Letter: Ready detection of Beta-carotene from large aggregates of cyclodextrin complexes in water solution by laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry with and without matrix assistance

Beta-Carotene forms large aggregates (micelles) with beta- and gamma-cyclodextrin in water. The components of such aggregates can be easily and quickly analyzed by using laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LDI-TOF-MS). The use of a suitable matrix (2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, DHB) allows one to detect both carotene and cyclodextrins, whereas LDI-MS without matrix can be exploited for the selective detection of carotene. On this basis, an analytical strategy can be developed for the assessment of the composition of water soluble carotene/cyclodextrin systems and the investigation on the repartition of the components in the presence of organic solvents.