Xanthophylls in Foods: What They Are, How to Use Them with Carotenes, and Their Function (2025)

Xanthophylls are a type of pigment that gives plants a yellow color. They are a type of natural chemical compound, formerly called phylloxanthins.

Xanthophylls are a subgroup of carotenoids, well-known and studied antioxidants.

Contents

  • 1 What are xanthophylls
  • 2 Function
  • 3 Types of Xanthophylls
  • 4 Carotenes and Xanthophylls
  • 5 Color
  • 6 Foods
  • 7 Uses
  • 8 Side Effects
  • 9 References

What are xanthophylls

They correspond to the natural pigments of plants, acting as natural dyes with the code E-161, authorized by the European Union and the FDA as a food coloring.
Xanthophylls in Foods: What They Are, How to Use Them with Carotenes, and Their Function (1)
The chemical structure of xanthophylls is formed by one or several oxygen atoms, along with carbon and hydrogen within each molecule.

In plants, xanthophylls are found in the chromoplasts of plant cells, and they can be observed due to their coloration in the leaves.

Function

  • Photosynthetic action.
  • Pigmentation.
  • Antioxidant.

The photosynthetic function of xanthophylls serves to absorb photons of light and thus allow spectral quantum efficiency, enabling light to be absorbed and used as energy for plants, facilitating the conversion of inorganic substrate matter, the soil where the plant lives, into organic matter for use as nutrients.
The pigmentation characteristic or function serves to color the leaves, producing a change in color towards yellow, brownish tones, and orangish hues.

Xanthophylls are pigments more resistant to oxidation than chlorophyll.

There are several classes of the xanthophyll group, and below we indicate and explain each of them.

Types of Xanthophylls

  • Astaxanthin (E-161j).
  • Lutein (E-161b).
  • Zeaxanthin (E-161h).
  • Canthaxanthin (E-161g).
  • Beta-Cryptoxanthin (E161c).
  • Flavoxanthin (E-161a).
  • Rubixanthin (E-161d).
  • Violaxanthin (E161-e).
  • Rodoxanthin (E-161f).

Carotenes and Xanthophylls

Both types of natural chemical compounds are related since xanthophylls are an oxygenated derivative of carotenoids.
Xanthophylls in Foods: What They Are, How to Use Them with Carotenes, and Their Function (2)
The differences between carotenes and xanthophylls are that the latter do not have activity as vitamin A, except for beta-cryptoxanthin, which is a type of xanthophyll that does act as vitamin A when broken down and metabolized by the human body.

Beta-cryptoxanthin has twice the effects as vitamin A compared to beta-carotenes.

Color

The predominant color is yellow, although in some situations, they can provide orange and even brownish tones.
In plants, the color of xanthophylls is yellow, which can be masked by the green color of chlorophyll. It is not possible to differentiate if the plant possesses any xanthophyll since the green of chlorophyll remains visible.

Xanthophylls in Foods: What They Are, How to Use Them with Carotenes, and Their Function (3)
The light not absorbed by chlorophyll is captured by xanthophylls, and like the rest of the pigments, the final color expressed is due to the wavelength reflected, in this case, in a range of 560 to 585 nanometers.

In animals, xanthophylls can express other types of colors such as blues and greens in crustaceans. This occurs due to the presence of other pigments that, like in plants, have greater predominance, hiding the original hue of the animal xanthophyll, or because the pigment is bound to a protein, at which point the visible color changes.

As a curiosity, when the temperature increases, the bond between xanthophylls and proteins breaks, causing a color change in crustaceans when cooked.

Foods

  • Egg yolk (lutein).
  • Salmon (astaxanthin).
  • Crustacean exoskeleton (canthaxanthin).
  • Annatto.
  • Alfalfa.
  • Spirulina algae.
  • Chlorella sp. algae.
  • Chili pepper.
  • Chinese carnation or Marigold flower.
  • Cabbage
  • Corn.
  • Mango
  • Paprika or Spanish paprika.
  • Peppers.

Foods with xanthophylls are those we have indicated and can serve as an example, however, it is also possible to find other natural products to which pigments have been added to enhance their color and thus increase their commercial presentation.
Xanthophylls in Foods: What They Are, How to Use Them with Carotenes, and Their Function (4)
Cases are known where xanthophylls are used as food additive E161 to feed farmed trout and salmon.

At the same time, it is also quite common to include xanthophyll feed in the diet of hens, chickens, and poultry to make the meat more orangish and, therefore, more appealing to the human eye.

In some cases, it is used as a substitute for paprika since many xanthophylls have greater stability to changes.

The type of E-161 dye varies depending on the type of animal, always being mixed with the food.

Uses

There are several applications and uses of xanthophylls, although their predominant use is as a natural dye. In the case of canthaxanthin, it is used as a chemical dye since this compound is obtained through chemical synthesis.
In addition to this, xanthophylls are used for:

  • Manufacturing tablets for quick tanning.
  • Use as natural antioxidants.
  • Enhancing food color.
  • Protecting against sunlight.

The use as products for quick tanning or for the production of tanning tablets is not recommended due to possible side effects, as explained in the following section.
However, due to their antioxidant effects, the use of some xanthophylls is frequent as they inhibit damage from free radicals, playing an anti-aging role in humans. They protect against cellular DNA damage, reducing the formation of cancer cells and malignant tumors, as well as slowing down the incidence of cardiovascular diseases and macular degeneration with the use of some xanthophylls.

Additionally, this type of pigment is commonly used as a food additive for fish and poultry, serving to enhance the color of foods such as the meat of chickens, trout, and salmon.

It should be noted that all these uses must always comply with the restrictions indicated by the Ministry of Health and Consumption or the authorized body of each country where xanthophyll is to be used.

Side Effects

  • Ocular pigmentation.
  • Carotenemia.

The side effects of xanthophylls are rare, although some ocular problems have been detected due to overdosing in certain individuals.
The use of tanning pills has caused changes in retinal pigmentation, resulting in vision damage, which is why using these types of pigments to improve skin tone is not recommended.

Regarding side effects in foods, specific legislation was enacted in the United States to prevent these cases, where a dose greater than 30 mg/0.45 kg is not allowed. In this way, possible health risks that pigments could pose to humans consuming foods with xanthophylls, which have been manipulated to enhance their color, are avoided.

In Spain, xanthophylls have also been regulated, and they can be used as colorants in certain foods, always complying with the indicated quantities and not exceeding restrictions.

In the case of side effects called carotenemia or carotenosis, they occur when there is a too high dose over a prolonged period, resulting in a change in skin coloration. People with carotenemia from excessive consumption of antioxidants of the xanthophyll class notice how their skin turns yellow, especially the palms of the hands and feet, a side effect that disappears after several weeks of stopping consumption, reversing no other problem than the cutaneous appearance. It is also possible to occur by taking other antioxidants in excess.

References

  • Boey Peng, Akihiko Nagaoa, Junji Terao. «Antioxidant activity of xanthophylls on peroxyl radical-mediated phospholipid peroxidation«
  • Burns, J., Fraser, P.D. and Bramley, P.M. (2003). «Identification and quantification of carotenoids, tocopherols and chlorophylls in commonly consumed fruits and vegetables«. Phytochemistry 62.
  • Matthews, S.J., Ross, N.W., Lall, S.P. and Gill, T.A. (2006) «Astaxanthin binding protein in atlantic salmon«. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B: Biochemistry & molecular biology 114.
  • Piccaglia, , Marotti, M. and Grande, S. (1998) «Lutein and lutein ester content in different types of Tagetes patula and T. erecta. Industrial Crops and Products«.
  • Maoka, , Fujiwara, Y., Hashimoto, K., Takeda, S., Takaragaki, S. and Ida, K. (2000). «A new retro-carotenoid from the petals of the californian yelow poppy Eschscholtzia californica«. Journal of Natural Products.
  • Valandon, L.R.G. and Mummery, R.S. (1967) «Carotenoids of certain compositae flowers«. Phytochemistry.
  • Chemistry and Biochemistry of Marine Food Products.
  • Regulation (EC) No 880/2004 of the Commission, of 29 April 2004, European Union.
  • Food And Drugs, Chapter I – Food And Drug Administration Department of Health And Human Servies Suchapter A.
  • Nicholas J.Millera, Julia Sampsona, Luis P.Candeias, Peter M.Bramley Catherine A. Rice-Evans. «Antioxidant activities of carotenes and xanthophylls«.
  • Krishna K. Niyogi, Olle Björkman, and Arthur R. Grossman. «The roles of specific xanthophylls in photoprotection«. 1997.
  • Prakash Bhosale, Paul S. Bernstein. «Microbial xanthophylls«.
Xanthophylls in Foods: What They Are, How to Use Them with Carotenes, and Their Function (2025)

References

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