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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Ithaca, New York » Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture & Health » Plant, Soil and Nutrition Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #330289
Title: Carotenoid metabolism and regulation in horticultural crops

Author
item YUAN, HUI - Cornell University
item ZHANG, JUNXIANG - Cornell University
item NAGESWARAN, DIVYA - Cornell University
item Li, Li

Submitted to: Horticulture Research
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/11/2015
Publication Date: 11/26/2015
Citation: Yuan, H., Zhang, J., Nageswaran, D., Li, L. 2015. Carotenoid metabolism and regulation in horticultural crops. Horticulture Research. 8:68-82.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Carotenoids are a diverse group of pigments widely distributed in nature. The vivid yellow, orange, and red colors in many horticultural crops attribute to overaccumulation of carotenoids, which contribute to a critical agronomic trait for flowers and an important quality trait for fruits and vegetables. Carotenoids not only give the horticultural crops their visual appeal, but also enhance their nutrition and health benefits to humans. As a result, an exponential growth on carotenoid research in horticultural crops has been observed over the last decade. These investigations advance our fundamental understanding of carotenoid metabolism and regulation in plants. In this review, we provide an overview of carotenoid biosynthesis, degradation, and accumulation in horticultural crops, and highlight recent achievements on our understanding of regulation of carotenoid metabolism in vegetables, fruits, and flowers.