Determination of Fucoxanthin in Bloom-Forming Macroalgae by HPLC-UV

Fucoxanthin is a carotenoid natural product with extensive biological activities and offers a variety of health benefits. Brown algae and diatoms are known producers of this compound as an important component of their light-harvesting complexes. Considering its important function in algal photosynthesis, we assume that the massive biomass from macroalgal blooms is potential bioresources of this compound. Accordingly, a high-performance liquid chromatography-ultra-violet (HPLC-UV) method was developed and validated for quantitation of fucoxanthin in bloom-forming macroalgal species from coastal waters of north China. The linear regression was acquired with r = 0.9991. The precisions were evaluated by intra- and inter-day tests, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) values were within the range of 0.59 and 2.30%, respectively. The recoveries for the method were observed over the range of 99.3-100.4% with RSD values < 2.6%. Our results showed that fucoxanthin occurs in all the tested algae including red and green algal species, which are not generally considered as fucoxanthin producers. Application of HPLC-time-of-flight mass spectrometry for the qualitative analysis further confirmed the production of fucoxanthin in these species. The developed method provided an insight into the potential of the macroalgal biomass commercial production of fucoxanthin.

Automated summary

Fucoxanthin, a carotenoid natural product, has been found in various algae species, including those not traditionally considered producers of this compound. The development of a HPLC-UV method and HPLC-time-of-flight mass spectrometry has allowed for quantification and confirmation of fucoxanthin production in algae, highlighting the commercial potential for macroalgal biomass in producing this compound.