Thin-Layer Chromatographic Analysis of Carotenoids in Plant and Animal Samples

Carotenoids are among the most widespread and important pigments in living organisms. They are found in common foods and vegetables. The characteristic pattern of alternating single and double bonds in the polyene backbone enables them to absorb excess energy from other molecules. The nature of the specific end groups on carotenoids may effect their polarity, thus solubility ranges from acetone to hexane. Because of this wide range of polarity, specific extraction and separation procedures are required. In these procedures use of planar chromatography in food analysis might seem a minor aspect of carotenoid analysis. This review describes available data on analysis of carotenoids by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). It has been found that petroleum ether, acetone, and hexane are the major mobile phases used for TLC. Thin-layer chromatography was found to have the potential to be the first choice for analysis of carotenoids in biological samples. The uses of other, orthogonal chromatographic methods, for example HPLC, spectroscopy (mass spectroscopy), scanning densitometry, and image analysis with TLC can enable precise analysis of carotenoids.