Facile gas-liquid chromatographic resolution of saturated and unsaturated sterols using a polar capillary column

The 5 alpha-stanol-3 beta-ol analogs of cholesterol, campesterol and beta-sitosterol along with many other sterol types were resolved using a Supelcowax 10 (Bonded Carbowax PEG 20M) fused silica capillary column (15 m x 0.25 mm). Unlike non-polar capillary columns, the semi-polar Carbowax liquid phase retains the unsaturated sterols longer than the corresponding saturated sterols, allowing an orderly elution and quantitation. The unnatural epicholestanol (5 alpha-cholestan-3 alpha-ol) was used as internal standard. By this method the stanol content of human plasma and of the unsaponifiable matter of dietary fats and oils is readily determined. Because of low column bleed the Supelcowax 10 liquid phase can be used for combined GC/MS analysis.