Carotenoid pigments in plants

Plant pigments fall into three major groups: carotenoids chlorophylls and flavonoids. Plant carotenoids are responsible for the red, orange and yellow pigments found in fruits and roots such as tomatoes, red peppers, pumpkins and carrots.

Carotenoids pigments are hydrocarbon chains with 40 carbon atoms. They can be seen in the petals of many flowers and are the primary pigments responsible for the fall coloration of deciduous trees.

More than 450 carotenoids occur in nature. The carotenoids can be divided into two basic types:
*Carotene which contain no oxygen atoms
*Xanthophyll which does contain oxygen Heat affects the color of vegetables, most likely because it modifies the pigments’ chemical structure.

Vegetables containing β–carotenes should not be overheated, because this pigment not only contributes to color but can also be converted to vitamin A; therefore, its destruction would be doubly undesirably.
Carotenoid pigments in plants