A project to investigate the effects of carrot and other polyacetylene-rich vegetable consumption on biomarkers of chronic disease risk

Epidemiological studies have found a negative correlation between carrot consumption and cancer risk, which was initially thought to be due to carotenes. However, dietary supplementation with carotenes alone did not substantiate this observation. Other bioactive compounds such as polyacetylenes (PA), found in some root vegetables including carrots may be contributing to the health promoting effects of these vegetables. In vitro data suggest that PA have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory actions. This research aims to investigate the effects of a dietary intervention with PA-containing vegetables on biomarkers of chronic disease risk. The objectives of this study are (i) to estimate intake of PA-rich vegetables using diet diary data from the '85+ Study' and investigate associations between consumption of PA-rich vegetables and various biomarkers of human health; (ii) to measure PA content of those foods commonly eaten in the same population and investigate associations between PA intake and the human health biomarkers; (iii) to investigate the effects of preparation of the vegetables, including cooking and delivery methods, on PA content and bio-accessibility, using in vitro digestion; (iv) to determine bioavailability of PA and establish the doses of PA-rich vegetables required to achieve biologically relevant concentrations in humans in vivo; and finally (v) to undertake a randomized dietary intervention trial with PA-rich vegetables to determine the effects on markers of DNA damage and chronic inflammation.