Spectral properties and stability of selected carotenoid and chlorophyll compounds in different solvent systems
Eyosias L. Ashenafi, Marianne C. Nyman, Jacob T. Shelley, Neil Mattson
Abstract
A quick, accurate, and low-cost analytical method for the assessment of bioactive leaf pigments, such as carotenoids and chlorophylls, can be beneficial for plant growers and consumers. The objective of this study was to learn about the thermal stability of major plant pigments and investigate the potential for rapid extraction and quantification of individual compounds in leafy greens. In this study, the spectral properties and chemical stability of violaxanthin, neoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, β-carotene, and chlorophyll a and b pigments were examined in different solvent systems. Within the same solvent system, bathochromic shifts were observed in the analysis of carotenoids that contain a higher number of conjugated double bonds. Depending on the solvent system, pigments exhibited different degrees of stability. The results from this study can be used to identify an ideal solvent system for the storage of pigment standards and for the analysis of these pigments in leaf samples using UV-VIS spectroscopy.