Simultaneous Separation and Quantification of Vitamins by Microemulsion Liquid Chromatography

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Chromatography

Background:

• Microemulsion eluents show promise for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
• Simultaneous separation of diverse analytes like water- and fat-soluble vitamins presents analytical challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, rapid, and environmentally benign method for simultaneous vitamin separation using microemulsion eluents.
• To optimize concentration/flow-rate double-gradient elution for enhanced resolution and reduced analysis time.

Main Methods:

• Screening of chromatographic conditions including column type, surfactant/co-surfactant ratios, oil, pH, and microemulsion concentration.
• Implementation of a dual-gradient elution strategy combining concentration and flow-rate adjustments.
• Utilized a microemulsion mobile phase (sodium dodecyl sulfate, n-butanol, n-octanol, water) at pH 2.50 with a Venusil ASB C8 column.

Main Results:

• Simultaneous and rapid separation of both water- and fat-soluble vitamins was achieved.
• Optimized method demonstrated effective resolution and minimized analysis time through double-gradient elution.
• The validated method was successfully applied to the analysis of a solid pharmaceutical sample.

Conclusions:

• The developed microemulsion-based double-gradient HPLC method offers an efficient and green approach for vitamin analysis.
• This method provides a robust platform for the simultaneous quantification of diverse vitamin types in complex matrices.
• The study highlights the potential of microemulsions as versatile eluents in modern chromatographic techniques.