CAROTENOID

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does carotenoid mean? 

• CAROTENOID (noun)
  The noun CAROTENOID has 1 sense:

1. any of a class of highly unsaturated yellow to red pigments occurring in plants and animals

  Familiarity information: CAROTENOID used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CAROTENOID (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any of a class of highly unsaturated yellow to red pigments occurring in plants and animals

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("carotenoid" is a kind of...):

antioxidant (substance that inhibits oxidation or inhibits reactions promoted by oxygen or peroxides)

phytochemical (a chemical substance obtained from plants that is biologically active but not nutritive)

pigment (dry coloring material (especially a powder to be mixed with a liquid to produce paint, etc.))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "carotenoid"):

carotene (yellow or orange-red fat-soluble pigments in plants)

lycopene (carotenoid that makes tomatoes red; may lower the risk of prostate cancer)

beta-carotene (an isomer of carotene that is found in dark green and dark yellow fruits and vegetables)

lutein; xanthophyl; xanthophyll (yellow carotenoid pigments in plants and animal fats and egg yolks)

zeaxanthin (yellow carotenoid (isomeric with lutein and occurs widely with it) that is the main pigment in yellow Indian corn)

 Context examples 

Some carotenoids are changed into vitamin A in the body and some are being studied in the prevention of cancer.

(Carotenoid, NCI Dictionary)

Phytofluene is a colorless precursor of many carotenoids, including the antioxidant lycopene.

(Carbon C 13 Phytofluene, NCI Thesaurus)

The researchers studied the evolution of the pathways by which birds convert dietary carotenoids into molecules necessary for everything from vision to the immune system to feather pigmentation.

(Colorful bird feathers offer evolutionary clues, National Science Foundation)

Carotenoids are pigments found in green, yellow, and leafy vegetables, and yellow fruits.

(Carotenoid, NCI Thesaurus)

In plants, it is elementary in the formation of isoprenoids, fat-soluble vitamins, carotenoids and related pigments.

(Isoprene, NCI Thesaurus)

Class of carotenoids that have no vitamin A activity and cannot be converted to retinol.

(Nonprovitamin A Carotenoid, NCI Thesaurus/CRCH)

Carotenoid which is a terpene assembled from 8 isoprene units.

(Lycopene, NCI Thesaurus/CRCH)

In animals, carotenoids such as lycopene may possess antioxidant properties which may retard aging and many degenerative diseases.

(Lycopene, NCI Thesaurus)

Lutein (LOO-teen) is a oxygenated carotenoid found in vegetables and fruits. lutein is found in the macula of the eye, where it is believed to act as a yellow filter.

(Lutein, NCI Thesaurus)

A 40-carbon hydrocarbon precursor of carotenoids radiolabeled to carbon C 13 and potentially used for tracer purposes of phytoene in vivo.

(Carbon C 13 Phytoene, NCI Thesaurus)