胡萝卜素（英语：carotene）是指若干种相关的不饱和烃，分子式为C₄₀H_x，由植物合成，但动物不能制造。胡萝卜素是橙色的光合色素。对于人眼视觉，各种胡萝卜素都是有颜色的。胡萝卜素使许多蔬菜和水果带有橙色，例如甘薯或者哈密瓜。也是干枯的树叶显示橙色的原因。乳脂与黄油的黄色也是由于低浓度的胡萝卜素。那些把有颜色的胡萝卜素转化为无色的类维生素A的能力较弱的杂食动物，例如人类或者鸡，具有黄色的体脂肪，这是因为其摄入的植物性膳食中的类胡萝卜素存储在体脂肪中。

在光合作用中，胡萝卜素具有重要作用，能传递叶绿素所吸收的光学能量。胡萝卜素吸收了光合作用中产生的单态氧的能量，从而保护了植物的组织。

The term carotene (also carotin, from the Latin carota, "carrot") is used for many related unsaturated hydrocarbon substances having the formula C₄₀H_x, which are synthesized by plants but in general cannot be made by animals (with the sole known exception of some aphids and spider mites which acquired the synthetic genes from fungi). Carotenes are photosynthetic pigments important for photosynthesis. Carotenes contain no oxygen atoms. They absorb ultraviolet, violet, and blue light and scatter orange or red light, and (in low concentrations) yellow light.