Study on the elution order of carotenoids on endcapped C18 and C30 reverse silica stationary phases. A review of the database

We provide a database which presents the separation characteristics of C18 and C30 stationary phases using carotenoids with diverse structures, including isomers, from the apolar carotenes to the very polar tetrahydroxy xantophylls. The retention behavior of more than 90 carotenoids on a C18 and C30 stationary phase were studied. The influence of structural differences of the carotenoids on the elution order for the two columns is discussed. Octadecyl bonded silica phase produces good separation for the whole polarity range of carotenoids. On this phase carotenoids are eluted in the order of their polarity. The examined polar compounds, including optical isomers, could be well separated on a C18 phase. However, the separation of regio- and geometrical isomers of carotenoids, as well as non-polar carotenes, is better achieved using a C30 phase.