Abstract

The carrot is a horticultural root crop eaten around the world, and it has been popular since ancient times; it originated in southwestern Asia in the Afghanistan region. The content of carotenoids and minerals in carrots is dependent on the cultivar, season, management production, environmental conditions, and postharvest handling and storage conditions. The main phenolic compounds found in carrots are chlorogenic acids, which are hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives formed by the esterification of cinnamic acids, such as caffeic, ferulic, and p‐coumaric acids, with quinic acid. Among all the phytochemicals present in carrots, β‐carotene is the main one responsible for the protective effects on health due to its quantity and bioactive quality. Crop improvement programs to breed antioxidant‐rich cultivars such as black and mixed color carrots have improved the diversity of available carrots, which could potentially increase the intake of health promoting compounds through diet and aid in the prevention of chronic human diseases.