The carotenoids of the marigold, Tagetes erecta

Abstract

Pigments of Tagetes erecta petals have been separated by the use of multiple fractional extractions and thin-layer chromatography and analyzed by spectral methods. The petals showed a predominance of xanthophylls (98.7%) and only a small amount of carotenes. On the basis of absorption studies, lutein (64.1%), antheraxanthin (31.1 %), α-cryptoxanthin (3.1%), (β-carotene (0.6%), phytofluene (0.4%), and α-carotene (0.15%) have been characterized.