Comparison of Extraction and HPLC Methods for Marine Sedimentary Chloropigment Determinations

Abstract

This study compared different extraction and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combinations for the analysis of chloropigments in sediments and microalgae (phytoplankton). A significant literature review is also included. Extractants in the present study included 100% acetone, tetrahydrofuran, and an aqueous mixture of methanol, acetone, and dimethylformamide. HPLC methods involved gradient elution methods with or without ion pairing reagents over C₁₈ silica based columns. Though slight differences were found, most notably with the extraction of steryl chlorin esters, this intercomparison reveals that both extraction and HPLC protocols investigated, in any combination, perform well for the analysis of chlorophylls and their derivatives in sediment and phytoplankton samples.

Keywords:

• Chloropigments a
• Sediments
• Analysis
• HPLC
• Extraction

Acknowledgments

This work was done in the framework of the grant No. N00014‐04‐1‐404 of the Department of the U.S. Navy: Naval Research International Field Office (M. S.‐Z.), as well as contract #ML061237 from the South Florida Water Management District (J.W.L.).