Carotenoid composition of both penguin faeces and the lichen Caloplaca regalis has been analyzed by thin layer chromatography. Carotenoids in both samples are almost identical to those found in the krill, the main food of the penguins, including β-carotene, which is not found in other Theloschistaceae species.

In adults of both sexes of Euphausia superba analysed in total without alimentary tract there were identified with help of chromatographic and spectrophotometric methods: β-carotene, free and ester astaxanthine, cantaxanthine, β-cryptoxanthine. lutein and dihydroxy-ζ-carotene, and additionally in females zeaxanthine and flavoxanthine. However, particular parts of body (with an exception of eyes, legs and trunk) and especially the exosceleton cotain less carotenoids, mainly carotene and astaxanthine.

Antarctic plants experience UV−B stress and for their survival they have been showing various adaptive strategies. The first line of defence is to screen UV−B radiation before it reaches the cell, then to minimize damage within the cells through other protective strategies, and finally to repair damage once it has occurred. A fifteen days experiment was designed to study lichen: Dermatocarpon sp. and Acarospora gwynnii under natural UV and below UV filter frames in the Indian Antarctic Station Maitri region of Schirmacher Oasis, East Antarctica. Changes in UV absorbing compounds, total phenolics, total carotenoids and chlorophyll content were studied. The change in total phenolics and total carotenoid content was significant in both Dermatocarpon sp. and A. gwynnii indicating that the increase in UV absorbing compounds, total phenolics and total carotenoid content act as a protective mechanism against the deleterious effect of UV−B radiations, whereas the change in chlorophyll content was not significant in both lichen species.

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.

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.