Plant hues: decoding the apocarotenoid color palette

Clicks: 3
ID: 323028
2026
Free PDF
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score — reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal

Ranked #96 of 280 articles by views in Journal of experimental botany

Most read Least read

Bar heights use a square-root scale. Only the 120 most-read articles are drawn; the journal has 280 in total.

Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet minted

Create a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.

5 SUSD one-off · no wallet required
Sign in to mint
Abstract
Apocarotenoids are a structurally diverse group of specialized metabolites produced by oxidative cleavage of carotenoids, which perform important physiological, ecological, and interspecific communication roles in plants. Pigmented apocarotenoids form a distinctive yet insufficiently explored subgroup within this class. This review critically resumes current knowledge on apocarotenoid pigments, emphasizing their organ specific distribution, the biosynthetic pathways controlling their accumulation, and their adaptive significance. Particular attention is devoted to carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs), the key enzymes driving their formation, including their substrate specificity and tissue dependent activity. Selected case studies focus on ethnobotanically relevant species, in which these pigments contribute to pollinator attraction, tolerance to abiotic and biotic stress, and possible allelopathic interactions. Traditional applications as natural colorants, food ingredients, and nutraceuticals are also considered. Interestingly, several neglected species produce rare apocarotenoids with potential industrial value but remain still poorly characterized. Because functional data are still fragmentary for many taxa, deeper characterization of these compounds represents a promising avenue for understanding the evolution of specialized metabolism and for advancing applications in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Similarly, identification of regulatory networks and biosynthetic enzymes is essential to enable sustainable biotechnological production of high value apocarotenoids in heterologous systems through targeted metabolic engineering strategies.
Reference Key
openalex_W7171815694 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Matteo Nava, Eleonora Fabene, Sarah Frusciante, Lourdes Gómez‐Gómez, Luca Santi, Olivia Costantina Demurtas, Gianfranco Diretto
Journal Journal of experimental botany
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/jxb/erag372
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erag372
Keywords Keywords not found

Citations

No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.