Identification of microbial carotenoids and isoprenoid quinones from Rhodococcus sp. B7740 and its stability in the presence of iron in model gastric conditions

•Isorenieratene was identified by HPLC-DAD-MS2 combined with HSCCC and HRMS.•Isorenieratene is a most stable carotenoid with promising health benefits.•Three rare aromatic carotenoids were discovered in Rhodococcus sp. B7740.

Rhodococcus sp. B7740 is a newfound bacterium which was isolated from 25 m deep seawater in the arctic. In this paper, Rhodococcus sp. B7740 was firstly discovered to produce abundant natural isoprenoids, including ubiquinone-4(UQ-4), 13 kinds of menaquinones, three rare aromatic carotenoids and more than one common carotenoid. These compounds were identified by UV-Visible, HPLC-APCI-MS/MS and HRMS spectra. Results demonstrated that Rhodococcus sp. B7740 might be a worthy source of natural isoprenoids especially for scarce aromatic carotenoids. Among them, isorenieratene with 528.3762 Da (calculated for 528.3756 Da, error: 1.1 ppm), a carotenoid with aromatic ring, was purified by HSCCC. The stability of isorenieratene under the mimical gastric conditions was measured compared with common dietary carotenoids, β-carotene and lutein. Unlike β-carotene and lutein, isorenieratene exhibited rather stable in the presence of free iron or heme iron. Its high retention rate in gastrointestinal tract after ingestion indicates the benefits for health.