THE CHEMISTRY OF AUTUMN LEAF COLOURS

CHLOROPHYLL CAROTENOIDS & FLAVONOIDS CAROTENOIDS ANTHOCYANINS & CAROTENOIDS

OH OH
OH
HO
N N LUTEIN HO O+
ß-CAROTENE
A type of carotenoid A type of carotenoid
Mg

N N Carotenoids and flavonoid pigments are always Sugar

Carotenoids also contribute orange colours.
present in leaves, but as chlorophyll is broken OH
Beta-carotene is one of the most common
down in the autumn their colours come to the
carotenoids in plants, and absorbs green and ANTHOCYANINS
fore. Xanthophylls, a subclass of carotenoids, are (general structure)
C20H39 blue light strongly, reflecting red and yellow light
responsible for the yellows of autumn leaves.
O and causing its orange appearance. It is also
O O One of the major xanthophylls, lutein, is also the
responsible for the orange colouration of carrots. Anthocyanin synthesis is kick-started by the
O compound that contributes towards the yellow
O colour of egg yolks. Carotenoids in leaves start degrading at the same onset of autumn. As sugar concentration in the
time as chlorophyll, but they do so at a much leaves increases, sunlight initiates anthocyanin
CHLOROPHYLL A
A type of chlorin slower rate; some fallen leaves can still contain production. The purpose they serve isn’t clear; it
measurable amounts. is suggested that they may play a light-protective
role. It was previously thought they might delay
Chlorophyll gives plant leaves their green colour. O O leaf fall, but this has been discounted.
Plants require warm temperatures and sunlight OH

to produce chlorophyll. In autumn, the amount O

OH
produced begins to decrease, and existing O
chlorophyll is slowly broken down, diminishing the O O HO

green colour of the leaves. FLAVONOL FLAVONE VIOLAXANTHIN LYCOPENE

(general structure) (general structure) A type of carotenoid A type of carotenoid

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