Chapter 9
A Routine Method for the Extraction and HPLC-DAD Profiling
of Major Plant and Food Carotenoids
Da ´ maso Hornero-Me ´ ndez
Abstract
Carotenoids are ubiquitously present in Nature, and especially in plants and derived foods. The carotenoid
profiling is necessary to understand relevant aspects in relation to their biochemistry and genetics, as well as
their important roles on human health and animal ecophysiology. Here we propose a simple methodology
for the routine extraction and efficient HPLC separation of the most common plant and food carotenoids
from plant and animal origins.
Key words HPLC, UV/Visible, DAD, Carotenoids, Carotenes, Xanthophylls
1 Introduction
Among natural pigments, carotenoids are those more ubiquitously
found in living organisms [1]. Carotenoids are responsible for the
yellow, orange, and red colors of most fruits and vegetables, including fruits, flowers, roots, leaves, and seeds; and also of some animal
tissues and derived foods (i.e., egg-yolk, skin, etc.) [2]. The most
common carotenoids are C40 isoprenoids characterized by a polyene skeleton with a long conjugated double-bond system, which
constitutes the chromophore. Longer (C50 bacterial carotenoids)
and shorter (for instance apocarotenoids) chain carotenoids are also
found. About 750 naturally occurring carotenoids have been
isolated and described [1]. Carotenoids can only be synthesized
de novo by plants, and some bacteria and fungi. In contrast, animals
must necessarily uptake carotenoids from diet since they are unable
to synthesize them [3]. Carotenoids play essential roles in the lightharvesting process and the photoprotection mechanisms of plants.
Moreover, after ingestion by animals, carotenoids exert a wide
range of health-promoting functions and actions such as provitamin A (only some of them), antioxidant, reduction in the risk of
developing cardiovascular and other degenerative diseases (such as
Manuel Rodrı ´guez-Concepcio ´ n and Ralf Welsch (eds.), Plant and Food Carotenoids: Methods and Protocols,
Methods in Molecular Biology, vol. 2083, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9952-1_9,
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
117
A Routine Method for the Extraction and HPLC-DAD Profiling
of Major Plant and Food Carotenoids
Da ´ maso Hornero-Me ´ ndez
Abstract
Carotenoids are ubiquitously present in Nature, and especially in plants and derived foods. The carotenoid
profiling is necessary to understand relevant aspects in relation to their biochemistry and genetics, as well as
their important roles on human health and animal ecophysiology. Here we propose a simple methodology
for the routine extraction and efficient HPLC separation of the most common plant and food carotenoids
from plant and animal origins.
Key words HPLC, UV/Visible, DAD, Carotenoids, Carotenes, Xanthophylls
1 Introduction
Among natural pigments, carotenoids are those more ubiquitously
found in living organisms [1]. Carotenoids are responsible for the
yellow, orange, and red colors of most fruits and vegetables, including fruits, flowers, roots, leaves, and seeds; and also of some animal
tissues and derived foods (i.e., egg-yolk, skin, etc.) [2]. The most
common carotenoids are C40 isoprenoids characterized by a polyene skeleton with a long conjugated double-bond system, which
constitutes the chromophore. Longer (C50 bacterial carotenoids)
and shorter (for instance apocarotenoids) chain carotenoids are also
found. About 750 naturally occurring carotenoids have been
isolated and described [1]. Carotenoids can only be synthesized
de novo by plants, and some bacteria and fungi. In contrast, animals
must necessarily uptake carotenoids from diet since they are unable
to synthesize them [3]. Carotenoids play essential roles in the lightharvesting process and the photoprotection mechanisms of plants.
Moreover, after ingestion by animals, carotenoids exert a wide
range of health-promoting functions and actions such as provitamin A (only some of them), antioxidant, reduction in the risk of
developing cardiovascular and other degenerative diseases (such as
Manuel Rodrı ´guez-Concepcio ´ n and Ralf Welsch (eds.), Plant and Food Carotenoids: Methods and Protocols,
Methods in Molecular Biology, vol. 2083, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9952-1_9,
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
117