Isolation and Structure Elucidation of Carotenoid−Glycosyl Esters in Gardenia Fruits (Gardenia jasminoides Ellis) and Saffron (Crocus sativus Linne)

From the fruits of Gardenia jasminoides several carotenoids were isolated and identified. Crocetin (1) was characterized by UV/vis, cochromatography, and LC-MS. The following glycosyl esters of crocetin (1) were identified: crocin (crocetin di(β-gentiobiosyl) ester) (6) by UV/vis, 1 H- and 13 C-NMR, and FAB-MS and crocetin mono(β-gentiobiosyl) ester (4) by UV/vis, 1 H-NMR, and LC-MS. There are strong indications for the presence of 13 Z -crocin (9) (UV/vis, 1 H-NMR, and LC-MS). From saffron ( Crocus sativus L.), another glycosyl ester of crocetin (1) was isolated. It was identified as crocetin (β-gentiobiosyl) (β-neapolitanosyl) ester (7) by UV/vis, 1 H-NMR, and MS.