* Phase I & Phase II supplementation periods  occurred 12 weeks apart.

Serum Vitamin A Levels (mg/dl)

Treatment	Baseline	Day 14	Change
bb-Carotene+ placebo	66.0 + 11.5	65.1 + 10.2	-0.9 + 2.4
b-Carotene+ Bioperine®	65.2 + 11.9	65.0 + 10.6	-0.2 + 2.1

Comparisons (baseline vs. Day 14, placebo vs. Bioperine^® at Day 14, placebo vs. Bioperine^® change at Day 14) indicated no statistically significant differences.

Serum b-Carotene levels (mg/dl)

Treatment	Baseline	Day 14	Change
b-Carotene+ placebo	16.3 + 2.6	47.2 + 6.4	30.9 + 5.4
b-Carotene+ Bioperine®	16.0 + 3.1	65.8 + 9.7	49.8 + 9.6

Comparisons (baseline vs. day 14, placebo vs. Bioperine^®at Day 14, placebo vs. Bioperine^® change at Day 14) indicated statistically significant differences (all p<0.0001)

Serum  b-Carotene AUC Levels at Day 14

Treatment	AUC ug/dl/day	% Difference
b-Carotene+ placebo	272.0  + 47.6	----
b-Carotene+ Bioperine®	435.2 + 74.2	160

Comparison of AUC indicated a statistically significant difference (p<0.0001).

Figure 1. Effect of Bioperine® on the mean serum b-Carotene levels during a 14 day supplementation trial.

Summary

The relative bioavailability of b -carotene is improved during a 14 day supplementation trail when it is ingested with Bioperine®