Plant Pigment Detection

Plant pigments are macromolecules produced by specific plant cells. Being able to absorb lights of specified wavelengths, plant pigments play important roles in capturing energy from sunlight and to power the chemical reactions (i.e., photosynthesis) in plant cells. Aside from absorbing light, pigments in plants, especially those in flowers, also help attract insects and animals by displaying a colorful image. Besides, due to the different anti-reactive oxygen species ability of different pigments, some natural food pigments have outstanding therapeutic and preventive effects as well as health functions for a variety of diseases in the human body. So, plant pigments have high industrial values. Therefore, accurate evaluation of plant pigments is critical for both plant growth regulation and industrial applications.

STEMart provides diversified analytical approaches for rapid and precise quantification and identification of different plant pigments.

Test Methods

• Spectroscopic methods: provide quick crude identification of pigments in an extract or mixture.
  • Absorbance spectroscopy: based on differential absorbance spectra of different plant pigments, this is the simplest way to identify and quantify major pigments in a given sample.
  • Fluorescence spectroscopy: with adjustable wavelength settings, this method allows targeted detection of pigments by selective excitation.
  • Infrared spectroscopy: allows identification of pigments based on particular structural features.
• Chromatographic methods: unlike spectroscopic methods, which are performed within crude extractions, chromatography allows separation of individual components from a mixture, and therefore gives higher resolutions.
  • Open column: open columns can be filled with calcium hydroxide or hydroxylapatite for the separation of different types of plant pigments.
  • Thin-layer chromatography (TLC): feasible for separating compounds with distinguished structures, TLC can also be used as a pre-treatment for cleaning of total sample extractions.
  • High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC): requiring minimal sample preparation, HPLC ensures precise detection with high sensitivity, high resolution and less time cost.
  • Mass spectrometry (MS): modern MS technology is becoming increasingly popular for the characterization of plant pigments, as it allows precise, efficient identification and quantification within a single sample set.

Test Capabilities

• Chlorophyll
• Carotene
• Lutein
• Capsanthin
• Anthocyanidin
• Betalain

For more information about our plant pigment detection service, please contact us.