A liposoluble (fat soluble) pigment name as cartonoids is responsible to give color like yellow,orange and red to several fruits and vegetables.These compounds are precursors to vitamin A and body convert them into active form of vitamin A (retinol). Those cartonoids have pro-vitamin A activity, like α-carotene, β-carotene and cryptoxanthin. The structural requirement is satisfied by β-carotenoids.These carotenoids are further subdivided into two classes: carotenes containing C and L(i.e., α-carotene, β-carotene, lycopene) and oxygenated derivatives known as xanthophylls (lutein, violaxanthin, zeaxanthin).In plants carotenoids perform the function related to light capture spectrum of blue and green light and transfer to the center of chlorophyll.

Types

β-carotene: This is the most common and actively converting beta-carotene into retinol, a potent antioxidant, typically found in colorful fruits and vegetables e.g. carrots, sweet potatoes, and spinach.

α-carotene: This is another form of pro-vitamin A found in foods like carrots and pumpkins. It is less efficiently converted to vitamin A than beta-carotene.

β-cryptoxanthin: β-cryptoxanthin enriched fruits such as oranges, tangerines, and papayas, and is also converted into retinol by the body, though to a lesser extent.

Role of Pro-vitamin A

Pro-vitamin A plays a crucial role in human health conditions and performing functions such as;

• vision
• cell division and differentiation
• bone development
• reproduction

Deficiency of pro-vitamin A leads to:
Pro-vitamin A deficiency is most frequently found in populations having diets exclusively on a single starch based crop as stipple food.Vitamin A deficiency is estimated to affect all ages group and every individual.

• night blindness or the inability to see in low/dim light
• abnormal lung development and respiratory diseases (such as pneumonia)
•  risk of infections increase

Vegetables that supply useful amounts of carotene

• pumpkin
• carrots
• spinach
• tomato
• pepper
• squash

Fruits enriched source of pro-vitamin A are;

• Mango
• cantaloupe
• papaya
• guava
• apricot
• plum
• watermelon

Caution to intake pro-vitamin A

A healthy and varied diet will provide enough vitamin along with its antioxidant properties.Food is the best source of vitamin A as it gives more effective and better absorption.