Skip to content
zeaxanthin

Structure via PubChem · Public domain (PubChem)

EntityQ169337· pop 33· linked from 294 articles

zeaxanthin

Sign in to save

Also known as anchovyxanthin, (3R,3'R)-dihydroxy-beta,beta-carotene, beta,beta-carotene-3,3'-diol, all-trans-beta-carotene-3,3'-diol, (1R)-4-[(1E,3E,5E,7E,9E,11E,13E,15E,17E)-18-[(4R)-4-hydroxy-2,6,6-trimethylcyclohex-1-en-1-yl]-3,7,12,16-tetramethyloctadeca-1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17-nonaen-1-yl]-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohex-3-en-1-ol, (3R,3'R)-Zeaxanthin, All-trans-Zeaxanthin, All-trans-Anchovyxanthin

Zeaxanthin is one of the most common carotenoids in nature, and is used in the xanthophyll cycle. Synthesized in plants and some micro-organisms, it is the pigment that gives paprika (made from red sweet peppers), corn, saffron, goji (wolfberries), and many other plants and microbes their characteristic color.

Chemical data

Formula
C40H56O2
Molecular weight
568.9 g/mol
IUPAC name
(1R)-4-[(1E,3E,5E,7E,9E,11E,13E,15E,17E)-18-[(4R)-4-hydroxy-2,6,6-trimethylcyclohexen-1-yl]-3,7,12,16-tetramethyloctadeca-1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17-nonaenyl]-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohex-3-en-1-ol
SMILES
CC1=C(C(C[C@@H](C1)O)(C)C)/C=C/C(=C/C=C/C(=C/C=C/C=C(/C=C/C=C(/C=C/C2=C(C[C@H](CC2(C)C)O)C)\C)\C)/C)/C
InChIKey
JKQXZKUSFCKOGQ-QAYBQHTQSA-N
XLogP
10.9
Polar surface area
40.5 Ų
H-bond donors
2
H-bond acceptors
2
Formal charge
0

via PubChem

Wikidata facts

Subclass of
carotenoid
Has part
carbon
Mass
568.428031
Show 6 more facts
found in taxon
Vitis vinifera
chemical formula
C₄₀H₅₆O₂
canonical SMILES
CC1=C(C(CC(C1)O)(C)C)C=CC(=CC=CC(=CC=CC=C(C)C=CC=C(C)C=CC2=C(CC(CC2(C)C)O)C)C)C
isomeric SMILES
CC1=C(C(C[C@@H](C1)O)(C)C)/C=C/C(=C/C=C/C(=C/C=C/C=C(/C=C/C=C(/C=C/C2=C(C[C@H](CC2(C)C)O)C)\C)\C)/C)/C
Commons category
Zeaxanthin
subject has role
primary metabolite
Sources (5)

via Wikidata · CC0

~7 min read

Encyclopedic overview

5 sections
Contents
  • Isomers and macular uptake
  • Relationship with diseases of the eye
  • Natural occurrence
  • Safety
  • References

Zeaxanthin is one of the most common carotenoids in nature, and is used in the xanthophyll cycle. Synthesized in plants and some micro-organisms, it is the pigment that gives paprika (made from red sweet peppers), corn, saffron, goji (wolfberries), and many other plants and microbes their characteristic color.

The name (pronounced ''zee-uh-zan'-thin) is derived from Zea mays (common yellow maize corn, in which zeaxanthin provides the primary yellow pigment), plus xanthos, the Greek word for "yellow" (see xanthophyll).

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “zeaxanthin” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.