Simultaneous determination of eight vitamin D2 isomers by high-speed liquid chromatography

The simultaneous determination of vitamin D2 and its isomers by high-speed liquid chromatography (HSLC) is described. Preferred operating conditions for the resolution and quantitation of vitamin D2 5,6-trans-vitamin D2, ergosterol, lumisterol2, isovitamin D2, isotachysterol2, tachysterol2, and previtamin D2 are as follows: column, "Zorbax" SIL (25 cm x 2.1 mm i.d.); pressure, 100-120 kg/cm2; temperature, ambient; detector, UV 254 nm; mobile phase, 0.15% methanol + 2% ether in pentane (for the simultaneous determination), 10% ether in hexane (for quantitation of the practical sets of isomers), or 55% CHCl3 (distilled) in pentane (for separation of isovitamin D2 and 5,6-trans-vitamin D2); sample size, 1 mul (greater than 1-5 ng); internal standard, p-cresol or alpha-naphthol. High-speed, good resolution, precise and accurate trace analysis, greater analysis flexibility, no necessity for preparing derivatives, and gentle operating conditions are main potential advantages of our method which has proved to be very efficient and surpasses all analytical procedures hitherto proposed.