Investigations on carotenoids in lichens XXVIII carotenoids of some New Zealand lichens

Abstract

Column and thin-layer chromatography revealed the presence of the following carotenoids in the thalli of seventeen lichen species from New Zealand: ε-carotene, α-carotene, ß-carotene, ß-cryptoxanthin, lutein, 3′-epilutein, zeaxanthin, lutein epoxide, antheraxanthin, canthaxanthin, α-doradoxanthin, astaxanthin, violaxanthin, neoxanthin, auroxanthin, mutatoxanthin, azafrin, and apo-12-violaxanthal. Azafrin is reported for the first time from lichens in Pseudocyphellaria coronata. The total content of carotenoids ranged from 15.16 μg g^-1 dry wt in Pseudocyphellaria chloroleuca to 298.78 μg g^-1 dry wt in Pseudocyphellaria coronata.

Keywords:

• lichenology
• thalli
• carotenoids
• New Zealand lichens
• azafrin