Health biomarkers in a rat model after intake of organically grown carrots

TY - JOUR

T1 - Health biomarkers in a rat model after intake of organically grown carrots

AU - Melballe Jensen, Maja

AU - Jørgensen, Henry Johs. Høgh

AU - Halekoh, Ulrich

AU - Watzl, Bernhard

AU - Thorup-Kristensen, Kristian

AU - Lauridsen, Charlotte

PY - 2012/12

Y1 - 2012/12

N2 - Background: Organic food is perceived as being of better quality and healthier than conventional foods although the scientific research on organic foodstuffs is highly contradictory. The aim of the present study was to investigate if intake of carrots from four different cultivation systems grown in two consecutive years would influence various biomarkers of health in a rat model. All rats were fed a diet with 40% carrot content. The carrots were grown under conventional (C), 'minimalistic' organic (O1), organic (O2), or 'very' organic cultivation systems (O3). A control group (CO) being fed standard rat chow was included. Results: The plasma α-tocopherol concentration was higher in the O2 carrot-based diet group than in the C carrot based-diet group in one year, while all other health biomarkers or nutrient content differences were observed between the CO diet and the carrot-based diets. Conclusion: This well-controlled field study demonstrated no clear influence of cultivation methods or harvest year on the nutritional quality of carrots or effect of cultivation methods on health-related biomarkers in a sensitive rat model. However, the experimental set-up and selected biomarkers could be used as a framework for further studies of health in relation to organic foodstuff.

AB - Background: Organic food is perceived as being of better quality and healthier than conventional foods although the scientific research on organic foodstuffs is highly contradictory. The aim of the present study was to investigate if intake of carrots from four different cultivation systems grown in two consecutive years would influence various biomarkers of health in a rat model. All rats were fed a diet with 40% carrot content. The carrots were grown under conventional (C), 'minimalistic' organic (O1), organic (O2), or 'very' organic cultivation systems (O3). A control group (CO) being fed standard rat chow was included. Results: The plasma α-tocopherol concentration was higher in the O2 carrot-based diet group than in the C carrot based-diet group in one year, while all other health biomarkers or nutrient content differences were observed between the CO diet and the carrot-based diets. Conclusion: This well-controlled field study demonstrated no clear influence of cultivation methods or harvest year on the nutritional quality of carrots or effect of cultivation methods on health-related biomarkers in a sensitive rat model. However, the experimental set-up and selected biomarkers could be used as a framework for further studies of health in relation to organic foodstuff.

U2 - 10.1002/jsfa.5705

DO - 10.1002/jsfa.5705

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 22538636

SN - 0022-5142

VL - 92

SP - 2936

EP - 2943

JO - Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture

JF - Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture

IS - 15

ER -