What are Carotenoids?
Carotenoids are pigments produced by plants.
Animals do not possess genes encoding enzymes necessary for carotenoid biosynthesis. So they need to obtain carotenoids from their diet.
These act as antioxidants because of having a highly conjugated double bond system. This allows them to donate an electron to reactive oxygen species (ROS) without becoming free radicals themselves.
This distinct molecular structure also has specific wavelengths of light that they absorb – namely blue light – to give photoprotection as well.5
