Determination of pantothenic acid in infant milk formulas by high performance liquid chromatography

A reverse-phase liquid chromatographic method was adapted for the assay of pantothenic acid in infant milk formulas. Sample preparation consisted of deproteination with acetic acid and sodium acetate solutions, followed by centrifugation and filtration. The chromatographic system included a C-18 column and a mobile phase consisting of a sodium phosphate buffer and acetonitrile (97:3, vol/vol). The column effluent was monitored by UV detection at 197 nm. The system was linear from 50 to 800 ng. The recoveries of pantothenic acid from augmented samples ranged from 89 to 98%, and the coefficients of variation ranged from 1.17 to 3.20%. The results obtained with the HPLC and a microbiological method were highly correlated for starting infant formula, follow-up infant formula, and formula for infants of low birth weight from four different manufactures. All formulas analyzed contained pantothenic acid at concentrations higher than those declared on their nutritional labels and were in compliance with international recommendations.