Carotenoids

Carotenoid pigments provide fruits and flowers with distinctive red, orange and yellow colours as well as a number of aromas, which make them commercially important in agriculture, food, health and the cosmetic industries. Carotenoids comprise a large family of C40 polyenes that are critical for the survival of plants and animals alike. ß-carotene and its derivatives contain unmodified ß-ionone groups, which serve as precursors for vitamin A and are therefore essential dietary components for mammals. Significant progress has been made towards producing staple food crops with elevated provitamin A carotenoids, an important first step in alleviating worldwide vitamin A deficiency. Recent insights into the regulatory processes that control carotenoid composition and content may further advance biofortification projects.