Diversity of carotenoid composition in flower petals

Abstract

Carotenoids are yellow, orange, and red pigments that are widely distributed in nature. In plants, carotenoids play important roles in photosynthesis and furnishing flowers and fruits with distinct colors. While most plant leaves show similar carotenoid profiles, containing carotenoids essential for photosynthesis, the carotenoid composition of flower petals varies from species to species. In this review, I present a list of carotenoid composition in the flower petals of various plants and discuss the possible causes of qualitative diversity.