The Carrot (Daucus carota sativa), commonly known as cultivated carrot, is a domesticated variety of the wild carrot, Daucus carota. Native to Europe and Southwestern Asia, this plant is widely cultivated for its edible taproot, which is rich in nutrients and used in a variety of culinary and medicinal applications. The carrot is known for its vibrant orange color, although it can also be found in other colors such as purple, red, and yellow.

Botanical Classification

• Kingdom: Plantae
• Order: Apiales
• Family: Apiaceae
• Genus: Daucus
• Species: D. carota
• Variety: sativa

Plant Characteristics

Daucus carota sativa is a biennial plant, typically grown as an annual for its root. It grows to about 30-60 cm (12-24 inches) tall and produces fern-like, feathery leaves. The plant's most recognizable feature is its large, edible root, which varies in color and size depending on the variety. In its second year, it produces an umbel of small white flowers.

Chemical Composition and Structure

The carrot root contains several important compounds, including:

• Beta-Carotene: A precursor to vitamin A, which is essential for vision, immune function, and skin health. It gives carrots their orange color.
• Lutein and Zeaxanthin: Antioxidants that contribute to eye health and may help protect against age-related macular degeneration.
• Vitamin C: An antioxidant that supports the immune system and skin health.
• Fiber: Contributes to digestive health and helps regulate blood sugar levels.

Cultivation

Daucus carota sativa prefers well-drained, loamy soils and requires full sun to grow well. It is typically planted in early spring or late summer. Carrots need regular watering to prevent them from becoming woody or cracked. The soil should be kept loose and free of rocks to allow the roots to grow properly. Carrots are usually harvested in 70-80 days, depending on the variety.

Uses and Benefits

• Culinary: Carrots are widely used in cooking and salads for their sweet flavor and crunchy texture. They can be eaten raw, cooked, or juiced.

• Medicinal: Carrots have been used traditionally to support eye health, improve digestion, and boost immune function due to their high content of vitamins and antioxidants.

• Cosmetic: Carrot seed oil is used in skincare products for its purported anti-aging and skin-rejuvenating properties. It is included in creams, serums, and oils.

INCI Functions:

Skin conditioning agent. It is the mainstay of topical skin treatment as it has the function of restoring, increasing or improving skin tolerance to external factors, including melanocyte tolerance. The most important function of the conditioning agent is to prevent skin dehydration, but the subject is rather complex and involves emollients and humectants that can be added in the formulation.

Fragrance. It plays a very important role in the formulation of cosmetic products as it provides the possibility of enhancing, masking or adding fragrance to the final product, increasing its marketability. It is able to create a perceptible pleasant odour, masking a bad smell. The consumer always expects to find a pleasant or distinctive scent in a cosmetic product. 

Skin conditioning agent - Emollient. Emollients have the characteristic of enhancing the skin barrier through a source of exogenous lipids that adhere to the skin, improving barrier properties by filling gaps in intercorneocyte clusters to improve hydration while protecting against inflammation. In practice, they have the ability to create a barrier that prevents transepidermal water loss.  Emollients are described as degreasing or refreshing additives that improve the lipid content of the upper layers of the skin by preventing degreasing and drying of the skin. The problem with emollients is that many have a strong lipophilic character and are identified as occlusive ingredients; they are oily and fatty materials that remain on the skin surface and reduce transepidermal water loss. In cosmetics, emollients and moisturisers are often considered synonymous with humectants and occlusives.

Applications

• Culinary: Common ingredient in soups, stews, salads, and as a standalone side dish. Also used to make carrot juice and carrot-based baby foods.

• Medicinal: Used in traditional medicine and supplements to support vision, digestive health, and immune function.

• Cosmetic: Added to skincare formulations for its antioxidant properties and skin-nourishing benefits.

Environmental and Safety Considerations

Daucus carota sativa is generally safe for consumption and use in cosmetics. It is important to use proper agricultural practices to avoid contamination with pesticides or heavy metals. Organic cultivation methods can reduce environmental impact and improve safety.

Studies

Carrot is one of the major vegetables rich in bioactive compounds like carotenoids and dietary fibers with appreciable levels of several other functional components having significant health-promoting properties. Carrot pomace, containing about 50% β-carotene, can be profitably utilized for the supplementation of products like cake, bread, and biscuits.

Beyond lending truth to the old adage that carrots are good for eyes, the carotenoids, polyphenols, and vitamins present in carrots act as antioxidants, anticarcinogens, and immunoenhancers. Anti-diabetic, cholesterol and cardiovascular disease-lowering, anti-hypertensive, hepatoprotective, renoprotective, and wound healing benefits of carrots have also been reported.

Consumption of carrots is beneficial to our digestive system as an intestinal balancer because some of its compounds possess high antioxidant power (1).

It contains falcarinol, a natural component discovered only in 2005 that acts as an anti-tumor agent (2).

It also contains Beta carotene, a natural component that turns into vitamin A when it is assimilated into the human body.

Its properties are not altered if it is prepared as juice or lightly boiled or fried.

In addition to the common orange carrot, there is also the black, white, purple and yellow carrot.

Carrot studies

References_________________________________________________________________________

(1) Iorizzo M, Curaba J, Pottorff M, Ferruzzi MG, Simon P, Cavagnaro PF. Carrot Anthocyanins Genetics and Genomics: Status and Perspectives to Improve Its Application for the Food Colorant Industry. Genes (Basel). 2020 Aug 7;11(8):906. doi: 10.3390/genes11080906.  

Abstract. Purple or black carrots (Daucus carota ssp. sativus var. atrorubens Alef) are characterized by their dark purple- to black-colored roots, owing their appearance to high anthocyanin concentrations. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the use of black carrot anthocyanins as natural food dyes. Black carrot roots contain large quantities of mono-acylated anthocyanins, which impart a measure of heat-, light- and pH-stability, enhancing the color-stability of food products over their shelf-life. The genetic pathway controlling anthocyanin biosynthesis appears well conserved among land plants; however, different variants of anthocyanin-related genes between cultivars results in tissue-specific accumulations of purple pigments. Thus, broad genetic variations of anthocyanin profile, and tissue-specific distributions in carrot tissues and organs, can be observed, and the ratio of acylated to non-acylated anthocyanins varies significantly in the purple carrot germplasm. Additionally, anthocyanins synthesis can also be influenced by a wide range of external factors, such as abiotic stressors and/or chemical elicitors, directly affecting the anthocyanin yield and stability potential in food and beverage applications. In this study, we critically review and discuss the current knowledge on anthocyanin diversity, genetics and the molecular mechanisms controlling anthocyanin accumulation in carrots. We also provide a view of the current knowledge gaps and advancement needs as regards developing and applying innovative molecular tools to improve the yield, product performance and stability of carrot anthocyanin for use as a natural food colorant.

(2) Young JF, Duthie SJ, Milne L, Christensen LP, Duthie GG, Bestwick CS. Biphasic effect of falcarinol on caco-2 cell proliferation, DNA damage, and apoptosis. J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Feb 7;55(3):618-23. doi: 10.1021/jf0616154. PMID: 17263451.

Abstract. The polyacetylene falcarinol, isolated from carrots, has been shown to be protective against chemically induced colon cancer development in rats, but the mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study CaCo-2 cells were exposed to falcarinol (0.5-100 microM) and the effects on proliferation, DNA damage, and apoptosis investigated. Low-dose falcarinol exposure (0.5-10 microM) decreased expression of the apoptosis indicator caspase-3 concomitantly with decreased basal DNA strand breakage. Cell proliferation was increased (1-10 microM), whereas cellular attachment was unaffected by <10 microM falcarinol. At concentrations above 20 microM falcarinol, proliferation of CaCo-2 cells decreased and the number of cells expressing active caspase-3 increased simultaneously with increased cell detachment. Furthermore, DNA single-strand breakage was significantly increased at concentrations above 10 microM falcarinol. Thus, the effects of falcarinol on CaCo-2 cells appear to be biphasic, inducing pro-proliferative and apoptotic characteristics at low and high concentrations of falcarinol, respectively.

Kobaek-Larsen M, Christensen LP, Vach W, Ritskes-Hoitinga J, Brandt K. Inhibitory effects of feeding with carrots or (-)-falcarinol on development of azoxymethane-induced preneoplastic lesions in the rat colon. J Agric Food Chem. 2005 Mar 9;53(5):1823-7. doi: 10.1021/jf048519s. PMID: 15740080.

Abstract. The effects of intake of dietary amounts of carrot or corresponding amounts of (-)-(3R)-falcarinol from carrots on development of azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colon preneoplastic lesions were examined in male BDIX rats. Three groups of eight AOM-treated rats were fed the standard rat feed Altromin supplemented with either 10% (w/w) freeze-dried carrots with a natural content of 35 mug falcarinol/g, 10% maize starch to which was added 35 mug falcarinol/g purified from carrots, or 10% maize starch (control). After 18 weeks, the animals were euthanized and the colon was examined for tumors and aberrant crypt foci (ACF), which were classified into four size classes. Although the number of small ACF was unaffected by the feeding treatments, the numbers of lesions as a function of increasing size class decreased significantly in the rats that received one of the two experimental treatments, as compared with the control treatment. This indicates that the dietary treatments with carrot and falcarinol delayed or retarded the development of large ACF and tumors. The present study provides a new perspective on the known epidemiological associations between high intake of carrots and reduced incidence of cancers.