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Updated: Mar 19, 2026
Author Spotlight: Investigating Physiological Functions of Vitamin A Transporters Using HPLC-Based Vitamin A Profiling
Published on: December 27, 2024
Quantitative profiling of retinyl esters in milk from different ruminant species by using high performance liquid
Silvia Rocchi1, Fulvia Caretti2, Alessandra Gentili2
1Institute of Chemical Methodologies, Italian National Research Council, Area della Ricerca di Roma I, Via Salaria km 29, 300-00015 Monterotondo, Rome, Italy.
Abstract:
An effective high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS/MS) analytical approach was developed for retinoid profiling in raw milk samples (cow, buffalo, ewe, and goat). The analytes were isolated by means of liquid-liquid extraction, including a "lipid freezing" step, with yields exceeding 66%. Since the positive atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation mass spectrometry (APCI-MS) detection is not completely selective, a reliable identification has been accomplished by fully separating the analytes on a tandem C18/C30 column system under non-aqueous reversed phase (NARP) chromatography conditions. After validation, different milk varieties obtained from pasture-fed animals were analysed, providing, for the first time, the retinoid composition of both buffalo's and ewe's milk. According to the literature, retinyl palmitate has been found to be the most abundant vitamin A vitamer, but retinyl oleate is the prevalent form in the caprine milk.
