carotene

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
carotene /ˈkarətiːn/

▶noun Chemistry an orange or red plant pigment found notably in carrots and of which one form (beta-carotene) is important in the diet as a precursor of vitamin A.

– derivatives
carotenoid /kəˈrɒtɪnɔɪd/ noun.

– origin C19: coined in Ger. from L. carota ‘carrot’.