Examination of the utility of skin carotenoid status in estimating dietary intakes of carotenoids and fruits and vegetables: A randomized, parallel-group, controlled feeding trial

• Published in: Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) Los Angeles County, Calif.), 2024-03, Vol.119, p.112304-112304, Article 112304
• Main Authors: Ahn, Seoeun, Hwang, Jeong-Eun, Kim, Yoon Jae, Eom, Kunsun, Jung, Myoung Hoon, Moon, HyunSeok, Ham, Dongwoo, Park, Ji Min, Oh, Se Uk, Park, Jin-Young, Joung, Hyojee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alcohol use; Biomarker; Biomarkers; blood serum; Body mass index; Cardiovascular disease; Carotenoid kinetics; Carotenoids; Carotenoids - analysis; clinical trials; Correlation analysis; Diabetes; Diet; Diet - methods; Dietary intervention; Eating; equations; Feeding; Food allergies; Food intake; Fruit - chemistry; Fruits; High performance liquid chromatography; Humans; Kinetics; Liquid chromatography; Metabolic disorders; Raman spectroscopy; Resonance Raman spectroscopy; Skin; Skin - chemistry; Spectroscopic analysis; Spectroscopy; Spectrum analysis; Validation; Vegetables; Vegetables - chemistry
• ISSN: 0899-9007; 1873-1244
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2023.112304

•Skin carotenoids are positively correlated with fruit and vegetable intake.•Skin carotenoids reflect changes in dietary carotenoid intake.•Skin carotenoids can be a valid biomarker for fruit and vegetable intake. Optical spectroscopy-measured skin carotenoid status (SCS) has been validated for estimating fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake; however, there is limited research addressing SCS kinetics in whole-diet interventions. The aim of this controlled feeding trial was to explore SCS's response to carotenoid intake changes via whole-diet intervention, evaluating its biomarker potential. Eighty participants ages 20 to 49 y, without underlying diseases, were randomly allocated to the high-carotenoid group (HG; n = 40) or control group (CG; n = 40). The HG consumed a high-carotenoid diet (21 mg total carotenoids/2000 kcal), whereas the CG consumed a control diet (13.6 mg total carotenoids/2000 kcal) for 6 wk. Subsequently, skin and blood carotenoid concentrations were tracked without intervention for 4 wk. SCS was measured weekly via resonance Raman spectroscopy, and serum carotenoid concentrations were analyzed biweekly using high-performance liquid chromatography. Baseline carotenoid and F&V intakes were assessed via a 3-d diet record. The kinetics of SCS and serum carotenoid concentrations were analyzed using a weighted generalized estimating equation. Pearson's correlation analyses were used to examine baseline correlations between SCS and dietary carotenoid and F&V intakes, as well as serum carotenoid concentrations. During the intervention, the HG showed a faster and greater SCS increase than the CG (difference in slope per week = 8.87 AU, Pinteraction