Animal carotenoids. 32. Carotenoids of Mytilus edulis (edible mussel).

Nineteen different carotenoids have been isolated from various harvests of Mytilus edulis (edible mussels). Besides beta,beta-carotene (occasional) these were ten acetylenic C40-carotenoids: crocoxanthin-like, anhydro-amarouciaxanthin B, 19'-hexanoyloxyisomytiloxanthin, isomytiloxanthin, alloxanthin, mytiloxanthin, amarouciaxanthin B-like, halocynthiaxanthin, pectenol-like and heteroxanthin; two acetylenic C37-carotenoids: pyrrhoxanthinol and hydrato-pyrrhoxanthinol; four C40-skeletal allenic carotenoids: 19'-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin, fucoxanthin, 19'-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthinol and fucoxanthinol; two C37-skeletal allenic carotenoids: peridinin and peridininol. Anhydro-amarouciaxanthin B, 19'-hexanoyloxyisomytiloxanthin (minor occasional) and hydrato-pyrrhoxanthinol constitute new carotenoids. The characterization comprised TLC and HPLC behaviour, VIS spectrophotometry, 1H NMR (including full assignment of three new carotenoid end groups), CD and mass spectra, as well as chemical derivatizations. Stereochemical considerations are discussed.