Vitamin A Equivalence of Plant Carotenoids in Children

February 17, 2009 updated by: Tufts University

Phase 2 Study of VITAMIN A EQUIVALENCE OF PLANT CAROTENOIDS IN CHILDREN

Our objectives will be to test the following hypotheses and to make the following determinations: (1) The absorption and bio-conversion of provitamin A carotenes taken by children are different between spinach, Golden Rice, and ß-C in oil capsules. (2) The absorption of provitamin A carotenes and their bioconversion to vitamin A are different in children with or without adequate vitamin A nutrition. (3) To define the vitamin A equivalence(s) of dietary spinach, Golden Rice, and a ß-C in oil dose by using an isotope reference method in children with or without adequate vitamin A nutrition and to compare those values with values derived from model based compartmental analysis. (4) To determine the number and time of blood samples needed for future studies in various field settings on the retinol equivalence of a large number of plant sources.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

This project is to determine the vitamin A value (equivalence) of dietary provitamin A carotenes from spinach, Golden Rice, and pure ß-carotene (ß-C) in oil. These experiments will be conducted in children (ages 6-8) with/without adequate (marginal deficiency) vitamin A nutrition. As plant provitamin A carotenoids are a major and safe vitamin A source for a vast population in the world, it is essential to determine the efficiency of provitamin A carotenoid (mainly ß-C) conversion to vitamin A. By introducing ß-C into rice endosperm, Golden Rice may directly benefit consumers by providing vitamin A nutrition. Our investigation uses hydroponically grown, deca-deuterium labeled spinach and Golden Rice, synthetic ß-C-d10 and a vitamin A isotope reference, C13 labeled retinyl acetate (13C10-RAc), to evaluate the bioavailability and the bioconversion of plant provitamin A carotenes to retinol as compared with ß-C in oil capsules in vivo.

Seventy-two children each will take two meals, breakfast containing 13C10-RAc dose (0.5mg in 0.2g oil capsule) and lunch containing spinach containing 1 mg ß-C (along with white rice), or Golden Rice containing 0.5mg ß-C (along with light colored vegetables), or ß-C oil capsules containing 0.5 mg ß-C in 0.2g oil (along with white rice and light colored vegetables) on the first day of the study. Blood samples will be collected at 1 3, 7, 14, and 21 days after the study doses.

The enrichment of labeled ß-C and labeled retinol in human circulation will be determined using advanced liquid chromatography / mass spectrometry and gas chromatography / mass spectrometry. Through the applications of these novel technologies, we will be able to determine the relative biological activities of endogenous carotenoids; that is, the vitamin A value of spinach, Golden Rice, and ß-C in oil capsules for children with/without vitamin A malnutrition.

This study will be of importance in planning vitamin A deficiency prevention strategies and also will provide useful information regarding the potential efficacy of a bioengineered crop to provide vitamin A nutrition.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

72

Phase

  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02111
        • USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts Uni.

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

6 years to 8 years (CHILD)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • healthy children

Exclusion Criteria:

  • food allergy
  • parasitic infection

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
  • Allocation: RANDOMIZED
  • Interventional Model: FACTORIAL
  • Masking: NONE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
OTHER: 1
dietary carotenoids
spinach containing 1 - 2 mg beta-carotene rice containing 0.5 mg beta-carotene synthetic beta-carotene 0.5 mg oil capsule
spinach containing 1 - 2 mg beta-carotene rice containing 0.5 mg beta-carotene synthetic beta-carotene, 0.5 mg oil dose
Other Names:
  • dietary carotenoids

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
conversion efficiency of b-C to retinol
Time Frame: up to 21 days
up to 21 days

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

July 1, 2008

Primary Completion (ACTUAL)

January 1, 2009

Study Completion (ACTUAL)

January 1, 2009

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 16, 2008

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 16, 2008

First Posted (ESTIMATE)

May 20, 2008

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ESTIMATE)

February 18, 2009

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 17, 2009

Last Verified

February 1, 2009

More Information

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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