Carotenoid and retinol concentrations in serum, adipose tissue and liver and carotenoid transport in sheep, goats and cattle

Carotenoid and retinol concentrations were determined in various tissues of sheep, goats and cattle, ruminants known to have widely different levels of pigmentation of their adipose tissues. An objective assessment of fat colour confirmed the whiteness of sheep and goat fat compared with that of cattle. No G-carotene was detected in the serum or fat of sheep and goats, but it was the predominant carotenoid present in the serum and fat of cattle. The major pigment present in serum and fat of sheep and goat was lutein, although its concentration was only 5-10% of that found in cattle. G-carotene was present in the liver of all three species with the highest concentration in cattle. Although lutein was the only carotenoid found in the serum and fat of sheep and goats, it could not be detected in their livers. The concentrations of retinol in serum and fat were similar for each species, but the liver of sheep had about three times the retinol concentration of the liver of goats and cattle. The transport of carotenoids in plasma was investigated. In sheep and goats, the pigments were associated mainly with very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL), whereas in cattle, high density lipoprotein (HDL) was the major lipoprotein fraction involved.