Where are carotenoids seen with chromatography?

Answer 1

An analytical method for the profiling and quantitative determination of carotenoids in bacteria is described. Exhaustive extraction of the pigments from four selected bacterial strains required treatment of the cells with potassium hydroxide or liquefied phenol or both before the addition of the extracting solvent (methanol or diethyl ether). The carotenoids in the extracts were separated by nonaqueous reversed-phase liquid chromatography in conjunction with photodiode array absorption detection. The identity of a peak was considered definitive only when both its retention time and absorption spectrum, before and after chemical reactions, matched those of a reference component. In the absence of the latter, most peaks could be tentatively identified. Two examples illustrate how in the analysis of pigmented bacteria errors may result from using nonchromatographic procedures or liquid chromatographic methods lacking sufficient criteria for peak identification. Carotenoids of interest were determined quantitatively when the authentic reference substance was available or, alternatively, were determined semiquantitatively http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=203224

Answer 2

Carotenoids are typically seen as bright-colored bands on a chromatogram when using techniques such as thin-layer chromatography or high-performance liquid chromatography. They separate based on their different chemical properties, allowing for their identification and quantification.