Targetes erecta marigolds with altered carotenoid compositions and ratios
AssigneeBall Horticultural Company
InventorsRandal Hauptmann, Blair L. Winner, Alan Blowers, Cheryl M. Smyser
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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 zeaxanthin ratio, an enhanced neoxanthin plus violaxanthin ratio, an enhanced β-carotene ratio, an enhanced α-cryptoxanthin ratio, an enhanced phytoene ratio or an enhanced phytofluene ratio relative to that ratio in a non-mutant marigold. The flower petals of such a plant also typically contain zeta-carotene that is not normally found in such petals. Also disclosed are methods of preparing such plants, oleoresins and comestible materials that have such carotenoid ratios.
Claims37
Tagetes erecta flower petals, leaves or both flower petals and leaves that contain one or more of a zeaxanthin ratio greater than about 1:10, a neoxanthin plus violaxanthin ratio of about 1:5 (0.2) to about 1:1, a β-carotene ratio of about 0.05 to about 0.9 for flower petals and about one for leaves, an α-cryptoxanthin ratio of about 0.25 to about 0.9, a phytoene ratio of about 0.3 to about 1 or a phytofluene ratio of about 0.2 to about 1, wherein the xanthophylls are assayed as alcohols, the plant that produced said petals or leaves having petals that contain a measurable amount of zeta-carotene.
Tagetes erecta flower petals that contain a ratio of zeaxanthin to zeaxanthin plus lutein of greater than about 2:10, said zeaxanthin and lutein being present in the petals as fatty acid esters that are assayed as alcohols after saponification.
A Tagetes erecta plant or regenerable portion thereof, whose flower petals, leaves or both flower petals and leaves contain one or more of a zeaxanthin ratio greater than about 1:10, neoxanthin plus violaxanthin ratio of about 1:5 to about 1:1, a β-carotene ratio of about 0.05 to about 0.9 for flower petals and about one for leaves, an α-cryptoxanthin ratio of about 0.25 to about 0.9, a phytoene ratio of about 0.3 to about 1 or a phytofluene ratio of about 0.2 to about 1, wherein the xanthophylls are assayed as alcohols, the plant that produced said petals or leaves having petals that contain a measurable amount of zeta-carotene.
A Tagetes erecta plant or regenerable portion thereof, whose flower petals, leaves or both flower petals and leaves contain a ratio of zeaxanthin to zeaxanthin plus lutein of greater than about 2:10, said zeaxanthin and lutein being present in the petals as fatty acid esters that are assayed as alcohols after saponification.
A Tagetes erecta plant or regenerable portion thereof whose flower petals exhibit a ratio of α-cryptoxanthin to α-cryptoxanthin plus lutein when assayed as alcohols after saponification that is about 0.25 to about 0.9.
An oleoresin of a Tagetes erecta, having one or more of a zeaxanthin ratio greater than about 1:10, neoxanthin plus violaxanthin ratio of about 1:5 to about 1:1, a β-carotene ratio of about 0.05 to about 0.9 for flower petals and about one for leaves, an α-cryptoxanthin ratio of about 0.25 to about 0.9, a phytoene ratio of about 0.3 to about 1 or a phytofluene ratio of about 0.2 to about 1.
Tagetes erecta flower petals that contain colored carotenoids comprised of about 20 to about 40 percent α-cryptoxanthin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.