Tagetes erecta marigolds with altered carotenoid compositions and ratios
AssigneeBall Horticultural Company
InventorsRandal Hauptmann, Blair L. Winner, Alan Blowers
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Abstract
A marigold plant, a regenerable portion thereof and seed are disclosed whose flower petals, leaves or flower petals and leaves contain one or more of an enhanced neoxanthin plus violaxanthin ratio, an enhanced β-carotene ratio, an enhanced lycopene ratio, an enhanced α-cryptoxanthin ratio, an enhanced phytoene ratio or an enhanced phytofluene ratio relative to that ratio in a non-mutant marigold. Also disclosed are methods of preparing such plants, oleoresins and comestible materials that have such carotenoid ratios.
Claims56
Marigold flower petals, leaves or both flower petals and leaves that contain one or more of an enhanced neoxanthin plus violaxanthin ratio, an enhanced β-carotene ratio, an enhanced lycopene ratio, an enhanced α-cryptoxanthin ratio, an enhanced phytoene ratio or an enhanced phytofluene ratio compared to such a ratio present in the flower petals, leaves or both flower petals and leaves of a non-mutant marigold wherein the xanthophylls are assayed as alcohols.
A marigold plant or regenerable portion thereof, whose flower petals, leaves or both flower petals and leaves contain one or more of an enhanced neoxanthin plus violaxanthin ratio, an enhanced β-carotene ratio, an enhanced lycopene ratio, an enhanced α-cryptoxanthin ratio, an enhanced phytoene ratio or an enhanced phytofluene ratio compared to such a ratio present in the flower petals, leaves or both flower petals and leaves of a non-mutant marigold wherein the xanthophylls are assayed as alcohols.
A marigold plant or regenerable portion thereof whose flower petals exhibit an α-cryptoxanthin ratio that is about 0.25 to about 0.9.
A composition suitable for use as a food or feed supplement that comprises a comestible medium having dissolved or dispersed therein one or more marigold-derived pigments selected from the group consisting of neoxanthin plus violaxanthin, β-carotene, lycopene, α-cryptoxanthin, phytoene and phytofluene that are optionally mixed with lutein, wherein the ratio of any of the enumerated pigments present to lutein is greater than about 1:10.
A composition suitable for use as a food or feed supplement that comprises a mixture of marigold-derived fatty acid esters of lutein and one or more pigments selected from the group consisting of neoxanthin plus violaxanthin, β-carotene, lycopene, α-cryptoxanthin, phytoene and phytofluene dissolved or dispersed in a comestible medium, wherein the ratio of any of the enumerated pigments present to lutein is greater than about 1:10.
An oleoresin of a mutant marigold, said oleoresin having an enhanced lycopene ratio relative to an oleoresin from a non-mutant marigold.
An oleoresin of a mutant marigold, said oleoresin containing free, unesterified xanthophylls.
Marigold flower petals that contain colored carotenoids comprised of α-cryptoxanthin.
Marigold flower petals, leaves or both flower petals and leaves that are substantially free of lutein, and at least about one-half of whose carotenoids are comprised of zeaxanthin and β-carotene.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.