Caroteno

A natural orange-yellow colorant widely distributed as pigments in plants and animals and converted in the livers of many animals into vitamin A. In plants, carotenes impart yellow, orange, or red colors to flowers (e.g., dandelion, marigold), fruits (e.g., pumpkin, apricot), and roots (e.g., carrot, sweet potato). In animals they are visible in fats (e.g., butter), egg yolks, feathers (e.g., canary), and shells (e.g., lobster). These pigments are unsaturated hydrocarbons (having many double bonds), belonging to the isoprenoid series. Carotene occurs naturally in three isomeric forms, the most common being beta-carotene. As a colorant, it is sensitive to light and air; soluble in fats, oils and other substances, insoluble in water.