Collaborative study of a GLC method for vitamin E

The official GLC method of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) for determining vitamin E was modified and collaboratively studied for the National Formulary (NF). The internal standard hexadecyl hexadecanoate (cetyl palmitate) was substituted for the dotriacontane used in the AOAC method, and some other minor changes were made. Eleven samples, representing all types of NF formulations and NF bulk materials, were analyzed by 11 laboratories. The coefficients of variation of the reproducibility and repeatability were 4.5 and 2.4%, respectively, for all laboratories and samples. The values were 3.4 and 1.6%, respectively, when the one laboratory statistically determined to be an outlier was excluded. The coefficients of variation of reproducibility and repeatability for alpha-tocopheryl acid succinate were 2.1 and 1.5%, respectively. All of these values lie within the 5% limit required by the NF.