CAROTENOIDS IN PLANTS 



77 



Investigations on bacterial pigments are particularly difficult because of 

 the shortage of materials. Recent observations show that bacteria produce 

 carotenoids {e.g. rhodoviolascin, sarcinin, sarcinaxanthin, leprotin, rhodopin, 

 etc.), not found in the higher plants. Further interesting results can be expected 

 from a renewed study of bacterial carotenoids. 



The carotenoids of fungi have been the subject of several investigations, 

 some of recent date. In some mushrooms, certain other pigments (e.g. torulin, 

 torularhodin) have been found besides carotene, and the question arises 

 whether mushrooms produce these pigments by the degradation of other caro- 

 tenoids or by independent synthesis. 



A large number of data are to be found in the literature regarding carotenoids 

 in algae. Many of these are of an early date and possess only relatively small 

 significance, but others have been obtained more recently and provide some 

 interesting results. In this connection the comprehensive studies of Kylin^^ 

 and Heilbron^^ may be particularly mentioned. 



We are least well informed regarding carotenoids in archegoniates, for 

 which practically no data are available. It is probable, however, that the green 

 organs of these plants also contain carotene, xanthophyll and xanthophyll 

 epoxide besides chlorophyll. In the discussion of rhodoxanthin (p. 221) it will 

 be mentioned that this pigment has been found in the intemodes of equisetum 

 and selaginella. 



TABLE 19 (References see p. 99-107) 



CAROTENOIDS IN CRYPTOGAMS 



(i). Schizophyta 

 a) Bacteria 



Bacillus Grasberger^^^: /3-Carotene, Micrococcus erythromyxa^^^: Asta- 



y-carotene, lycopene and a pigment cene( ?). 



resembling capsanthin. Micrococcus rhodochrous^'^^: Asta- 



Bacillus Lombardo Pellegrini^^'^) ;/J-Ca- cene( ?). 



rotene, y-carotene and a phyto- liTycobacteriumlacticola^^^: ^-Carotene, 



xanthin of unknown constitution. two similar pigments, astacene. 



Bacteriutn chrysogloea^*^ . Mycobacterium leprae^^^' 2^*' ^so; 



Bacterium egregium^'^^. yellow lipochromes, leprotin. 



Bacterium halobium^^^' 2": a-Bacte- Mycobacterium phlei^^^' 2i6> 247. ^-Ca- 



rioruberin, ^-bacterioruberin, hypo- rotene, y-carotene, cryptoxanthin, 



phasic pigment, absorption-maxi- xanthophyll, zeaxanthin, azafrin 



ma in CS2: 571, 532 m/^ (demethyl- ester, leprotin, azafrin, a-carotene 



ated rhodoviolascin(?). Purple bacteria (sulphur-free)^^*: 



Corynebacterium'^^^: ^-Carotene. Hydrocarbon similar to lycopene 



Corynebacteriu}n carotenum^^^' ^56, 257. g^j-^^ phytoxanthin of unknown 



/3-Carotene, yellow pigment with constitution, 



vitamin A activity. Rhodobacillus palustris^^^. 

 References p. 108. 



