Changes in the carotenoid concentration in human postprandial chylomicron and antioxidant effect in HepG2 caused by differently processed fruit and vegetable soups

Ten subjects consumed one serving of an optimised or a reference soup produced using modified or traditional processing methods, respectively. Both soups contained the same proportions of carrot, tomato and broccoli, but with 5% olive oil in the optimised soup and 2.5% in the reference soup. The β-carotene content in 600 mL of the optimised/reference soups was 4.10/2.90 mg, and the lycopene content was 3.90/2.71 mg. The β-carotene and lycopene concentrations in chylomicrons isolated from blood serum samples were similar for both groups. Only 50% of subjects could be considered as carotenoid responders and, in agreement with in vitro accessibility data, the β-carotene concentration in the chylomicrons of these subjects was significantly higher in the group consuming the optimised soup, while no changes were found for lycopene. Postprandial chylomicrons from the optimised soup group exhibited significantly higher antioxidant activity in HepG2 cells than the other group. The stimulation of HepG2 cells by human postprandial chylomicrons seems useful for evaluating the antioxidant effect of different food matrices.