Comparison of the absorption efficiency of alpha- and beta-cryptoxanthin in female Wistar rats.

Xanthophylls, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, have received increasing interest in recent years because of positive correlations between their consumption and the prevention of eye diseases. Numerous human intervention studies have been conducted with lutein to estimate the bioavailability from different formulations. The present study was designed to obtain basic data on the absorbance efficiency of the monohydroxylated counterparts of lutein and zeaxanthin: alpha- and beta-cryptoxanthin.