Characterization of a vitamin B12 compound in the edible purple laver, Porphyra yezoensis

The edible purple lever, Porphyra yezoensis, contained 51.49+/-1.51 mug of vitamin Bit compounds per 100 g dry weight of the laver (mean +/- SEM, n = 4). A vitamin B-12 compound was purified from the lyophilized purple laver and partially characterized. The silica gel 60 TLC and reversed-phase HPLC patterns of the purified pink-colored compound were identical to those of authentic vitamin B-12, but not to those of vitamin B-12 analogues inactive for humans.