Identification of Natural Dyestuff in Archeological Coptic Textiles by HPLC with Fluorescence Detection

Abstract

High performance liquid chromatography with UV–Vis detection and post-column derivatization with fluorimetric detection was used for analysis of dyes used in Coptic textiles. To obtain the best separation of analyzed compounds composition of mobile phase was optimized. The best results were obtained for 25 mM phosphoric buffer at pH 2.5 with gradient change of methanol concentration (Table 1). As post-column reagents used to enhance fluorescence signal of analyzed compounds, solutions of Al(III), Ga(III), In(III), and Zn(II) were used. The highest increase of fluorescence signal was observed for Ga(III) and 10 mM solution of this ion was used for investigation of plant extracts and extracts from Coptic textiles.

Keywords:

• Fluorescence
• HPLC
• Archeological
• Textiles
• Dyestuff

Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported by Grant No. 1H01E 002 99C/4402 from Polish State Committee for Scientific Research and CEEPUS Grant H-76. Authors thank Prof. N. P. Mischenko from Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry in Vladivostok (Russia) for the gift of munjistin, and POLFA Company for the possibility of doing a part of experimental work in its laboratory.