title: Separation and identification of various carotenoids by C30 reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to UV and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometric detection.
abstract: In this paper the application of on-line HPLC-UV-APCI (atmospheric pressure chemical ionization) mass spectrometry (MS) coupling for the separation and determination of different carotenoids as well as cis/trans isomers of beta-carotene is reported. All HPLC separations were carried out under RP conditions on self-synthesized polymeric C30 phases. The analysis of a carotenoid mixture containing astaxanthin, canthaxanthin, zeaxanthin, echinenone and beta-carotene by HPLC-APCI-MS was achieved by scanning the mass range from m/z 200 to 700. For the characterization of a sample containing cis/trans isomers of beta-carotene as well as their oxidation products, a photodiode-array UV-visible absorbance detector was used in addition between the column and the mass spectrometer for structural elucidation of the geometrical isomers. The detection limit for beta-carotene in positive-ion APCI-MS was determined to be 1 pmol. In addition, an extract of non-polar substances in vegetable juice has been analyzed by HPLC-APCI-MS. The included carotenoids could be identified by their masses and their retention times.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Organische Chemie, Auf der Morgenstelle, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lacker
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Strohschein
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Albert
mesh_terms: D001274:Atmospheric Pressure; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
chemical_list: D002338:Carotenoids