A liquid chromatographic method for analysis of all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate and retinyl palmitate in medical food using matrix solid-phase dispersion in conjunction with a zero reference material as a method development tool
Chase, G.W.; Eitenmiller, R.R.; Long, A.R.
Journal - Association of Official Analytical Chemists 82(1): 107-111
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0004-5756 PMID: 10028678 Document Number: 502615
A liquid chromatographic method is described for analysis of all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate and retinyl palmitate in medical food. The vitamins are extracted from medical food without saponification by matrix solid-phase dispersion and chromatographed by normal-phase chromatography with fluorescence detection. Retinyl palmitate and all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate are quantitated isocratically with a mobile phase of 0.125% (v/v) and 0.5% (v/v) isopropyl alcohol in hexane, respectively. Results compared favorably with label declarations on retail medical foods. Recoveries determined on an analyte-fortified zero reference material for a milk-based medical food averaged 98.3% (n = 25) for retinyl palmitate spikes and 95.7% (n = 25) for all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate spikes. Five concentrations were examined for each analyte, and results were linear (r2 = 0.995 for retinyl palmitate and 0.9998 for all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate) over the concentration range examined, with coefficients of variation in the range 0.81-4.22%. The method provides a rapid, specific, and easily controlled assay for analysis of retinyl palmitate and all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate in fortified medical foods.