Three new carotenoids with a 3,4-dihydroxy-β-end group were isolated from the oyster Crassostrea gigas. These structures were determined to be 3,4,3′,8′-tetrahydroxy-β,κ-caroten-6′-one (1), 3,4-dihydroxy-3′,6′-epoxy-1′,2′,5′,6′7′,8′-hexahydro-6′-methyl-16′-nor-β,-carotene-1′,8′-dione (2), and 3,6-epoxy-5,3′,4′-trihydroxy-12′,13′,20′-trinor-β,β-caroten-19,11-olide (3) based on chemical and spectral data.
