Lycopene
A carotenoid pigment that gives tomatoes and watermelons their red color, studied as an antioxidant compound.
Today's sweet watermelon is the result of millennia of breeding and genetics; wild varieties had pale, bitter flesh. Ancient Egypt knew watermelons well: pharaoh Tutankhamun's tomb held 11 baskets of seeds. The red color is lycopene, selected over thousands of years.
0