[Simultaneous determination of canthaxanthin and astaxanthin in feedstuffs using solid phase...

A method was developed for the simultaneous determination of canthaxanthin and astaxanthin in feedstuffs using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The sample was extracted by acetonitrile, and cleaned up by an LC-NH2 column. An Agilent ZORBAX Eclipse XDB-C18 analytical column (150 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) was used and kept at 25 degrees C. Acetonitrile-methanol (95 : 5, v/v) was used as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The detection was performed by a diode array detector at 474 nm. The quantitive analysis of external standard calibration curves was used. The linear ranges of the method for canthaxanthin and astaxanthin were 1.0 - 30.0 mg/L (r = 0.999 0) and 1.0 - 20.0 mg/L (r = 0.999 1), respectively. The average recoveries were 90% - 101% with the relative standard deviations of 0.62% - 3.68%. The detection limits were 0.84 and 0.60 mg/L for canthaxanthin and astaxanthin, respectively. The method is simple, precise, sensitive and reproductive. It can be used to determine the contents of canthaxanthin and astaxanthin in feedstuffs.