It has been isolated from a variety of sources including the fruit of plants in the genus Physalis, orange rind, winter squashes such as butternut, papaya, egg yolk, butter, apples, and bovine blood serum.

[1] In terms of structure, β-cryptoxanthin is closely related to β-carotene, with only the addition of a hydroxyl group.

In a pure form, β-cryptoxanthin is a red crystalline solid with a metallic luster.

[1] In the human body, β-cryptoxanthin is converted to vitamin A (retinol) and is, therefore, considered a provitamin A.

[2] Recent findings of an inverse association between β-cryptoxanthin and lung cancer risk in several observational epidemiological studies suggest that β-cryptoxanthin could potentially act as a chemopreventive agent against lung cancer.