Table 1.

β-Apo-carotenoid levels in livers of WT mice versus Bco1^−/− mice

	Chow			BC (1 mg)
	WT mice, pmol/g tissue	Bco1−/− mice, pmol/g tissue	P value	WT mice, pmol/g tissue	Bco1−/− mice, pmol/g tissue	P value
β-13-Carotenone	11.4 ± 7.2	4.6 ± 4.0	0.12	47.5 ± 63.7	59.9 ± 36.0	0.72
β-Apo-14′-carotenal	2,870 ± 390	1,178 ± 137	0.0002***	17,720 ± 3,575	18,010 ± 7,483	0.95
β-Apo-14′-carotenoic acid	504 ± 87	392 ± 115	0.17	580 ± 149	438 ± 214	0.31
β-Apo-12′-carotenal	16.3 ± 2.4	17.1 ± 3.0	0.70	3,210 ± 682	3,456 ± 582	0.58
β-Apo-12′-carotenoic acid	253 ± 29	179 ± 19	0.002**	200 ± 27	204 ± 41	0.84
β-Apo-10′-carotenal	15.6 ± 4.0	19.4 ± 5.9	0.31	2,489 ± 593	2,203 ± 407	0.42
β-Apo-10′-carotenoic acid	22.2 ± 5.9	28.9 ± 5.7	0.13	337 ± 83	242 ± 69	0.11
β-Apo-8′-carotenal	57.7 ± 8.5	49.6 ± 6.5	0.15	487 ± 117	378 ± 90	0.16
β-Apo-8′-carotenoic acid	56.3 ± 12	41.9 ± 13.7	0.17	491 ± 73	388 ± 154	0.28

Concentrations of compounds are provided as means ± SD.

WT mice, wild-type mice; Bco1^−/− mice, β-carotene-15,15′-dioxygenase-deficient mice; BC, β-carotene.

Significantly different from the corresponding concentration in WT mice:

^**P < 0.01, and

^***P < 0.005.