Liquid-chromatographic determination of alpha- and gamma-tocopherols in erythrocytes, with fluorescence detection

We have adapted to erythrocytes a method for the determination of alpha- and gamma-tocopherols in plasma and platelets. Erythrocytes (50 microL) were extracted with methanol containing tocol (internal standard) and pyrogallol. Tocopherols were partitioned into chloroform, washed, and injected in methanol onto a reversed-phase (C18) "high-performance" liquid-chromatographic column. The mobile phase was methanol/water (99/1 by vol) at a flow rate of 2 mL/min and detection was with a "high-performance" spectrophotofluorometer. The limit of detection for either tocopherol is 0.10 microgram/mL of packed cells. Analytical recoveries ranged from 93 to 104%. Some values for tocopherols in human erythrocytes are presented.