Recent progress in structural studies of carotenoids in animals and plants

About 750 naturally occurring carotenoids had been reported as of 2004. Furthermore, annually, more than 20 new structures of carotenoids are reported. Improvements of analytical instruments such as NMR, MS, HPLC, etc., have made it possible to perform the structural elucidation of very minor carotenoids in nature. Interesting new structural carotenoids can still be identified in aquatic animals and higher plants. The present paper provides a review of new structural carotenoids isolated from aquatic animals and higher plants by our group over the last five years.