The marigold is a very useful species of medicinal plants with many uses in phyto-therapy and cosmetics. The carotenoid pigments in the marigold’s inflorescence represent a fundamental constituent of drugs. The paper examines the dynamics of the pigment content in leaves and inflorescence in two marigold cultivars, the Comun and Bellezza del Pacifico, with yellow and orange flowers, respectively. The pigment content was measured by spectrophotometry. The results point out a maximum carotenoid pigment content with maximum light absorption in 425-426 nm and 447-447nm in the orange flower cultivar (the Bellezza del Pacifico cultivar), which pleads for its introduction into cultivation.

marigold; medicinal herbs; carotenoid pigments; Bellezza del Pacifico variety

Presentation: oral