenoid bearing
food. The objective of this study was to induce hypercarotenaemia and trace
the fate of excess carotenoids in Wistar rats and ICR mice.
Wistar rats (n=20) and ICR mice (n=28) were used. Rats and mice were
divided into two groups (Test and Control). The controls were fed with
standard rat/mice pellets while test group was fed with freeze-dried carrot
incorporated standard rat/mice feed with boiled carrot. After a month and 2.5
months, blood was drawn for analyses of carotenoids and metabolites and
after 2.5 months liver, adipose and digesta of rats were collected. faeces
were freeze dried and then analyzed for carotenoids of metabolites (RPHPLC).
Serum, adipose, liver and bile of test and control mice were also
analyzed as above.
Wistar rats and ICR mice fed on excess carrot and papaw did not show
outward signs of hypercarotenaemia. Their serum, adipose tissue, liver.
digcsta (in the case of rats) and bile (in the case of mice) did not show'
detectable amounts of carotenoids or their metabolites. However the faeces
of both rat and mice had high levels of a and ~ carotenes. This indicates that
one method of control or hypercarotenaemia may be at the level of
absorption.
