Abstract
The carotenoids of yellow, red and tangerine tomato fruits were separated and identified by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and spectrophotometry.
The various systems of adsorbents and solvents for TLC of tomato carotenes were examined, and it was revealed that the most suitable TLC system for separation and identification was the combination of MgO-HSC-Cel (10:9:1) layer and the solvent system of n-hexane: isopropanol: MeOH (100:2:0.2).
In the yellow tomato, β-carotene and a small amount of lycopene were identified, and in the red tomato, phytoene, phytofluene, β-, ζ- and γ-carotene, neurosporene and trans-lycopene were identified.
In the tangerine tomato, phytoene, phytofluene, β- and ζ-carotene, trans-neurosporene, two kinds of cis-neurosporene, trans-lycopene and four kinds of cis-lycopene were identified. In addition, a cis-form γ-carotene (probably pro-γ-carotene) was confirmed to be contained concurrently in the same spot as prolycopene, which suggests the presence of a pathway to the formation of pro-γ- carotene in the tangerine tomato.
By dipping the layer in liquid paraffin, the absorbance of the separated carotenoid spots could be easily measured in the wavelengths of 370_??_375nm and 440_??_445nm with a chromato-scanner.
