Examining the Role of Cultural and Family Factors in Substance Use Risk Among Indian American Youth.

INTRODUCTION: Although Indian Americans constitute the second-largest immigrant group in the United States, there is a paucity of information about Indian American youth, particularly with respect to substance use risk. We examined the relationship of social factors to permissive substance use beliefs (a proxy for substance use risk since they can lead to adulthood substance use and misuse) and family functioning. METHODS: The study used structural equation modeling to examine the prevalence of permissive substance use beliefs in a sample of Indian American youth ages 12-17 (N = 223) and examined the degree to which discrimination, bicultural identity integration, and endorsement of the model minority stereotype were associated with permissive substance use beliefs. RESULTS: Findings suggest that bicultural identity integration (B = 0.267 [SE = 0.112], p = 0.01) and discrimination (B = 0.294 [SE = 0.087], p = 0.001) are positively associated with permissive substance use beliefs. Bicultural identity integration (B = 0.415 [SE = 0.090], p = 0.0001) was positively associated with family support (B= -0.329 [SE = 0.108], p = 0.002) which, in turn, was associated with less permissive substance use beliefs. In contrast, endorsement of the model minority stereotype (B = 0.351 [SE = 0.090], p = 0.001) was positively associated with family closeness (B = 0.232 [SE = 0.927], p = 0.01) which, in turn, was associated with family support and then with less permissive substance use beliefs. CONCLUSIONS: Discrimination and bicultural identity integration emerged as key constructs related to substance use risk among Indian American youth. These youth could benefit from culturally appropriate prevention programming that addresses the negative impact of discrimination and its effect on permissive substance use beliefs and highlights protective factors.

Technology-based communication among Hurricane Maria survivors in the United States: a trans-territorial lens.

PURPOSE: Rooted in a trans-territorial framework, the present study was designed to provide new evidence regarding the patterns of communication among Hurricane Maria survivors who migrated to the U.S. in the aftermath of the storm. METHODS: A total of 319 Hurricane Maria survivor adults ages 18 and older were recruited into the Adelante Boricua study between August 2020 and October 2021. Most participants had relocated to the U.S. between 2017 and 2018. We used latent profile analysis and multinomial regression to examine the relationship of technology-based communication with depressive symptoms, well-being, cultural connection, and migration stress. RESULTS: We identified a five-class solution, consisting of (1) moderate communication (32%), (2) disengaged (24%), (3) no social media (18%), (4) daily with family in Puerto Rico (6%), and (5) daily trans-territorial (13%) typologies. Participants in the disengaged class were more likely to report elevated depressive symptoms and limited English proficiency, lower prosocial behaviors, lower levels of religiosity, lower attendance at religious services in the U.S., and less engagement in social activities, compared to participants in the Moderate Communication class. CONCLUSION: Roughly one in four individuals in our sample reported very limited technology-based communication with friends/family in their sending and new-receiving communities. As technology and smartphones continue to become integrated into 21st-century life, it is vital that researchers explore how the tremendous potential for connectedness relates to trans-territorial crisis migrants' well-being and adaptation.

Autogenous and efficient acceleration of energetic ions upstream of Earth's bow shock.

Earth and its magnetosphere are immersed in the supersonic flow of the solar-wind plasma that fills interplanetary space. As the solar wind slows and deflects to flow around Earth, or any other obstacle, a 'bow shock' forms within the flow. Under almost all solar-wind conditions, planetary bow shocks such as Earth's are collisionless, supercritical shocks, meaning that they reflect and accelerate a fraction of the incident solar-wind ions as an energy dissipation mechanism1,2, which results in the formation of a region called the ion foreshock3. In the foreshock, large-scale, transient phenomena can develop, such as 'hot flow anomalies'4-9, which are concentrations of shock-reflected, suprathermal ions that are channelled and accumulated along certain structures in the upstream magnetic field. Hot flow anomalies evolve explosively, often resulting in the formation of new shocks along their upstream edges5,10, and potentially contribute to particle acceleration11-13, but there have hitherto been no observations to constrain this acceleration or to confirm the underlying mechanism. Here we report observations of a hot flow anomaly accelerating solar-wind ions from roughly 1-10 kiloelectronvolts up to almost 1,000 kiloelectronvolts. The acceleration mechanism depends on the mass and charge state of the ions and is consistent with first-order Fermi acceleration14,15. The acceleration that we observe results from only the interaction of Earth's bow shock with the solar wind, but produces a much, much larger number of energetic particles compared to what would typically be produced in the foreshock from acceleration at the bow shock. Such autogenous and efficient acceleration at quasi-parallel bow shocks (the normal direction of which are within about 45 degrees of the interplanetary magnetic field direction) provides a potential solution to Fermi's 'injection problem', which requires an as-yet-unexplained seed population of energetic particles, and implies that foreshock transients may be important in the generation of cosmic rays at astrophysical shocks throughout the cosmos.

Guide Field Reconnection: Exhaust Structure and Heating.

Magnetospheric Multiscale observations are used to probe the structure and temperature profile of a guide field reconnection exhaust ~100 ion inertial lengths downstream from the X-line in the Earth's magnetosheath. Asymmetric Hall electric and magnetic field signatures were detected, together with a density cavity confined near 1 edge of the exhaust and containing electron flow toward the X-line. Electron holes were also detected both on the cavity edge and at the Hall magnetic field reversal. Predominantly parallel ion and electron heating was observed in the main exhaust, but within the cavity, electron cooling and enhanced parallel ion heating were found. This is explained in terms of the parallel electric field, which inhibits electron mixing within the cavity on newly reconnected field lines but accelerates ions. Consequently, guide field reconnection causes inhomogeneous changes in ion and electron temperature across the exhaust.

Modulating conversion of isoflavone glycosides to aglycones using crude beta-glycosidase extracts from almonds and processed soy.

Food processing alters the physicochemical state of soy which can enhance chemical and enzymatic conversion of isoflavones to their aglycone forms. This study investigated the role of ß-glycosidase from processed soy-ingredient mixture (SIM) or almonds, and examined the impact of isoflavone composition in mediating conversion to aglycones. ß-Glycosidase activity was quantified using p-nitrophenol-ß-d-glucopyranoside and SIM isoflavone extracts. Almond ß-glycosidase activity was significantly (p<0.001) reduced after roasting (99% reduction) or steaming (97% reduction) compared to raw almonds. SIM ß-glycosidase activity, however, increased, with steaming by 66% (p<0.001) and with roasting by 52% (p=0.022), compared to raw SIM. After incubation with ß-glycosidase, percentage of aglycone (total aglycone/total isoflavones) in SIM isoflavone extracts increased significantly in raw (35%), fermented (48%), roasted (88%) and steamed (91%) SIM, compared to their initial (∼5%) compositions. Manipulation of ß-glycosidase activity and isoflavone composition can be used to modulate aglycone content in soy food products.

Inflammatory bowel disease is presenting sooner after immigration in more recent US immigrants from Cuba.

BACKGROUND: Despite a rising incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Hispanics in the United States, there are no studies examining the relationship between immigrant generation and IBD onset among Hispanics. AIMS: To determine whether age of IBD diagnosis, time from immigration to IBD diagnosis and IBD phenotype, differed across immigration periods in South Florida Cuban immigrants. METHODS: This was a cohort of consecutively identified Cuban-born adults who developed IBD in the United States and were followed in gastroenterology (GI) clinic. We divided time cohorts of immigration by historical relevance: before 1980, 1980-1994 and 1995-to-present. We examined differences across time cohorts in diagnosis age, time from immigration to IBD diagnosis, and IBD phenotype (ie, IBD type, disease location). RESULTS: A total of 130 Cuban patients with IBD were included. Age of IBD diagnosis was older in Cubans arriving before 1980 than in those arriving between 1980-1994 or after 1995 (44.7 vs 33.79 and 33.71, respectively, P<.0001). Time between immigration and diagnosis was shorter in patients arriving to the US after 1980 (31.77 years, Standard deviation (SD) 12.83 (<1980) vs 17.13 years, SD 8.55 (1980-1994) and 8.30 years, SD 4.72 (1995-to-present). IBD phenotype, including type of IBD, disease location and surgeries, did not differ significantly across time cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Our study describes changing patterns of IBD onset following immigration in Cubans, suggesting that environmental changes either in the United States, Cuba or both are resulting in faster IBD onset in younger immigrant generations. These studies can inform the search for environmental triggers that may result in IBD.

Rippled Quasiperpendicular Shock Observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Spacecraft.

Collisionless shock nonstationarity arising from microscale physics influences shock structure and particle acceleration mechanisms. Nonstationarity has been difficult to quantify due to the small spatial and temporal scales. We use the closely spaced (subgyroscale), high-time-resolution measurements from one rapid crossing of Earth's quasiperpendicular bow shock by the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft to compare competing nonstationarity processes. Using MMS's high-cadence kinetic plasma measurements, we show that the shock exhibits nonstationarity in the form of ripples.

Magnetospheric Multiscale Observations of the Electron Diffusion Region of Large Guide Field Magnetic Reconnection.

We report observations from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) satellites of a large guide field magnetic reconnection event. The observations suggest that two of the four MMS spacecraft sampled the electron diffusion region, whereas the other two spacecraft detected the exhaust jet from the event. The guide magnetic field amplitude is approximately 4 times that of the reconnecting field. The event is accompanied by a significant parallel electric field (E_{∥}) that is larger than predicted by simulations. The high-speed (∼300 km/s) crossing of the electron diffusion region limited the data set to one complete electron distribution inside of the electron diffusion region, which shows significant parallel heating. The data suggest that E_{∥} is balanced by a combination of electron inertia and a parallel gradient of the gyrotropic electron pressure.

Magnetospheric Multiscale Satellites Observations of Parallel Electric Fields Associated with Magnetic Reconnection.

We report observations from the Magnetospheric Multiscale satellites of parallel electric fields (E_{∥}) associated with magnetic reconnection in the subsolar region of the Earth's magnetopause. E_{∥} events near the electron diffusion region have amplitudes on the order of 100 mV/m, which are significantly larger than those predicted for an antiparallel reconnection electric field. This Letter addresses specific types of E_{∥} events, which appear as large-amplitude, near unipolar spikes that are associated with tangled, reconnected magnetic fields. These E_{∥} events are primarily in or near a current layer near the separatrix and are interpreted to be double layers that may be responsible for secondary reconnection in tangled magnetic fields or flux ropes. These results are telling of the three-dimensional nature of magnetopause reconnection and indicate that magnetopause reconnection may be often patchy and/or drive turbulence along the separatrix that results in flux ropes and/or tangled magnetic fields.

RELIGIOUS EXCLUSIVITY AND PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING.

In the present study we sought to clarify links between religious exclusivity, as form of intergroup favoritism, and indices of psychosocial functioning. The study of in group favoritism has generally been invoked within Social Identity Theory and related perspectives. However, there is a lack of literature regarding religious exclusivity from the standpoint of social identity. In particular, the ways in which religious exclusivity is linked with other dimensions of religious belief and practice, and with psychosocial functioning, among individuals from different religious backgrounds are not well understood. A sample of 8545 emerging-adult students from 30 U.S. universities completed special measures. Measure of religious exclusivity was developed and validated for this group. The results suggest that exclusivity appears as predictor for impaired psychosocial functioning, low self-esteem and low psychosocial well-being for individuals from organized faiths, as well as for those identifying as agnostic, atheist, or spiritual/nonreligious. These findings are discussed in terms of Social Identity Theory and Terror Management Theory (TMT).

Determinants of continuous positive airway pressure adherence in a sleep clinic cohort of South Florida Hispanic veterans.

PURPOSE: There are little existing data on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) adherence in US Hispanic veterans with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Our aim was to describe determinants of 1-month adherence in a sleep clinic cohort of South Florida Hispanic veterans. METHODS: Hispanic veterans referred to the Miami VA sleep clinic were recruited and completed questionnaires about sleep apnea risk, sleep quality, insomnia symptoms, sleepiness, depression/anxiety, acculturation, personality traits, and cognitions about OSA and CPAP. Individuals at risk for OSA were scheduled for baseline polysomnography (PSG), followed by in-lab CPAP titration or a trial of auto-CPAP. Participants with OSA accepting CPAP therapy were asked to return after 7 and 30 days of treatment for adherence verification and to repeat questionnaires. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-four participants (94 % men) were enrolled with 114 completing overnight PSG. Eighty-six out of 95 participants (91 %) with sleep apnea syndrome or moderate to severe OSA accepted CPAP treatment. Fifty-nine participants completed both follow-up visits with a mean CPAP use at 30 days of 3.6 ± 2.0 h. The only independent predictor of 7-day mean daily CPAP use was the baseline Insomnia Severity Index while the best predictor of 30-day mean daily CPAP use was the 7-day mean daily use. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that South Florida Hispanic veterans with OSA evaluated in a sleep clinic show poor CPAP adherence. Insomnia and poor early use predicted poor adherence overall. Larger prospective studies with other race-ethnic groups are needed to determine the role of ethnicity and race in CPAP adherence among US veterans with OSA.

Dispersive nature of high mach number collisionless plasma shocks: Poynting flux of oblique whistler waves.

Whistler wave trains are observed in the foot region of high Mach number quasiperpendicular shocks. The waves are oblique with respect to the ambient magnetic field as well as the shock normal. The Poynting flux of the waves is directed upstream in the shock normal frame starting from the ramp of the shock. This suggests that the waves are an integral part of the shock structure with the dispersive shock as the source of the waves. These observations lead to the conclusion that the shock ramp structure of supercritical high Mach number shocks is formed as a balance of dispersion and nonlinearity.

Concentration of pro-vitamin A carotenoids in common beef cattle feedstuffs.

Quantification of the pro-vitamin A carotenoids in feedstuffs commonly fed to livestock has been ignored for many years. A greater dietary concentration of vitamin A has the potential to limit adipogenesis in cattle, thereby reducing carcass quality and value. A survey of 18 feedstuffs commonly fed to beef cattle was conducted for determination of vitamin A equivalents based on analysis of carotenoids. The pro-vitamin A carotenoids of interest were ß-carotene, α-carotene, and ß-cryptoxanthin. Collaborators in 5 states collected the feedstuffs and then shipped them to The Ohio State University for compilation and analysis. Carotenoids were extracted from the feedstuffs and then quantified using HPLC with photodiode array analysis. Fresh fescue pasture contained approximately 10 times more vitamin A equivalents than hay and 5 times more than corn silage (39,865, 2,750, and 6,900 IU of vitamin A/kg of DM for fresh pasture, hay, and corn silage, respectively). Beta-cryptoxanthin and α-carotene could not be detected in any forage samples. Hay and corn silage vitamin A equivalents decreased over extended periods of time from harvest to sample collection. Corn was the only feedstuff to have appreciable concentrations of all 3 pro-vitamin A carotenoids quantified. Corn processing had a minimal impact on the vitamin A equivalents. High-moisture corn contained 54% more vitamin A equivalents than whole shelled corn (378 and 174 IU of vitamin A/kg of DM, respectively). Pro-vitamin A carotenoids were more concentrated in corn coproducts than in whole shelled corn. The drying of distillers grains with solubles may significantly degrade ß-carotene (800 and 480 IU/kg of DM for wet and dry distillers grains, respectively). Soybean-based feedstuffs contain a small concentration of pro-vitamin A carotenoids, at 55 and 45 IU of vitamin A/kg of DM for soybean meal and soybean hulls, respectively. Overall, there was considerable variation in the pro-vitamin A content of feedstuffs based on location and storage conditions. An extensive analysis of feedstuffs would need to be conducted for an accurate estimation of the vitamin A content of feedlot cattle diets.

Antioxidant activity, total phenolics content, anthocyanin, and color stability of isotonic model beverages colored with Andes berry (Rubus glaucus Benth) anthocyanin powder.

The stability of anthocyanin (ACN) freeze-dried powders from Andes berry (Rubus glaucus Benth) as affected by storage, addition of maltodextrin as a carrier agent, and illumination was evaluated in isotonic model beverages. The ethanolic ACN extract was freeze dried with and without maltodextrin DE 20. Isotonic model beverages were colored with freeze-dried ACN powder (FDA), freeze-dried ACN powder with maltodextrin (MFDA), and red nr 40. Beverages were stored in the dark and under the effect of illumination. Half life of the ACNs, changes in color, total phenolics content (TPC), and antioxidant activity were analyzed for 71 d. Addition of maltodextrin and absence of light stabilized the color of beverages and improved ACN and TPC stability during storage. The antioxidant activity of the beverages was higher when they were colored with MFDA and highly correlated with ACN content. There was no correlation between antioxidant activity and TPC. It is concluded that addition of maltodextrin DE 20 as a carrier agent during freeze-drying improves the color and stability of nutraceutical antioxidants present in Andes berry extract. This suggests a protective enclosing of ACNs within a maltodextrin matrix with a resulting powder that could serve as a supplement or additive to naturally color and to enhance the antioxidant capacity of isotonic beverages.

Universality of solar-wind turbulent spectrum from MHD to electron scales.

To investigate the universality of magnetic turbulence in space plasmas, we analyze seven time periods in the free solar wind under different plasma conditions. Three instruments on Cluster spacecraft operating in different frequency ranges give us the possibility to resolve spectra up to 300 Hz. We show that the spectra form a quasiuniversal spectrum following the Kolmogorov's law approximately k(-5/3) at MHD scales, a approximately k(-2.8) power law at ion scales, and an exponential approximately exp[-sqrt[k(rho)e]] at scales k(rho)e approximately [0.1,1], where rho(e) is the electron gyroradius. This is the first observation of an exponential magnetic spectrum in space plasmas that may indicate the onset of dissipation. We distinguish for the first time between the role of different spatial kinetic plasma scales and show that the electron Larmor radius plays the role of a dissipation scale in space plasma turbulence.

Determination of anthocyanins, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity in Andes Berry (Rubus glaucus Benth).

Anthocyanins, total phenolic content, ascorbic acid content, and the antioxidant activity were determined in extracts of Andes berry fruit (Rubus glaucus Benth). Anthocyanis (ACNs) were isolated and characterized by means of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with photodiode array detection and electro spray ionization/mass spectrometry (PDA-ESI/MS/MS) analysis. The anthocyanin (ACN) content was 45 mg/100 g FW. The isolated anthocyanins were characterized as cyanidin 3-sambubioside, cyanidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-xylorutinoside, cyanidin 3-rutinoside, pelargonidin 3-glucoside, and pelargonidin 3-rutinoside. The ascorbic acid content was 10.1 mg/100 g FW. The total phenolic content as determined by the Folin-Ciocalteau method was 294 mg GAE/100 g FW while the antioxidant activity as measured by ABTS(.) (+) radical scavenging capacity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) was 2.01 and 4.50 mmol TE/100 g FW or 8.22 mmoles ferric iron reduced/100 g FW, respectively. The high phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of Andes berry suggest that this fruit could be a rich source of natural pigments, nutraceuticals, and natural antioxidants.

Effect of low vitamin A diets with high-moisture or dry corn on marbling and adipose tissue fatty acid composition of beef steers.

Angus-cross steers (n = 165; 295 +/- 16 kg of BW) were used evaluate the effect of low vitamin A diets with high-moisture corn (HMC) or dry corn (DC) on marbling and fatty acid composition. Steers were allotted to 24 pens (7 steers/pen), such that each pen had the same average initial BW. Treatments were randomly allotted to the pens. The experiment had a completely randomized design, with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments: low vitamin A (Lo, no supplemental vitamin A) and HMC (LoHMC); LoDC; high vitamin A (Hi, supplemented with 2,200 IU of vitamin A/kg of DM) and HMC (HiHMC); and HiDC. Diets contained 76% corn, 10% corn silage, 11% protein supplement, and 3% soybean oil (DM basis). Samples of feed ingredients were collected for carotenoid analysis. Blood samples were collected for serum retinol determination. Steers were slaughtered after 145 d on feed. Carcass characteristics and LM composition were determined. Samples from the s.c. fat depot were analyzed for fatty acid composition. High-moisture corn had a greater vitamin A content, based on its carotenoid content, than DC (614 vs. 366 IU/kg of DM, P < 0.01). No vitamin A x corn type interactions were detected for feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, or serum, s.c. fat, or liver retinol concentration. Average daily gain, DMI, and G:F were not affected by vitamin A (P > 0.05). Marbling score and USDA quality grade were greater (P < 0.05) in Lo vs. Hi steers. Hot carcass weight, backfat, and yield grade were not affected by the treatments (P > 0.05). Vitamin A and corn type did not affect LM composition (DM, ash, CP, or ether-extractable fat, P > 0.05). Vitamin A supplementation increased (P < 0.06) serum retinol on d 112 and 145 and increased (P < 0.01) liver retinol at slaughter (Lo = 38.7 vs. Hi = 102.9 mug/g). The s.c. fat retinol concentrations were less (P < 0.01) for Lo (0.8 mug/g) than for Hi (1.4 mug/g) at slaughter. Cell diameter of adipocytes in the i.m. depot was not affected by dietary vitamin A (P > 0.05). A vitamin A x corn type interaction was observed (P < 0.05) for the s.c. fat cellularity. Feeding HMC increased the number of cells per square millimeter when Lo diets were fed (LoHMC = 128 vs. LoDC = 100 cells/mm(2), P < 0.05), but not when Hi diets were fed (HiHMC = 109 vs. HiDC = 111 cells/mm(2), P > 0.05). The CLA content of adipose tissue was not affected by the treatments. Regardless of the corn type used, feeding low vitamin A diets for 145 d to Angus-cross steers increased marbling and quality grade without affecting yield grade, animal health, or performance.

Analysis of lycopene geometrical isomers in biological microsamples by liquid chromatography with coulometric array detection.

Methods of analysis for determining low quantities of lycopene cis-trans isomers in biological tissues are needed. Development of two liquid chromatography (LC) methods based on the polymeric C30 stationary phase equipped with coulometric electrochemical array detection (ED) is described. Separation of 13 lycopene isomers including prolycopene, (a novel tetra-cis-lycopene found in Tangerine tomatoes) was accomplished with both isocratic and gradient methods using different proportions of methanol, methyl tert.-butyl ether, water and 1 M ammonium acetate buffer. Carotenoids were detected at potential settings between 200 and 620 mV. Differences in generated current-voltage curves aided in tentative identification of trans carotenoid species and select cis isomers of lycopene. These methods were successfully applied in the analysis of small quantities of plasma, buccal mucosal cells, prostate and cervical tissues. Limits of detection for trans-lycopene by ED were found to be 50 fmol representing a 10- to 100-fold increase over conventional UV-Vis absorbance methods.

The process of exploration in identity formation: the role of style and competence.

This study drew on two approaches to identity formation, each postulating differing but complementary exploration components (style and competence), in an effort to better understand the identity exploration process. The sample for this study (n=215) was socio-demographically diverse with respect to gender, age, ethnicity and setting, with participants drawn from two universities in two different settings (rural residential, and urban non-residential), with differing ethnicities (primarily non-Hispanic White vs. primarily Hispanic) and varying ages. Overall patterns of results revealed by hierarchical regression analyses were consistent with a process model of exploration and with the view that exploration is a multi-dimensional process comprized of multiple components. The findings also provide evidence for the utility of both of the critical constructivist and co-constructivist approaches to identity formation used in this study, and for the validity of the rich clinical/qualitative literature that gave rise to the construct of exploration.

Assessment of degradation and intestinal cell uptake of carotenoids and chlorophyll derivatives from spinach puree using an in vitro digestion and Caco-2 human cell model.

Although numerous studies have demonstrated the health benefits of chlorophyll derivatives, information regarding the digestion, absorption, and metabolism of these phytochemicals is quite limited. To better understand the digestion of these pigments, green vegetables including fresh spinach puree (FSP), heat- and acid-treated spinach puree (HASP), and ZnCl(2)-treated spinach puree (ZnSP) were subjected to an in vitro digestion method which simulates both the gastric and small intestinal phases of the process. Native chlorophylls were converted to Mg-free pheophytin derivatives during digestion. Conversely, Zn-pheophytins were completely stable during the digestive process. Transfer of lipophilic chlorophyll derivatives, as well as the carotenoids lutein and beta-carotene, into the aqueous micellar fraction from the food matrix was quantified. Micellarization of total chlorophyll derivatives differed significantly (p < 0.05) for FSP (37.6%), HASP (17.2%), and ZnSP (8.7%). Micellarization of chlorophyll a derivatives was determined to be significantly more efficient than chlorophyll b derivatives in FSP and HASP (p < 0.01), but not in ZnSP (p > 0.05). Intestinal cell uptake of micellarized pigments was investigated using HTB-37 (parent) and clonal TC7 lines of human Caco-2 cells. Medium containing the pigment-enriched fraction generated during digestion was added to the apical surface of fully differentiated monolayers for 4 h. Pigments were then extracted from cells and analyzed by C18 HPLC with photodiode array detection. Both Caco-2 HTB-37 and TC7 clone cells accumulated 20-40% and 5-10% of micellarized carotenoid and chlorophyll derivatives, respectively. These results are the first to demonstrate uptake of chlorophyll derivatives by human intestinal cells and to support the potential importance of chlorophylls as health-promoting phytochemicals.