Structure elucidation of deoxylutein II isomers by on-line capillary high performance liquid chromatography-(1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Thermal and iodine-catalyzed photochemical (Z/E)-isomerization of deoxylutein II [(3R,6'R)-3-hydroxy-3',4'-didehydro-beta,gamma-carotene, anhydrolutein I] (2), the dehydration product of lutein [(3R,3'R,6'R)-beta,varepsilon-carotene-3,3'-diol] (4), yielded multi-component mixtures of (Z)-isomers. By I(2)-catalyzed photoisomerization, (9Z)-2, (9'Z)-2, (13Z)-2, (13'Z)-2 and (15Z)-2 are generated as main products. In addition, this thermodynamic-equilibrium mixture contains traces of (9Z,9'Z)-2 and other (di-Z)-isomers in minor concentrations. Thirteen isomers are chromatographically separated and detected on-line by UV-vis and mass spectrometry. (all-E)-Deoxylutein II (2) and six of its (Z)-configured isomers are separated by capillary HPLC (acetone-d(6)/D(2)O = 85:15) and detected on-line by (1)H NMR spectroscopy in a microprobe. With the microprobe and the active detection volume of 1.5 microl, it is possible to perform structure elucidation with very small amounts available for various (Z)-isomers of deoxylutein II (2) in the isomerization mixture.