In the present study the effect of cyclodextrin-encapsulated b-carotene on bovine luteal
cell steroidogenesis has been investigated. Previous studies on the effects of b-carotene on
steroidogenesis have been confounded either because HDL was used as a carrier for the
b-carotene and the HDL itself contained some b-carotene and other substances such as
cholesterol (Ribaya-Mercado et al., 1993) or because the organic solvents used to solubilise
the b-carotene themselves have effects on steroid production (Yu and Quinn, 1994; Gross
et al., 1997). In this study cyclodextrin was, therefore, used as an alternative approach to deliver
b-carotene to the luteal cells. Cyclodextrins consist of glucose molecules polymerised
156 S. Arikan, R.G. Rodway / Animal Reproduction Science 64 (2000) 149–160 ¸
to form a cage-like structure that holds substances such as b-carotene in aqueous solution