Use of column switching for the determination of niacinamide in compound feed

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the determination of niacinamide in compound feed. The niacinamide is extracted with 0.2 M hydrochloric acid in order to suppress the hydrolysis of the niacinamide to nicotinic acid. The chromatography is carried out with the aid of column switching. An RP-18 column is used for the preseparation, and the analytical separation takes place in a cation-exchange column. With the proposed method, the limit of determination is about 2 ppm of niacinamide.