Carotenoprotein compounds containing astaxanthin as a prosthetic group were isolated from the body of the Antarctic krill — Euphausia superba.

Carotenoids in six species of the lichens from Antarctica (Xanthoria eleguns, Caloplaca regalis, Usnea antarctica, U. fasciata, Himantormia lugubris and Ramalina terebrata) have been investigated by means of column and thin — layer chromatography. The following carotenoids were found: β-carotene, α- and β-cryptoxanthin, canthaxanthin. lycophyll, lycoxanthin, lutein, lutein epoxide, zeaxanthin, antheroxanthin, adonixanthin, diatoxanthin, rhodoxanthin, rhodoxanthm derivative, α-doradexanthin, astaxanthin, astaxanthin ester, mutatochrome, mutatoxanthin and cryptoflavin. Most frequently occurred β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein epoxide, zeaxanthin and mutatoxanthin. The total carotenoid content ranged from 10.242 (Ramalina terebrata) to 18.700 mg/g dry weight (Himantormia lugubris) in October and from 4.765 (Ramalina terebrata) to 12.462 mg/g dry weight (Caloplaca regalis) in February.

Carotenoids of two species of the Antarctic higher plants from King George Island were analysed. Using thin-layer and column chromatography 16 carotenoids were identified. The total carotenoid content ranged from 4.064 to 17.257 mg/g of dry weight material.