QUANTIFICATION OF ANTHOCYANIN PIGMENTS IN ACER PALMATUM 'ATROPURPUREUM'-UV-VIS SPECTROMETRY

Abstract

The aim of this research is to develop a reliable UV-Vis spectroscopic method for the quantitative determination of chlorophyll content in the leaves of Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum', with the goal of gaining a deeper understanding of the factors that influence the accumulation of these pigments in this plant species. The experimental design was done and leaves of Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum' were collected from a local nursery located in Bindura, Mashonaland Central, Zimbabwe and the chronological sequences of the experiment were followed. The results of the chlorophyll extraction and quantification demonstrate the effectiveness of the UV-Vis spectroscopic method for determining the concentrations of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b in the Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum' leaf samples.

Three different extraction solvents, acetone, ethanol, and dimethylformamide (DMF), were evaluated, and the results showed that acetone was the most effective solvent for extracting and quantifying the chlorophyll pigments. From this research, conclusion have been drawn from tangible evidence and calibration curves were constructed for chlorophyll A and chlorophyll B using standard solutions in the respective extraction solvents (acetone, ethanol, and DMF). The absorbance values at the specific wavelengths (662 nm for chlorophyll A and 645 nm for chlorophyll B) were plotted against the known concentrations of the chlorophyll standards. The total chlorophyll content in the Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum' leaves ranged from 2.37 mg/g dry weight (ethanol) to 2.55 mg/g dry weight (acetone), with the acetone extract showing the highest chlorophyll content.