Anthoxanthin
A group of plant pigments ranging from white to yellow, used in foods and dyes
No single value: Anthoxanthin is a material, and its colour varies. The background shows its family, yellow.
Anthoxanthins are water-soluble plant pigments that appear white, creamy, or yellow, and are found mainly in flower petals. Their colour changes with acidity and they are used as food additives and in dyes for textiles and cosmetics. Examples include quercetin and luteolin.
- Anthoxanthins range from white to yellow in colour
- They are water-soluble plant pigments
- Colour shifts with acidity and minerals
- Used in food, textiles, and cosmetics
- Quercetin is a well-known anthoxanthin
What colour is Anthoxanthin?
Anthoxanthins are a group of pigments found in plants, especially in the petals of flowers. Their colour can be white, colourless, creamy, or yellow, depending on the environment. In acidic conditions, they appear whiter, while in alkaline settings, they turn more yellow. These pigments are water-soluble and can change colour when exposed to minerals or metal ions.
Where does Anthoxanthin come from?
The name anthoxanthin comes from Ancient Greek, with 'ánthos' meaning flower and 'xanthós' meaning yellow. These pigments are a type of flavonoid, a class of compounds common in plants. Unlike anthocyanins, which are blue, anthoxanthins are yellow because of their different chemical structure.
How is Anthoxanthin made?
Anthoxanthins are naturally produced by plants and are found in many fruits, vegetables, and flowers. They include compounds such as apigenin, luteolin, kaempferol, and quercetin. Their colour depends on the pH of their environment and can shift with changes in acidity or the presence of certain minerals.
Where Anthoxanthin is used
Anthoxanthins are used to add colour or flavour to foods and are valued for their antioxidant properties. They are also used to make dyes for textiles and cosmetics, producing shades of yellow, orange, or red. Quercetin, a well-known anthoxanthin, is present in foods like capers, red onions, and kale.
Yellow around the world
What the yellow family means from country to country.
The yellow disc of the Aboriginal flag is the sun, giver of life. The flag was designed by the Luritja artist Harold Thomas and first flown in Adelaide in 1971.
Sacred and holySource: Australian Aboriginal flagAt the gaye holud, held a day or two before a wedding, relatives rub turmeric paste on the bride and groom. Guests dress in yellow and orange.
Weddings and marriageFestival and celebrationJoySource: Gaye holudOn Pohela Falgun, the first day of spring, young women wear yellow and orange saris, a shade called basanti, with flowers in their hair.
Festival and celebrationNature and renewalJoySource: Pohela FalgunThe Flemish flag is a black lion on yellow, and the Walloon flag a red cockerel on yellow. The language communities are often shown by these colours.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of FlandersThe flag is yellow, the colour of the Sultan. By custom, ordinary people did not wear yellow in the ruler's presence.
Royalty and powerPrideSource: Flag of BruneiThe national football team plays in a yellow shirt with green trim, the canarinho. It was chosen in a newspaper contest after the 1950 World Cup final was lost in white.
Festival and celebrationPrideJoySource: Brazil national football teamShades and relatives of Anthoxanthin
Anthoxanthins include several related compounds, such as apigenin, luteolin, kaempferol, and quercetin. They are sometimes confused with anthocyanins, another group of flavonoids, but anthocyanins are blue rather than yellow. The colour of anthoxanthins can vary with acidity and mineral content.
Questions people ask about Anthoxanthin
What colour are anthoxanthins?
Anthoxanthins appear white, creamy, or yellow, depending on their environment and pH.
Where does the name anthoxanthin come from?
The name comes from Ancient Greek words for 'flower' (ánthos) and 'yellow' (xanthós).
What are anthoxanthins used for?
They are used as food additives for colour and flavour, and to make dyes for textiles and cosmetics.
Are anthoxanthins found in food?
Yes, they are present in many fruits and vegetables, such as capers, red onions, and kale.
How do anthoxanthins differ from anthocyanins?
Anthoxanthins are yellow or white, while anthocyanins are blue; both are flavonoid pigments.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Anthoxanthin", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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