Investigations on carotenoids in lichens. XII. Some species from the Pyrenean Peninsula

Abstract

By means of column and thin-layer chromatography, the authors investigated the presence of various carotenoids in thalli of 12 species of lichens from the Pyrenean Peninsula. The following carotenoids were found: lycophyll, lycoxanthin, β-carotene, α-, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein, lutein epoxide, zeaxanthin, antheraxanthin, canthaxanthin, phoenicoxanthin, adonixanthin, α-doradexanthin, astaxanthin, diatoxanthin, neoxanthin, violaxanthin, mutatochrome, mutatoxanthin and rhodoxanthin. The total content of carotenoids ranged from 2.299 (<em>Cetraria cucullata</em>) to 39.402 mg•g<sup>-1</sup> dry weight (<em>Pseudoevernia furfuraceae</em>).