title: Ultra high performance liquid chromatography versus high performance liquid chromatography: stationary phase selectivity for generic carotenoid screening.
abstract: Aim of study was to find the most suitable LC column for generic carotenoid screening. To represent the diversity of carotenoids in nature and to optimize chromatographic separation, a set of carotenoid standards was carefully chosen to account for the various classes of carotenoids. The HPLC C30 column has since long been the 'golden standard' in the chromatographic separation of carotenoids. Since approximately one decade, new UHPLC technology has led to much shorter analysis times, smaller peak widths and higher chromatographic resolution. However, there are currently no UHPLC columns on the market containing the specific stationary phase chemistry of the HPLC C30 column. Therefore during this study, we investigated the separation of carotenoids on a set of UHPLC columns and compared it to their separation on the HPLC C30 column. Comparison of carotenoids separations on the different stationary phases with objective column comparison parameters clearly indicated that the HPLC C30 column is an overall better performer in the separation of carotenoids. This is due to the lack of UHPLC column chemistries that are adapted for carotenoid analysis. However, analysis time on the HPLC C30 column takes about four times longer compared to UHPLC analysis. Therefore, with the range of columns that are commercially available nowadays, a choice has to be made between very high selectivity (HPLC C30 column) and analysis times that are adapted to modern laboratory requirements (UHPLC technology). Therefore, carotenoid separations would be even more performing if an appropriate UHPLC C30 column would be available.
authors.affiliation: Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Business Unit Separation and Conversion Technology (SCT), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium; University of Antwerp, NatuRA, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium. Electronic address: sebastiaan.bijttebier@vito.be.
authors.forename: Sebastiaan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bijttebier
authors.affiliation: Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Business Unit Separation and Conversion Technology (SCT), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium. Electronic address: els.dhondt@vito.be.
authors.forename: Els
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: D'Hondt
authors.affiliation: Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Business Unit Separation and Conversion Technology (SCT), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium. Electronic address: bart.noten@vito.be.
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Noten
authors.affiliation: University of Antwerp, NatuRA, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium. Electronic address: nina.hermans@uantwerpen.be.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hermans
authors.affiliation: University of Antwerp, NatuRA, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium. Electronic address: sandra.apers@uantwerpen.be.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Apers
authors.affiliation: Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Business Unit Separation and Conversion Technology (SCT), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium. Electronic address: stefan.voorspoels@vito.be.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Voorspoels
mesh_terms: D002338:Carotenoids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000592:standards; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D012015:Reference Standards
chemical_list: D002338:Carotenoids
keywords: Column comparison; Generic carotenoid screening; HPLC C30 column; LC–PDA–am-MS; Stationary phase selectivity; UHPLC technology