*Provitamin A carotenoids(carotenes) such as α-carotene, β-carotene, and γ-carotene; and *Oxygenated carotenoids(xanthophylls) such as β-cryptoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, violaxanthin, antheraxanthin, auroxanthin, and neoxanthin.
Xanthophylls are found in all young leaves and in etiolated leaves. They have oxygen molecule extra in addition to carbon and hydrogen, are termed xanthophylls.
Carotenoid composition and concentration in fruits is influenced by genetic and environmental factors, such as: cultivar, maturity, climate, geographic area, processing and storage.
During early in ripening xanthophylls are predominant. During later in ripening β, α, ζ, and γ-carotenes are predominant.
The major xanthophyll present in the unripe mango was mutatoxanthin (9.44%), whereas auroxanthin constituted the major hydroxylated carotenoid of the partially ripe (5.07%) and fully ripe (10.40%) mangoes.
In human body xanthophylls are exclusively transported intact through the blood via lipoproteins and are taken up by tissues via membrane-bound lipid transporters. Very small amounts of the cleavage products of lutein and zeaxanthin are present in human plasma and are called “apocarotenoids”.
Xanthophylls in mangoes
