Riboflavin is a water-soluble B vitamin that plays a role in certain metabolic reactions. It could also have antioxidant properties. Riboflavin is highly unstable in the presence of light, and constant exposure causes photodegradation. In neutral or acidic pH, lumichrome tends to be the only major product, but both lumichrome and lumiflavin are the major products in a basic environment.  Because the fluorescence spectra of the starting material and the products are different, fluorometry can be used to monitor the photodegradation of riboflavin. In this study, riboflavin was exposed to various sources of light for different lengths of time, and the photodegradation was monitored by periodically acquiring emission spectra. Chromatographic techniques were also carried out in order to identify the products of photodegradation. The results of this senior research project carried out in a primarily undergraduate institution will be presented.

Fluorometric monitoring of the photodegradation of riboflavin

255th National Meeting (2018)

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