Quantitative thin-layer chromatography of chlorophylls and carotenoids from marine algae

Thin layers of specially prepared sucrose were used to separate the chlorophylls and carotenoids of green algae, brown algae, diatoms, dinoflagellates, chrysomonads, and the leaf pigments of higher plants. Pigments separated included chlorophylls a, b and c, pheophytins a and b, carotenes, lutein, violaxanthin, neoxanthin, diatoxanthin, diadinoxanthin, dinoxanthin, fucoxanthin, neofucoxanthin, peridinin, neoperidinin, and several minor dinoflagellate xanthophylls. No decomposition of pigments occurred on this adsorbent, and recoveries of 1–2 μg of various pigments, after two-dimensional chromatography, averaged 95%. Chlorophyll degradation products, not separated on sucrose plates, were separated on thin layers of cellulose; chlorophyll c derivatives were separated on thin layers of polyethylene, and carotene isomers were separated on thin layers of alumina-magnesium oxide. The methods are rapid and simple, and because of the sensitivity of the method the pigment components of very small samples of algae may be determined.