Determination of Carotene in Plant Materials

Abstract

A rapid method for the routine determination of carotene in plant materials has been worked out by which the green tissues are triturated with a mixture of lime and anhydrous sodium sulfate. This results in their disintegration as well as adsorption of chlorophyll and other noncarotenoid pigments; the carotene itself is rendered readily extractable by petroleum ether or benzene and can be determined either as gross carotene or as its isomerides after chromatographic resolution. The method is particularly suitable for the analysis of green, leafy materials, feeds, and fodders and gives excellent agreement with standard procedures, but it can be applied with equal success to fresh fruits and vegetables.