An indirect method for the rapid estimation of carotenoid contents in Phaeodactylum tricornutum: Possible application to other marine algae

The equations of Parsons and Strickland (1963) have been applied to calculate the concentration of total carotenoids in Phaeodactylum tricornutum, and the same pigments have simultaneously been determined on the individual fractions after TLC (thinlayer chromatography) separation. Comparison of both sets of data shows that for diverse carotenoids: chlorophyll a ratios, the direct spectrophotometric values range from 80 to 130% of the chromatographic values; wide variations in the proportions of different carotenoids account for such difference. On the basis of correlations between the proportion of each carotenoid and the absorbance ratio 480:663 nm, an indirect method for the rapid estimation of individual carotenoids of P. tricornutum is proposed. Its eventual application to other Chrysophyta species and to sea water is discussed.Contribución del Instituto de Biología Marina No. 320.