Carotenoid

Pronunciation

Definition 1

A yellow, red, or orange substance found mostly in plants, including carrots, sweet potatoes, dark green leafy vegetables, and many fruits, grains, and oils. Some carotenoids are changed into vitamin A in the body and some are being studied in the prevention of cancer. A carotenoid is a type of antioxidant and a type of provitamin. (NCI Dictionary)

Definition 2

A class of hydrocarbons (carotenes) and their oxygenated derivatives which exhibit chemopreventive properties. Carotenoids are pigments found in green, yellow, and leafy vegetables, and yellow fruits. The pigments are fat-soluble, unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons functioning as provitamins and are converted to vitamin A through enzymatic processes in the intestinal wall. (NCI Thesaurus)

Definition 3

Class of compounds usually consisting of a hydrocarbon chain of 40 carbons, nine conjugated double bonds, and one or two cyclic structures at the ends of the conjugated chain. (NCI Thesaurus/CRCH)

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