Carotenoids are one of the major food micronutrients in human diets and the overall objective of this review is to re-examine the role of carotenoids in human nutrition. We have emphasized the attention on the following carotenoids present in food and human tissues: beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, alpha-carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin; we have reported the major food sources and dietary intake of these compounds. We have tried to summarize positive and negative effects of food processing, storage, cooking on carotenoid content and carotenoid bioavailability. In particular, we have evidenced the possibility to improve carotenoids bioavailability in accordance with changes and variations of technology procedures.

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Seven men and seven women participated in a randomized crossover trial to study the effect of intake of parsley (Petroselinum crispum), containing high levels of the flavone apigenin, on the urinary excretion of flavones and on biomarkers for oxidative stress. The subjects received a strictly controlled diet low in flavones and other naturally occurring antioxidants during the 2 weeks of intervention. This basic diet was supplemented with parsley providing 3⋅73-4⋅49 mg apigenin/MJ in one of the intervention weeks. Urinary excretion of apigenin was 1⋅59-409⋅09 g/MJ per 24 h during intervention with parsley and 0-112⋅27 g/MJ per 24 h on the basic diet (P Ͻ 0⋅05). The fraction of apigenin intake excreted in the urine was 0⋅58 (SE 0⋅16) % during parsley intervention. Erythrocyte glutathione reductase (EC 1.6.4.1; GR) and superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1; SOD) activities increased during intervention with parsley (P Ͻ 0⋅005) as compared with the levels on the basic diet, whereas erythrocyte catalase (EC 1.11.1.6) and glutathione peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.9) activities did not change. No significant changes were observed in plasma protein 2-adipic semialdehyde residues, a biomarker of plasma protein oxidation. In this short-term investigation, an overall decreasing trend in the activity of antioxidant enzymes was observed during the 2-week study. The decreased activity of SOD was strongly correlated at the individual level with an increased oxidative damage to plasma proteins. However, the intervention with parsley seemed, partly, to overcome this decrease and resulted in increased levels of GR and SOD. Apigenin: Antioxidant status: Urinary excretionApigenin is a flavone found in vegetables, seasonings (Kühnau, 1976) and oranges (Fernandez de Simon et al. 1992), and it possesses antioxidant activity in vitro (Fraga et al. 1987;van Acker et al. 1996). Potent biological effects of this flavonoid have been described in vitro and in vivo. Apigenin has been ascribed anticarcinogenic (Wei et al. 1989;Birt et al. 1997), anti-inflammatory (Lee et al. 1993 and antimutagenic (Kuo et al. 1992) properties. Thus, development of a biomarker for intake of apigenin is important in order to evaluate the potential health effects of this particular dietary component. There has only been one previously published attempt to determine the urinary excretion of apigenin in human subjects after ingestion of an apigenin-containing camomile (Matricaria recutita) extract (Tschiersch & Hölzl, 1993). However, due to lack of specificity and sensitivity the method failed to detect any apigenin in the urine.Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) contains large amounts of the flavone apigenin (Justesen et al. 1998), and the low concentration of other flavonoids in this plant makes it suitable for an intervention study with a natural source of apigenin.In the present study we report on the relationship between daily intake of parsley and urinary excretion of apigenin. The antioxidative effect of the parsley intervention was investigated by measuring the activity ...

Web-based Dietary Assessment Software for Children (WebDASC) was developed to estimate dietary intake in a school meal intervention study among 8-to 11-year-old Danish children. The present study validates self-reported fruit, juice and vegetable (FJV) intakes in 8-to 11-year-old children by comparing intake with plasma carotenoid concentration, and by comparing the reported FJV intake to actually eaten FJV, as observed by a photographic method. A total of eighty-one children, assisted by parents, reported their diet for seven consecutive days. For the same five schooldays as they reported their diet, the children's school lunch was photographed and weighed before and after eating. In the week after the diet reporting, fasting blood samples were taken. Self-reported intake of FJV and estimated intake of carotenoids were compared with plasma carotenoid concentration. Accuracy of self-reported food and FJV consumption at school lunch was measured in terms of matches, intrusion, omission and faults, when compared with images and weights of lunch intake. Selfreported intake of FJV was significantly correlated with the total carotenoid concentration (0·58) (P,0·01). Fruit and juice consumption showed higher correlations than vegetables with plasma carotenoid concentration (0·38 and 0·42 v. 0·33) (P,0·01). A total of 82 % of the participants fell into the same or adjacent quartiles when cross-classified by FJV intake and carotenoids biomarkers. WebDASC attained 82 % reporting matches overall and a higher percentage match for reporting fruits compared with beverages. The present study indicated that WebDASC can be used to rank 8-to 11-year-old Danish children according to their intake of FJV overall and at school meals.Key words: Photographic observations: Biomarkers: Validation: Fruits: Vegetables: Carotenoids: Intake A diet high in fruits and vegetables is associated with a decreased risk of many chronic diseases (1) , and therefore several Western countries have recommendations to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. Juice is included in these fruit and vegetable recommendations, but in restricted quantities, as juices do not offer the same nutritional and health benefits as fresh fruits and vegetables and can lead to excessive energy intake and weight gain due to the higher amount of sugar and energy (2 -4) . Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in children is one of the major issues in the field of dietary interventions (5) . Valid dietary assessment methods are essential for identifying how eating habits change in response to interventions and for identifying the impact of dietary habits on health and weight status. The optimal well-being, development and health for Danish Children through a healthy New Nordic Diet (OPUS) centre * Corresponding author: A. Biltoft-Jensen, fax þ45 3588 7119, email apbj@food.dtu.dk Abbreviations: DANSDA, Danish National Survey of Diet and Physical Activity; FJV, fruits, juice and vegetables; NND, New Nordic Diet; OPUS, optimal wellbeing, development and health fo...