ANTHOCYANIN AND CAROTENOID PIGMENTS IN SPATHE TISSUE FROM SELECTED ZANTEDESCHIA HYBRIDS

Zantedeschia (Spreng.) species and their hybrids feature a range of cultivars with spathe (flower) colour from maroon/dark red through pink, to orange, yellow, cream and white. In the absence of information on the pigments that make up these colours in Zantedeschia, we analysed the flavonoid and carotenoid profiles in several commercial summer flowering cultivars that were representative of the colour range. Anthocyanins were the main pigment associated with red and pink cultivars, while carotenoids were the main pigment in the yellow cultivars. The orange cultivars were a mix of anthocyanins and carotenoids, although in different cell layers. The anthocyanin pigments were present in the epidermis and the sub-epidermis, overlaying the carotenoids. The latter were distributed more evenly throughout the sub-epidermis and mesophyll. The main pigments observed were the anthocyanin cyanidin 3-glucoside and the carotenoids lutein and b-carotene. Other flavonoids, predominantly 7-methylated luteolin C-glycosides, were also detected in the spathe tissue. Variation in spathe colour appears primarily due to changes in the pigment group produced and pigment concentration rather than the production of different individual pigments.

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files)