Carotenoids

Carotenoids consist of a broad range of fat-soluble pigments that are mostly available in nature (more than 600 plant-based pigments). Carotenoids are red, yellow, and orange organic pigments, found in the cells of plants in addition to their biosynthesis in bacteria and microalgae. Carotenoids are found

Natural Main Types Main Examples of Sources Colorants Color				Basic Structure
Anthocyanins	Cyanidin	Reddish- orange	Apple, elderberry, blackberry, nectarine, plum, peach, red cabbage
	Delphinidin	Purple, blue	Grape, beans, eggplants
	Pelargonidin	Orange	Strawberry, red radishes, some beans
	Malvidin	Purple	Grape
	Peonidin	Purplish- red	Cranberries, blueberries, plums, grapes, cherries purple corn
	Petunidin	Dark-red or purple	Grape, red berries
Carotenoids	f-Carotene	Yellow-	Carrot, egg, orange, chicken fat
	Xanthophyll	orange	Vegetables, egg, chicken fat
	Zeaxanthin		Yellow corn, egg, liver
	Cryptoxanthin		Egg, yellow corn, orange
	Physalien		Asparagus, berries
	Bixin		Annatto seeds
	Lycopene		Tomato, pink grapefruit, palm oil
	Capsanthin		Paprika
	Astaxanthin		Lobster, shrimp, salmon

(Continued)

Natural Colorants	Main Types	Main Color	Examples of Sources	Basic Structure
Heme	Hemoglobin Myoglobin	Red- pink	Some good iron-based foods such as liver, red meat, shrimp, tofu, fortified breakfast cereals, oysters
Chlorophyll	Chlorophyll a	Green	Plants
	Chlorophyll b
	Chlorophyll c		Mostly plants
	Chlorophyll d and f		Various algae
			Cyanobacteria

in several dishes including eggs, fish, shell fish along with vegetables and fruits. The basic structure of carotenoids contains eight isoprenoid units. Carotenoids are classified into two major groups, namely, carotenes composed of hydrocarbons exposing a red-orange color and xanthophylls that contain oxygen within their structure and present the color yellow. (3-carotene and lycopene belong to carotenes and are water-insoluble compounds, while lutein and zeaxanthin are classified as xanthophylls (Britton, Liaaen-Jensen, & Pfander, 2009; Edge, McGarvey, & Truscott, 1997). The structures of several carotenoids, along with the foods containing these bioactive ingredients are indicated in Table 6.2. Carotenoids are normally stable ingredients against the harsh processing conditions as well as high temperature and pressure. Yet, the stability of carotenoids in foods is something that is not clear and may vary from stern loss to actual gain in carotenoid content during storage (Delgado-Vargas et al., 2000). The main factor which causes the degradation of carotenoids is oxidation. Oxygen is able to directly cleave the double bonds or to generate hydroperoxides during the lipid autoxidation process (Goodwin, 2012; Rao & Rao, 2007). Furthermore, carotenoids are proved to be efficient compounds for the prevention of a variety of lethal diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, eye problems, etc. (Johnson, 2002).