Abstract
CAROTENOIDS with at least one 3,4-dehydro-β-ionone ring are known to display vitamin A activity in the rat growth test1–3. We have recently shown that one such compound, 3′-hydroxy-3,4-dehydro-β-carotene (anhydrolutein), also supports growth in the vitamin A-deficient chick4 and, when supplied in sufficient amount, it is converted to vitamin A2, which is stored in the liver5. This, to our knowledge, constituted the first demonstration of the formation of vitamin A2 from a carotenoid by a terrestrial animal. Previously, β-carotene had been reported to form both vitamins A1 and A2 in certain species of fresh-water fish6,7.
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BUDOWSKI, P., GROSS, J. Conversion of Carotenoids to 3-Dehydroretinol (Vitamin A2) in the Mouse. Nature 206, 1254–1255 (1965). https://doi.org/10.1038/2061254a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/2061254a0
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