Determination of chlorophylls in the marine environment

Chlorophylls and other pigments have been frequently investigated in marine samples. As the amount of chlorophyll may be used as a marker for phytoplankton production its determination is of paramount importance in sea research [274], HPLC data have been used for the study of phytoplankton community structure [275] and for the indentification of phytoplankton groups [276], Earlier advances in HPLC pigment analysis have been reviewed [277], 

Normal-phase HPLC has also found application in the analysis of pigments in marine sediments and water-column particulate matter. Sediments were extracted twice with methanol and twice with dichloromethane. The combined extracts were washed with water, concentrated under vacuum and redissolved in acetone. Nomal-phase separation was performed with gradient elution solvents A and B being hexane-N,N-disopropylethylamine (99.5 0.5, v/v) and hexane-2-propanol (60 40, v/v), respectively. Gradient conditions were 100 per cent A, in 0 min 50 per cent A, in 10 min 0 per cent A in 15 min isocratic, 20 min. Preparative RP-HPLC was carried out in an ODS column (100 X 4.6 mm i.d. particle size 3 jum). Solvent A was methanol-aqueous 0.5 N ammonium acetate (75 25, v/v), solvent B methanol-acetone (20 80, v/v). The gradient was as follows 0 min, 60 per cent A 40 per cent A over 2 min 0 per cent A over 28 min isocratic, 30 min. The same column and mobile phase components were applied for the analytical separation of solutes. The chemical structure and retention time of the major pigments are compiled in Table 2.96. 

It was found that the separation and identification of carotenol chlorin esters by various chromatographic techniques may help the better understanding of the pathway of carbon-mineralization in the marine environment [279], 

CHEMICAL STRUCTURE AND RETENTION TIME IN RP-HPLC OF THE MAJOR PIGMENTS 

Chlorophyll-a Pheophytin-a Pyropheophitin- a Pheophorbide-a Pyropheophorobide-a Isofucoxanthin-dehydrate Fucoxanthin dehydrate Fucoxanthin-hemiketal Isofucoxanthin dehydrate pheophorbide a ester Isofucoxanthin dehydrate pheophorbide a ester Isofucoxanthin dehydrate pyropheophorbide a ester 23.5 26.4 28.1 5.0 6.9 10.7 12.0 6.4 24.4 22.9 25.4 

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