Taurocholate stimulates the absorption and biotransformation of beta-carotene in intact and lymph duct-cannulated ferrets.

We have determined the influence of dietary taurocholate and beta-carotene on the absorption and biotransformation of newly administered beta-14C]carotene. Male ferrets were fed the control or beta-carotene diet (0.05% beta carotene wt/wt) with and without taurocholate (1% wt/wt) for four weeks, and then the absorption and biotransformation of newly administered beta-[14C]carotene was measured after eight hours in intact or thoracic lymph duct-cannulated animals. Percent recover of beta-[14C]carotene in the liver was increased 3.6-fold (p < 0.05) in the taurocholate-fed ferrets regardless of whether they were fed the control or beta-carotene diet. Percent recovery of labeled vitamin A in the liver was also increased by the same magnitude (p < 0.05). These results were confirmed in thoracic lymph duct-cannulated ferrets. The recoveries of beta-carotene label in the lymph were comparable to the corresponding values in livers of intact animals. The recovery of beta-carotene label in the liver was 50% (p M 0.05) higher in beta-carotene-fed than in control animals. Taurocholate stimulates intestinal absorption of newly administered beta [14C]carotene and its metabolic conversion to 14C-labeled vitamin A (retinol + retinyl ester) 3.6-fold. Beta-Carotene absorption is as efficient in thoracic lymph duct-cannulated ferrets as in intact animals. Prior beta-carotene feeding also stimulates the absorption of newly administered beta-carotene by 50%.