Skip to Content
Merck
  • Tackling the challenge of selective analytical clean-up of complex natural extracts: the curious case of chlorophyll removal.

Tackling the challenge of selective analytical clean-up of complex natural extracts: the curious case of chlorophyll removal.

Food chemistry (2014-06-11)
Sebastiaan Bijttebier, Els D'Hondt, Bart Noten, Nina Hermans, Sandra Apers, Stefan Voorspoels
ABSTRACT

Alkaline saponification is often used to remove interfering chlorophylls and lipids during carotenoids analysis. However, saponification also hydrolyses esterified carotenoids and is known to induce artifacts. To avoid carotenoid artifact formation during saponification, Larsen and Christensen (2005) developed a gentler and simpler analytical clean-up procedure involving the use of a strong basic resin (Ambersep 900 OH). They hypothesised a saponification mechanism based on their Liquid Chromatography-Photodiode Array (LC-PDA) data. In the present study, we show with LC-PDA-accurate mass-Mass Spectrometry that the main chlorophyll removal mechanism is not based on saponification, apolar adsorption or anion exchange, but most probably an adsorption mechanism caused by H-bonds and dipole-dipole interactions. We showed experimentally that esterified carotenoids and glycerolipids were not removed, indicating a much more selective mechanism than initially hypothesised. This opens new research opportunities towards a much wider scope of applications (e.g. the refinement of oils rich in phytochemical content).

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium chloride solution, 0.85%
SAFC
Sodium chloride solution, 5 M
Supelco
Acetone, Pharmaceutical Secondary Standard; Certified Reference Material
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium chloride, BioPerformance Certified, ≥99% (titration), suitable for insect cell culture, suitable for plant cell culture
Supelco
Ambersep® 900 hydroxide form, OH--form, strongly basic
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium chloride, 99.999% trace metals basis
Supelco
Acetone, analytical standard
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium bicarbonate, tested according to Ph. Eur.
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium chloride, tested according to Ph. Eur.
Sigma-Aldrich
Butylated hydroxytoluene, ≥99%, FCC, FG
Sigma-Aldrich
Acetone, natural, ≥97%
Sigma-Aldrich
Acetone, ≥99%, meets FCC analytical specifications
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium chloride, random crystals, optical grade, 99.9% trace metals basis
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium chloride-35Cl, 99 atom % 35Cl
Sigma-Aldrich
Ammonium acetate, 99.999% trace metals basis
Sigma-Aldrich
Ammonium acetate, BioXtra, ≥98%
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium chloride solution, 5 M
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium chloride, tablet
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium chloride solution, 0.9% in water, BioXtra, suitable for cell culture
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium chloride, BioReagent, suitable for cell culture, suitable for insect cell culture, suitable for plant cell culture, ≥99%
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium chloride, BioXtra, ≥99.5% (AT)
Sigma-Aldrich
Ammonium acetate, reagent grade, ≥98%
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium bicarbonate, BioXtra, 99.5-100.5%
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium chloride, meets analytical specification of Ph. Eur., BP, USP, 99.0-100.5%
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium hydroxide, BioXtra, ≥98% (acidimetric), pellets (anhydrous)
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium hydroxide, reagent grade, 97%, flakes
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium hydroxide, anhydrous, free-flowing, Redi-Dri, reagent grade, ≥98%, pellets
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium hydroxide solution, 5.0 M
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium hydroxide, puriss., meets analytical specification of Ph. Eur., BP, NF, E524, 98-100.5%, pellets
Sigma-Aldrich
Acetone, HPLC Plus, for HPLC, GC, and residue analysis, ≥99.9%