Fatty acid/monoglyceride type and amount modulate fat-soluble vitamin absorption from mixed assemblies in mice.

We investigated the effects of fatty acid/ monoglyceride type and amount on the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Micelles or vesicles made with either caprylic acid (CA) + monocaprylin (MC) or oleic acid (OA) + monoolein (MO) at low or high concentrations were infused in bile duct-ligated mice. Retinol + retinyl ester and γ-tocopherol intestinal mucosa contents were higher in mice infused with CA + MC than with OA + MO (up to + 350 % for vitamin A and up to + 62 %, for vitamin E; p < 0.05). Cholecalciferol intestinal mucosa content was the highest in mice infused with micelles with CA + MC at 5 mg/mL (up to + 105 %, p < 0.05). Retinyl ester plasma response was higher with mixed assemblies formed at low concentration of FA + MG compared to high concentration (up to + 1212 %, p < 0.05), while no difference in cholecalciferol and γ-tocopherol plasma responses were measured. No correlation between size or zeta potential and vitamin absorption was found. The impact of FA and MG on fat-soluble vitamin absorption thus differs from one vitamin to another and should be considered to formulate adequate vitamin oral or enteral supplements.

Impact of pulses, starches and meat on vitamin D and K postprandial responses in mice.

In vitro experiments showed that i) phytates, tannins and saponins from pulses can alter vitamin D and K bioavailability and ii) meat decreased vitamin D bioaccessibility by impairing its stability during digestion. We aimed to confirm these results in vivo by force-feeding mice with emulsions containing either potatoes or semolina or chickpeas or meat. Vitamin D and K plasma responses decreased after a gavage with chickpeas or meat compared with potatoes (-62 % and -67 %, respectively for vitamin D, -40 % and -64 %, respectively for vitamin K; p < 0.05). Vitamin D and K intestinal contents were also reduced in mice force-fed with chickpeas or meat compared with potatoes (from -64 to -83 % and from -76 to -84 %, respectively for vitamin D and from -7 to -59 % and from -7 to -90 %, respectively for vitamin K; p < 0.05). The results confirm that chickpea and meat compounds can decrease vitamin D and K bioavailability.

In vitro solubilization of fat-soluble vitamins in structurally defined mixed intestinal assemblies.

The structures of fed state intestinal assemblies containing bile components, dietary fat, and fat-soluble vitamins are not well known, although they are involved in lipid transport. In this study, several methods were used to investigate structural transitions upon various dietary lipids or various fat-soluble vitamins incorporation in bile intestinal assemblies. In particular, DLS and turbidimetry were used to study transition points as a function of component concentration, and cryo-TEM and SAXS were used to resolve assembly structures at microscopic and supramolecular scales, respectively. Results showed that increasing the concentration of dietary lipids in bile assembly induced a transition from core-shell micelles to unilamellar vesicles (except with caprylate lipids, always yielding micelles). In these specific assemblies, increasing the concentration of a fat-soluble vitamin either induced a systematic structural transition, defining a solubilization capacity (α-tocopherol or phylloquinone), or induced a structural transition only in micelles (retinol), or did not induce any structural transition up to very high concentrations (cholecalciferol). Using SAXS data, ideal molecular organizations are proposed for assemblies in the absence or presence of α-tocopherol.