Violaxanthin is a xanthophyll pigment with an orange color found in a variety of plants. Violaxanthin is the product of the epoxidation of zeaxanthin where the oxygen atoms are from reactive oxygen species (ROS). Such ROS's arise when a plant is subject to solar radiation so intense that the light cannot all be absorbed by the chlorophyll.
Food coloring Violaxanthin is used as a food coloring under the E number E161e and INS number 161e. The coloring is not approved for use in food in the EUUK Food Standards Agency: or the United States, but is allowed in Australia and New Zealand.Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code
Violaxanthin cycle Violaxanthin is a participant in the violaxanthin cycle.
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