HPLC analysis of carotenoids from bacteria

Bacteria synthesize different carotenoid structures. A powerful method for the determination of carotenoid profiles of bacteria, including quantification, is high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This chapter explains the basics of this method and its application, and provides instruction on how to proceed with HPLC. A basic HPLC system for bacterial carotenoids is presented which allows tentative identification and quantification. The individual analysis steps including extraction, sample preparation and HPLC separation are described in detail. HPLC examples of structurally diverse carotenoids from different bacterial phyla are displayed demonstrating the applicability of this method. In addition, information on spectroscopic properties useful for identification is included. Finally, a procedure for carotenoid quantification from the HPLC chromatogram is described.