TY - JOUR AU - NEAMTU, Gavrila AU - IRIMIE, Fl. PY - 1987/08/05 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - New natural carotenoid sources. I. Carotenoid pigments of Medicago sativa L. JF - Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca JA - Not Bot Horti Agrobo VL - 17 IS - 1 SE - Research Articles DO - 10.15835/nbha171240 UR - https://www.notulaebotanicae.ro/index.php/nbha/article/view/240 SP - 93-98 AB - <p>The carotenoid content of <em>Medicago sativa</em> L. harvested in May (1985) at Cluj-Napoca, Romania, have been studied. The main carotenoid pigments found were lutein and b-carotine followed, in decreasing order, by violoxanthine, cryptoxanthine, neoxanthine, zeaxanthine and neo-b-carotine. There was a high content of carotenoids with provitaminic structure (45,9%), and that of b-iononic structure, but a low content in epoxids and zeaxanthine. Only bicyclic carotenoids of alfa and beta fenonic structures have been found in stems and leaves. Due to the high biomass yield, <em>Medicago sativa</em> L. seems suitable for industrial carotenoid production, too.</p> ER -