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Extraction of chlorophylls a and b from phytoplankton using standard extraction techniques *
Author(s) -
RIEMANN BO,
ERNST† DTETER
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
freshwater biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.297
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2427
pISSN - 0046-5070
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2427.1982.tb00617.x
Subject(s) - extraction (chemistry) , green algae , acetone , chlorophyll a , chlorophyll , algae , chlorophyll b , pigment , chlorophyll c , methanol , chromatography , botany , solvent , chlorophyta , chemistry , biology , chlorophyll fluorescence , biochemistry , organic chemistry
SUMMARY. Pigments extracted in methanol, acetone and ethanol from three cultures of green algae and one blue‐green alga revealed different extraction efficiencies depending on the species, the extraction solvent used and the extraction time. Chromatographic identification and quantitative measurements of chlorophylls a and b were made from six green algae. When extraction of pigments was incomplete, chlorophyll‐ b was extracted faster than chlorophyll‐ a. This effect was more pronounced for acetone extractions, whereas methanol extractions gave the stable ratios of chlorophyll b/a after about 6–10 h. When green algae are frequent, a 6–10 h methanol extraction, without any extra manipulations, is sufficient to ensure reliable ratios of chlorophyll b/a and extraction of the major proportion of the chlorophylls without risk of induced destruction of the chlorophylls.