Abstract
We investigated the ability of the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) to accumulate lycopene, and examined the interaction between β-carotene and lycopene. We used the Mongolian gerbil in this study because its β-carotene absorption is similar to that of the human. A diet containing lycopene was administered to a Mongolian gerbil in experiment 1 for 28 days, and lycopene was detected in the liver and plasma. It was assumed that the Mongolian gerbil had the ability to accumulate lycopene because lycopene was detected in the feces. In experiment 2, a diet containing β-carotene and lycopene was given to a Mongolian gerbil for 28 days. A little lycopene was detected in the feces, and it was assumed that lycopene of internal origin was excreted. Moreover, lycopene remained in the liver of the Mongolian gerbil even 28 days after the lycopene administration had been stopped. These results suggest that the bioavailability of lycopene in the Mongolian gerbil was low. A negative interaction was assumed between β-carotene and lycopene when administered together.
