Characterization of Carotenoid Fatty Acid Esters from the Peels of the Persimmon Diospyros kaki

Separation and structural determination of the chloroform-soluble components obtained from the peels of the persimmon (Diospyros kaki THUNB.) were performed. beta-Carotene, lycopene, beta-cryptoxanthin mono-myristic acid ester, zeaxanthin di-myristic acid ester, the latter two of which were accompanied by a small amount of palmitoleic acid in the fatty acid moiety, and oleanolic acid were identified. Among these components, the mono-fatty acid ester of beta-cryptoxanthin and the di-fatty acid ester of zeaxanthin were characterized for the first time.