The Bioavailability of Carotenoid Forms

Ingestion of carotenoids from foods can vary remarkably and is dependent on numerous factors, such as the composition of the food in question. What is valid for foods also holds true for carotenoid forms offered for addition to foods, beverages and nutritional supplements. Successful commercialization of carotenoids depends on appropriate forms being tailored to their intended use. The fortification of many foods and nutritional supplements requires water-dispersible delivery systems such as emulsions, micelles or hydro-colloidal suspensions. This chapter discusses in detail the various formulation technologies available. Major forms marketed nowadays are oily suspensions, oil-in-water emulsions and water-dispersible powders. Nutritional supplements contain micronutrients in dense concentrations and therefore require high-potency forms. The extent to which the composition of the form has a crucial influence on bioavailability is not easy to judge, since in many cases the formulation excipients and applied technologies are linked. Nevertheless, the fact that forms comprising the same potency of carotenoid can vary dramatically in bioavailability has been proven once more.