In the colorful nature, flavin in carotenoids is undoubtedly an eye-catching component. These bright yellow pigments are not only beautiful to look at, they are also critical to life processes, regulating light energy and protecting plants from UV damage. So, what exactly are these flavins? What role do they play in our diet and health?
Xanthophylls are yellow pigments widely found in nature and belong to a major classification of carotenoids. The name is derived from the Greek for "yellow leaves" due to the yellow bands they form during the early separation of leaf pigments. The flavin in plant leaves is mainly used to regulate light energy and may act as a non-photochemical quencher to deal with the trichloride produced during photosynthesis.
The other part of carotenoids is carotene, whose main feature is a more uniform orange glow than flavin. Flavins, because of their oxygen-containing structure, are more polar during chemical separations.
These pigments are most abundant in the leaves of green plants and mainly play a role in regulating energy during photosynthesis. The flavins in humans and other animals ultimately come from plant foods. For example, the yellow color of egg yolk is due to the addition of flavin, such as lutein, to the feed to enhance its color. At the same time, the yellow color of the macula lutea present in the human retina also comes from these flavins, which can effectively protect the eyes from blue light and ultraviolet damage.
Although flavin cannot be directly converted into the retina, its arrangement in the retina is thought to be responsible for the visual phenomenon of Haidinger's brush, which helps people recognize polarized light.
The flavin family includes a variety of compounds, such as lutein, zeaxanthin, radishin, etc. Among them, β-definant is the only flavin known to have precursor vitamin A activity, although this activity is only specific to herbivorous mammals that can convert it into the retina.
In the flavin cycle of plants, a variety of enzymes are involved to regulate its functions and maintain the balance of the photosynthetic process. During this process, some flavins can remove epoxy groups through enzymatic reactions to generate non-epoxidized flavins, which are critical for energy dissipation under light stress.
Common food sources of flavin for humans include dark green leafy vegetables, such as cabbage, spinach and coriander. The content of flavin in these foods is rich, even comparable to the flavin in many fruits and vegetables such as papaya, peaches, plums and pumpkins.
For example, 100 grams of fresh cabbage contains about 18 milligrams of lutein and zeaxanthin, while spinach contains about 11 milligrams and cilantro 6 milligrams. This undoubtedly provides a wealth of choices for consumers who wish to increase their flavin intake.
To sum up, flavin plays a vital role in nature, not only providing photosynthetic protection for plants, but also an important factor in maintaining human eye health. With the development of science, the understanding and application of these pigments will continue to deepen. In the future, you may be wondering, how to absorb these flavins more effectively through diet to achieve better health effects?