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Kinetics of 14C distribution after tracer dose of 14C-lutein in an adult woman

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Lipids

Abstract

Lutein is an oxygenated carotenoid (xanthophyll) found in dark green leafy vegetables. High intakes of lutein may lower the risk of age-related macular degeneration. Current understanding of human lutein metabolism as it might occur in vivo is incomplete. Therefore, we conducted a feasibility study where we dosed a normal adult woman with 14C-lutein (125 nmol, 36 nCi 14C), dissolved in olive oil (0.5 g/kg body weight) and mixed in a banana shake. Blood, urine, and feces collected before the dose was administered served to establish baseline values. There-after, blood was collected for 63 d following the dose, while feces and urine were collected for 2 wk post-dose. The 14C contents in plasma, urine, and feces were measured by accelerator MS. The 14C first appeared in plasma 1 h after dosing and reached its highest level,≈2.08% of dose/L plasma, at 14 h post-dose. The plasma pattern of 14C did not include a chylomicrons/VLDL (intestinal) peak like that when the same subject received 14C-β-carotene (a previous test), suggesting that lutein was handled differently from β-carotene by plasma lipoproteins. Lutein had an elimination half-life (t 1/2) of≈10 d. Forty-five percent of the dose of 14C was eliminated in feces and 10% in urine in the first 2 d after dosing. Quantifying human lutein metabolism is a fertile area for future research.

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Abbreviations

AMD:

age-related macular degeneration

AMS:

accelerator MS

AUC:

area under the concentration-time curve

AUMC:

area under the moment curve

DANR:

Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of California, Davis

LLNL:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories

MP:

macular pigment

MST:

mean sojourn time

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, University of California, One Shields Ave., 95616-8669, Davis, CA

    Fabiana F. de Moura, Charlene C. Ho, Girma Getachew, Sabrina Hickenbottom & Andrew J. Clifford

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  1. Fabiana F. de Moura
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  2. Charlene C. Ho
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  3. Girma Getachew
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  4. Sabrina Hickenbottom
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  5. Andrew J. Clifford
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Correspondence to Andrew J. Clifford.

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de Moura, F.F., Ho, C.C., Getachew, G. et al. Kinetics of 14C distribution after tracer dose of 14C-lutein in an adult woman. Lipids 40, 1069–1073 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-005-1471-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-005-1471-4

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