SIMULTANEOUS DETERMINATION OF 13-CIS AND ALL-TRANS VITAMIN A PALMITATE (RETINYL
PALMITATE), VITAMIN A ACETATE (RETINYL ACETATE), AND TOTAL VITAMIN E (Α-TOCOPHEROL
AND DL-Α-TOCOPHEROL ACETATE) IN INFANT FORMULA AND ADULT NUTRITIONALS BY
NORMAL PHASE HPLC
CODE:
DATE:
PAGE:
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Purpose:
AOAC 2012.10
Jan 2014
1 of 11
04
AOAC MLT Study
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A. INTRODUCTION
Vitamin A (retinol) is an essential nutrient for normal vision, and teeth and bone formation. An
inadequate intake of Vitamin A causes Xerophthalmia, resulting in blindness, stunted growth and
possible death. An overdose of vitamin A is damaging to infants and adults. Vitamin A can exit in
several isomeric forms and as esters. Retinyl palmitate will isomerize under thermal and
photochemical stress to a variety of cis-isomers, of which 13-cis is the most common and most
active (75% of trans). Other isomers have reduced vitamin A activity. In this method no distinction
is made between the bioactives of the isomers, instead all are summed against the trans isomer to
give the total vitamin A concentration.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant, protecting many other biochemical form damage by active oxygen and
other free radicals. Vitamin E has eight active forms of which α-tocopherol is usually considered
because it is the most active and abundant form.
B. SCOPE
The method is applicable to the simultaneous quantitative determination of total Vitamin E (dl-α-
tocopherol and dl-α-tocopherol acetate), vitamin A palmitate and vitamin A acetate (cis-and trans-
isomers) present in milk- and soy-based infant formula and adult nutritionals and formulas
containing hydrolyzed protein.
The analytical range of the method is as follows:
Vitamin A, Retinyl Palmitate; 2 – 450 mcg/100 g reconstituted.
Vitamin A Acetate; 2 – 450 mcg/100 g reconstituted.
DL-α-Tocopherol Acetate; 0.02 — 9.4 mg/100g reconstituted.
DL-α-Tocopherol; 0.03 – 8.0 mg/100 g reconstituted.
C. REFERENCE
1.
AOAC Official Method 2012.10: Simultaneous Determination of 13-cis and all-trans Vitamin
A Palmitate (Retinyl Palmitate), Vitamin A Acetate (Retinyl Acetate), and Total Vitamin E (dl-
α-Tocopherol and dl-α-Tocopherol Acetate) in Infant formula and Adult Nutritionals.
Vitamin A & E - MLT
For ERP Use Only
DO NOT DISTRIBUTE
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