A Seasonal Variation of Carotenoid Composition in Green Leaves and Effect of Environmental Factors on It+

Carotenoid compositions of green leaves are varied with the passage of season. β-Carotene, one of the major carotenoid, is rich in summer and poor in spring, autumn and winter , while lutein, the other major, shows the opposite direction to β-carotene. These phenomena were confirmed to be always found in every plants, in both annual and perennial plants or in both herbaceous and woody plants. This variation was also confirmed to be seasonal and periodical on using green leaves of both evergreen and deciduous trees . The examinations for grapevine grown under different temperatures and light intensities revealed that these seasonal variations were mainly based on temperature. These results will provide important informations for both plant physiology and food nutrition.