Carotenoids

What Does Carotenoids Mean?

Carotenoids, also referred to as tetraterpenoids, are organic-based pigments produced by some plants, various algae, and some bacteria or fungi. The wavelengths of carotenoids produce yellow, orange, or red hues. About 15-30 percent of autumn color is the result of carotenoids.

Carotenoids are a class of bioactive compounds. A bioactive compound is any compound present in the foods of humans, animals, or plants that has an effect on the organism consuming it.

Maximum Yield Explains Carotenoids

Carotenoids can be the product of fats or other organic metabolic mechanisms. They are also produced by aphids and spider mites, the only two known animals known to produce them.

There are around 600 different types of carotenoids that we know of that are divided into two classes: those that produce oxygen, and those that don’t.

The most known of the carotenoids is carotene, which is found in carrots. This is what is responsible for their bright orange color. Dried carrots have the highest amount of carotene of any other food per 100 gram serving.

Carotenoids from food sources are also stored in the fatty tissues of animals.

Carotenoids can also act as antioxidants and are believed to have cancer-fighting properties, according to some medical organizations. They can also be converted into vitamin A, which helps support healthy vision and overall growth.

Carotenoids serve important roles in plants and algae, as they absorb light energy for use in photosynthesis, and they also protect chlorophyll from photo damage.