RAPID-DETERMINATION OF VITAMIN-A AND VITAMIN-E IN SERUM WITH SURFACTANT AS A DILUENT BY COLUMN-SWITCHING HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY

The rapid and simple determination of fatty vitamins (vitamins A and E ) in serum by high-performance liquid chromatography with a column-swi tching technique was investigated. The dilution of serum with an aqueo us solution containing surfactant and organic solvent and the use of a n aqueous solution with organic solvent as a sample pretreatment were an effective means of improving the sample recovery. To prevent sample decomposition during storage, the addition of an antioxidant reagent into the diluent was required. Under the optimal conditions, the relat ive standard deviation (R.S.D.) values against the standard samples we re 1.12% (16.7 L.U./dl), 0.25% (333 I.U./dl) for vitamin A, and 1.02% (0.43 mu g/ml), 0.45% (8.5 mu g/ml) for vitamin E, respectively. The r elative coefficients (r(2)) between the sample amounts in serum and th e peak areas were 1.0000 in the range from 16.7 to 667 I.U./dl (for vi tamin A) and 0.9998 from 0.434 to 17.46 mu g/ml (for vitamin E). The r ecoveries of vitamins from spiked serums were ca. 100% (vitamin A) and ca. 86% (vitamin E), respectively. By the combination of an on-line d eproteination column and diluting solution, the simple and rapid deter mination of fatty vitamins could be routinely achieved in 18-min inter vals. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.