Determination of vitamin B12 in dry feeds by atomic absorption spectrophotometry

Vitamin B12 was determined in dry feeds by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Samples containing B12 were extracted with an assay solution, 5 g EDTA was added to the filtrate, the pH was adjusted to 7 with NH4OH, and 5 g charcoal was added. The charcoal was removed by filtering through ashless paper which was then placed in a beaker and ashed at 600 degrees C. After dissolving the cobalt oxide from the ash in 5N HNO3, cobalt content was determined by using AAS. To determine mg B12/lb feed, ppm cobalt in the feed is multiplied by 10.43. The sensitivity of the proposed procedure is 1 mg vitamin B12/lb. The procedure is rapid and precise, and results compare favorably with AOAC method 43.109.