A comparative study of carotenoids of Aschersonia aleyroides and Aspergillus giganteus

The orange-red sporodochium of Aschersonia aleyroides contains six caortenes with beta-carotene (87%) as the major pigment. In old cultures there is a decrease in total carotenoids, the disappearance of two trans-carotenes and the appearance of two cis-carotenes. In the case of Aspergillus giganteus and its mutant A. giganteus mut. alba the major carotene is also beta-carotene (80%) with six other carotenoids, including possibly the acid pigment aspserxanthin. Until now this latter pigment has only been detected in Aspergillus and therefore it can be regarded as a criterion to discriminate between Apergillus and other fungi. Aschersonia and Aspergillus seem not to be closely related on the basis of pigment patterns, which is in agreement with distinct morphological differences.