HPLC-PDA-MS/MS as a strategy to characterize and quantify natural pigments from microalgae

Area of Science:

• Phycology
• Natural Product Chemistry
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Growing demand for novel natural pigments from microalgae.
• Limited exploitation of microalgae species for pigment extraction.
• Need for detailed pigment composition data for underutilized species.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively analyze the carotenoid and chlorophyll composition of Chlorella sorokiniana and Scenedesmus bijuga.
• To identify and quantify specific pigments in these two green microalgae species.
• To provide foundational data for microalgae pigment databases.

Main Methods:

• High-performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array and mass spectrometry detectors (HPLC-PDA-MS/MS) were employed.
• Extraction and separation of carotenoid and chlorophyll compounds from microalgal biomass.
• Quantitative and qualitative analysis of identified pigments.

Main Results:

• Seventeen different carotenoids were identified, with xanthophylls predominating.
• Chlorella sorokiniana contained 11 carotenoids, while Scenedesmus bijuga contained 16.
• Major carotenoids were all-trans-lutein (higher in C. sorokiniana) and all-trans-β-carotene (higher in S. bijuga).
• Seven chlorophyll compounds were identified in both species, with concentrations varying between strains.
• Chlorophylls constituted 7.6% of C. sorokiniana biomass compounds and 10.2% of S. bijuga biomass compounds.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first detailed pigment composition analysis for Chlorella sorokiniana and Scenedesmus bijuga.
• The identified pigments, including specific carotenoids and chlorophylls, highlight the potential of these species as sources of natural compounds.
• The findings contribute valuable data to microalgae pigment composition databases, supporting future research and applications.