Analysis of CoQ10 in Cultivated Tobacco by a High-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Ultraviolet Method

Coenzyme Q (CoQ) is a naturally occurring lipid-soluble quinone that performs multiple functions in all living cells and has become a popular antioxidant supplement, a coadjuvant in the treatment of heart disease, and the object of study for treating neurodegenerative disorders. Although there are many tools for CoQ analysis of microbial and animal samples, there have been relatively few reports of methods for CoQ analysis of green plants. This work describes a method for the routine analysis of coenzyme Q10 in green leaf tissue of cultivated Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection. The method was applied to the analysis of CoQ10 in N. tabacum ‘KY14’ leaves at different stalk positions representing young lanceolate to senescing leaves, and it was found that CoQ10 increased as leaf position changed down the stalk from 18.69 to 82.68 μg/g fw. The method was also used to observe CoQ10 in N. tabacum ‘NC55’ and N. tabacum ‘TN90LC’ leaves over time, finding that CoQ10 leaf content remained relatively stable from 3 to 6 weeks but increased in both cultivars at 8 weeks. This method will likely be useful in the analysis of CoQ10 in the green leaves of other plant species.