Separation and identification of various carotenoids by C30 reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to UV and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometric detection

Abstract In this paper the application of on-line HPLC–UV–APCI (atmospheric pressure chemical ionization) mass spectrometry (MS) coupling for the separation and determination of different carotenoids as well as cis / trans isomers of β-carotene is reported. All HPLC separations were carried out under RP conditions on self-synthesized polymeric C 30 phases. The analysis of a carotenoid mixture containing astaxanthin, canthaxanthin, zeaxanthin, echinenone and β-carotene by HPLC–APCI-MS was achieved by scanning the mass range from m/z 200 to 700. For the characterization of a sample containing cis / trans isomers of β-carotene as well as their oxidation products, a photodiode-array UV–visible absorbance detector was used in addition between the column and the mass spectrometer for structural elucidation of the geometrical isomers. The detection limit for β-carotene in positive-ion APCI–MS was determined to be 1 pmol. In addition, an extract of non-polar substances in vegetable juice has been analyzed by HPLC–APCI-MS. The included carotenoids could be identified by their masses and their retention times.