Chapter 16
Carotenoid and Apocarotenoid Analysis
by SFE-SFC-QqQ/MS
Daniele Giuffrida, Mariosimone Zoccali, and Luigi Mondello
Abstract
Carotenoids and carotenoids oxidative and enzymatic cleavage products called apocarotenoids are very
important bioactive molecules in plants and humans, with different biological functions. Both central and
noncentral carotenoid cleavage products have been reported to occur in food and in humans, where they
may act as bioactive molecules with functions that were previously attributed to the parent carotenoid.
However, relatively few studies are available in the literature on the apocarotenoid occurrence in food and
biological fluids which were mainly based on liquid chromatographic separation approaches and even fewer
reports are available on the carotenoid and apocarotenoid separation by a direct online supercritical fluid
extraction-supercritical fluid chromatography with triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry detection
(SFE-SFC-QqQ/MS) methodology. In comparison with offline approaches the online nature of the system
drastically reduces the extraction time required in traditional solid/liquid extraction, which may require a
few hours. Moreover, it reduces the analysis run time, as well as the risks of sample contamination and the
possible occurrence of operator errors, improves run-to-run precision, and enables the setting of batch-type
applications. The purpose of this contribution was to provide an updated description of the SFE-SFCQqQ/MS methodology applied to carotenoid and apocarotenoid analysis in various matrices, although
with a particular focus on the apocarotenoid applications.
Key words Carotenoids, Apocarotenoids, Supercritical fluid extraction, Supercritical fluid chromatography, Mass spectrometry, SFE-SFC-QqQ/MS
1 Introduction
Analytical methods for detecting carotenoids and their derivatives
in food and biological samples are mainly based on liquid chromatography approaches with relatively long analytical times and considerable organic solvent consumption [1–4].
Supercritical carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) offers peculiar features, like
low viscosity, high density, and high diffusion coefficient that make
it suitable for both the carotenoid supercritical fluid extraction
(SFE) and chromatography (SFC). Supercritical CO 2 is considered
particularly suitable for carotenoid extraction and separation
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_16,
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
209
Carotenoid and Apocarotenoid Analysis
by SFE-SFC-QqQ/MS
Daniele Giuffrida, Mariosimone Zoccali, and Luigi Mondello
Abstract
Carotenoids and carotenoids oxidative and enzymatic cleavage products called apocarotenoids are very
important bioactive molecules in plants and humans, with different biological functions. Both central and
noncentral carotenoid cleavage products have been reported to occur in food and in humans, where they
may act as bioactive molecules with functions that were previously attributed to the parent carotenoid.
However, relatively few studies are available in the literature on the apocarotenoid occurrence in food and
biological fluids which were mainly based on liquid chromatographic separation approaches and even fewer
reports are available on the carotenoid and apocarotenoid separation by a direct online supercritical fluid
extraction-supercritical fluid chromatography with triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry detection
(SFE-SFC-QqQ/MS) methodology. In comparison with offline approaches the online nature of the system
drastically reduces the extraction time required in traditional solid/liquid extraction, which may require a
few hours. Moreover, it reduces the analysis run time, as well as the risks of sample contamination and the
possible occurrence of operator errors, improves run-to-run precision, and enables the setting of batch-type
applications. The purpose of this contribution was to provide an updated description of the SFE-SFCQqQ/MS methodology applied to carotenoid and apocarotenoid analysis in various matrices, although
with a particular focus on the apocarotenoid applications.
Key words Carotenoids, Apocarotenoids, Supercritical fluid extraction, Supercritical fluid chromatography, Mass spectrometry, SFE-SFC-QqQ/MS
1 Introduction
Analytical methods for detecting carotenoids and their derivatives
in food and biological samples are mainly based on liquid chromatography approaches with relatively long analytical times and considerable organic solvent consumption [1–4].
Supercritical carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) offers peculiar features, like
low viscosity, high density, and high diffusion coefficient that make
it suitable for both the carotenoid supercritical fluid extraction
(SFE) and chromatography (SFC). Supercritical CO 2 is considered
particularly suitable for carotenoid extraction and separation
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_16,
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
209