Carotenoid determination in recent marine sediments - practical problems during sample preparation and HPLC analysis

Abstract

An analytical procedure for the analysis of carotenoids in marine sediments rich in organic matter has been developed. Analysis of these compounds is difficult; the application of methods used by other authors required optimization for the samples studied here. The analytical procedure involved multiple ultrasound-assisted extraction with acetone followed by liquid-liquid extraction (acetone extract:benzene:water - 15:1:10 v/v/v) and HPLC analysis. The influence of column temperature on pigment separation and the quantification method were investigated – a temperature of 5 °C was selected for the Lichrospher 100 RP-18e column. The pigments in the sediment extract were quantified using a method based on HPLC analysis (at 450 nm) and spectrophotometric measurements (at 450 nm), and extinction coefficients were determined for standard solutions at this wavelength. It is very important to use the value of the extinction coefficient appropriate to the wavelength at which the detection of carotenoids was carried out.

Keywords

• Carotenoids
• Sediments
• Analysis
• Extraction
• HPLC