The objective of the present study was to evaluate the bioavailability of vitamin A from peach palm and mango fruit by determining vitamin A and carotene reserves in the liver and plasma of rats. The experimental design consisted of an initial 36-day depletion period during which 42 male Wistar pups were suckled by dams receiving a basic vitamin A-free ration; after weaning (21 days), 36 young rats were then fed the same ration for a period of 15 days, with free access to water. The remaining 6 rats were sacrificed on the 15 day of life for measurement of basal liver vitamin A and carotene content. This initial period was followed by a 30-day repletion period during which the rats were divided into 6 groups of 6 animals each and submitted to the following treatments: diets containing 0.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 IU retinyl palmitate/g ration, respectively (control groups), and diets containing 4.0 IU vitamin A from mango and 4.0 IU vitamin A from peach palm/g ration (test groups). Mean basal vitamin A levels were 0.17 μg/g in liver and 3.50 μg% in plasma. At the end of the experiment, mean vitamin A levels in liver were 53.45 μg/g (peach palm group), 5.76 μg/g (mango group), and 9.52 μg/g (4 IU group), and vitamin A levels in plasma were 28.33 μg%, 29.80 μg% and 32.36 μg% for the same groups, respectively. Polynomial regression analysis applied to the data for the control groups showed a quadratic equation (Y=1.3803+0.9282x-0.0924x2; r2=0.9742) indicating that 5.02 IU vitamin A was sufficient to provide maximum vitamin A concentration in plasma. When the control and test groups were compared for liver and plasma carotene concentrations, a significant difference between groups was detected only for liver carotene. The present results show that peach palm vitamin A is highly biavailable, with 171% efficiency, followed by mango (82% efficiency) when compared with the control groups. © 1991 Pergamon Press plc.
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