Carotenoids in certain lichens of Białowieża Forest

Abstract

Column-, and thin-layer chromatography revealed the presence of the following carotenoids in the thalli of 29 lichen species from Białowieża Forest: α-carotene, β-carotene, α-cryptoxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein, 3'-epilutein, zeaxanthin, β-carotene monoepoxide, lutein epoxide, antheraxanthin, 3'-hydroxyechinenone, α-doradexanthin, canthaxanthin, astaxanthin, neoxani thin, violaxanthin and mutatoxanthin. The total content of carotenoids ranged from 16.83 (<i>Cladonia rangiferina</i>) to 92.98 µg g dry wt (<i>Xanthoria parietina</i>). There were differences in carotenoid composition, concentration of each carotenoid, and in the total content in the thalli of four species collected from niches with different insolation.