Carotenoids in plant food systems

Carotenoids of food of plant origin are plant pigments with biological activity and antioxidant properties, the bioavailability of which depends on mechanical and thermal processing and the presence of fats. Of the 40 carotenoids supplied with food, the main ones are carotenes - β- and α-carotenes, lycopene and xanthophylls - lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin. The article presents data on the content of various carotenoids in fresh vegetables, fruits and berries, published in recent years. Fresh vegetables contain more carotenoids than fruits and berries, but have low bioavailability. The main sources of carotenoids among vegetables are carrots, fruit and salad-spinach vegetables. Carrots are a source of carotenes (β- and α-carotene up to 58.4 and 40.4 %, respectively) with the maximum amount in orange carrots. Among fruit vegetables, tomatoes are a source of lycopene (86 %), pumpkin - beta-carotene (50-80 %), sweet and spicy red peppers - capsanthin (70 %) and capsorubin (10 %), orange peppers - zeaxanthin (85 %). Genetic engineering methods have been used to create varieties of tomatoes containing lycopene mainly in the trans-form (96 %), as well as with an increased content of zeaxanthin (50 %). Among salad-spinach vegetables, carotenoids predominate in spinach, arugula and watercress, mainly in the form of xanthophylls. Most fruits and berries are dominated by beta-carotene, regardless of their color, which can be masked by anthocyanins (hawthorn, rowan, cherry, rosehip, blueberry) or chlorophyll (green apples). The largest amount of carotenoids is contained in sea buckthorn, rosehip, and cloudberry. They can serve as a source of β-carotene, as well as lycopene (sea buckthorn, rosehip), rubiksanthin (rosehips).