What is "neoxanthin"

n. A major xanthophyll found in green leafy vegetables. It is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of the plant hormone abscisic acid.

Neoxanthin is a carotenoid and xanthophyll. In plants, it is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of the plant hormone abscisic acid. It is often present in two forms: all-trans and 9-cis isomers. It is produced from violaxanthin, but a suspected neoxanthin synthase is still to be confirmed. Two different genes were confirmed to be implied in violaxanthin conversion to neoxanthin in Arabidopsis and tomato., It has a specific role in protection against photooxidative stress. It is a major xanthophyll found in green leafy vegetables such as spinach.