Carotenoid micellarization varies greatly between individual and mixed vegetables with or without the addition of fat or fiber

Carotenoid bioavailability is influenced by a number of factors, including the type of food matrix and the presence of fat, fiber, and other carotenoids. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were: first, to assess the effects of mixing raw vegetables on the micellarization of β-carotene, lycopene, β-cryptoxanthin, and lutein compared with individual vegetables; second, to investigate the effects of adding different oils on carotenoid transfer to the micelles; and third, and to a minor extent, to determine carotenoid micellarization following the addition of fiber. The two mixed vegetable meals were TRS (tomato, red pepper, and spinach) and CRS (courgette/zucchini, red pepper, and spinach). Similar trends in carotenoid micellarization were seen between individual vegetables and the TRS meal but not with the CRS meal. In general, the addition of olive, peanut, or rape- seed oil to the CRS meal significantly enhanced carotenoid micellarization but this effect was not concentration- dependent. In relation to the TRS meal, adding either vegetable oils or fiber (oat bran, wheat bran, and pectin) significantly decreased the micellarization of carotenoids to varying degrees. The results from this study indicate that changes to a combination of raw vegetables, with or without the addition of dietary fat or fiber, can have varying results on carotenoid bioavailability.