Determination of retinoids in human serum, tocopherol and retinyl acetate in pharmaceuticals by RP-LC with electrochemical detection

Vitamin A Update: Forms, Sources, Kinetics, Detection, Function, Deficiency, Therapeutic Use and Toxicity

Vitamin A is a group of vital micronutrients widely present in the human diet. Animal-based products are a rich source of the retinyl ester form of the vitamin, while vegetables and fruits contain carotenoids, most of which are provitamin A. Vitamin A plays a key role in the correct functioning of multiple physiological functions. The human organism can metabolize natural forms of vitamin A and provitamin A into biologically active forms (retinol, retinal, retinoic acid), which interact with multiple molecular targets, including nuclear receptors, opsin in the retina and, according to the latest research, also some enzymes. In this review, we aim to provide a complex view on the present knowledge about vitamin A ranging from its sources through its physiological functions to consequences of its deficiency and metabolic fate up to possible pharmacological administration and potential toxicity. Current analytical methods used for its detection in real samples are included as well.

A Novel Electrochemical Sensor for the Simultaneous Determination of Fat-Soluble Vitamins Using a Screen-Printed Graphene/Nafion Electrode

In this work, a novel electrochemical sensor was proposed for the simultaneous determination of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) using a screen-printed graphene/Nafion electrode (SPGNE). The scanning electron microscopy was used for morphological characterization of the electrode surface. The electrochemical behaviors of fat-soluble vitamins have been studied in a mixture of ethanol and sodium perchlorate monohydrate using square-wave voltammetry (SWV). The results obtained indicated that the oxidation peak of each fat-soluble vitamin appeared at different potentials leading to the possibility for the simultaneous detection. The influences of experimental parameters such as the effects of proportions of ethanol, potential increment, amplitude, frequency and quiet time were examined. Under the optimized conditions, the linearity between oxidative currents and concentrations of fat-soluble vitamins ranged from 0.1 μg mL-1 to 5 μg mL-1 for vitamin A, 0.08 μg mL-1 to 5 μg mL-1 for vitamin D and E, and 0.2 μg mL-1 to 1.6 μg mL-1 for total vitamin K, with the limits of detection of 0.018, 0.013, 0.012 and 0.004 μg mL-1, respectively. These developed sensors provide high sensitivity in detection and offer high potential to apply them for the simultaneous determination of fat-soluble vitamins in dietary supplements.

Square wave voltammetry at carbon paste electrode modified with surfactant for alpha tocopheryl acetate determination in cosmetics

The aim of this study was describe electrochemical properties of a carbon paste electrode (CPE) bulk modified with 30% (w/w) surfactant sodium dodecyl sulphate (CPE/SDS) and demonstrates its application in the determination of α‑tocopheryl acetate (α‑TAc), known as vitamin E acetate, in selected cosmetic products, especially body creams. In addition to anionic SDS, cationic hexadecylpyridinium chloride monohydrate (CPC) was also tested as possible modifier. It was found that selection of surfactant type and its content significantly affect an electrical conductivity and mechanical stability of these heterogeneous electroanalytical sensors in pure organic solvents. Under this study, it was found that CPC is a totally inappropriate mediator due to very high backgroundcurrent. Together with other lipophilic vitamins characterized by antioxidant activity (dominantly retionoids), this completely synthetic substance is widely used as significant cosmetic additive due its preservative properties. Monitoring of its content in cosmetic products is usually performed by high‑performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection. This standard analytical protocol is always burdened with the complex and time‑consuming preparation of the sample before analysis. For that reason, robust and simple electroanalytical method based on anodic oxidation of the α‑TAc at CPE/SDS by square wave voltammetry (SWV) performed in pure organic electrolyte (99.8% acetonitrile containing 0.1 mol·L‑1 LiClO4) was developed. Moreover, simple dissolution of sample in supporting electrolyte using ultrasonic bath and subsequent filtering through a stacked filter included all the necessary procedures for sample preparation. The linear range from 0.1 to 1.2 mmol·L‑1and limit of detection 37 µmol·L‑1 were found at pulse amplitude 10 mV and frequency 10 Hz as optimum. In analysis of selected cosmetics, the developed electroanalytical method was not validated using comparison with standard HPLC. At least, the recovery was verified by analysis of model sample and value 95.8% was calculated.

Flow Injection Photosensitized Chemiluminescence of Luminol with Cu(II)-Rose Bengal: Mechanistic Approach and Vitamin A and C Determination

Rose Bengal photosensitized flow injection chemiluminescence method is reported using luminol-Cu(II) for the determination of vitamins A and C in pharmaceutical formulations. The reaction is based on the enhancement effect of analyte in the production of anion radicals of Rose Bengal (RB^•−) which rapidly interact with dissolved oxygen and generate superoxide anions radicals (O₂^•−) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (^•OH) were produced via dismutation of H₂O₂ by catalyst (Cu²⁺). The generated superoxide anions radicals and hydroxyl radicals thus oxidize luminol in alkaline medium to generate strong chemiluminescence. The limit of detection (3s of the blank, n = 6) of vitamins A and C and RB was found to be 0.008, 0.005, and 0.05 μg mL⁻¹, respectively. The sample throughput of 70 h⁻¹ for vitamins A and C and 30 h⁻¹ for RB was found. Calibration curve was linear in the range of 0.05–15, 0.01–20, and 0.1–50 μg mL⁻¹ for vitamins A and C and RB, respectively, with relative standard deviations (RSDs; n = 3) in the range 1.6–3.6%. The method was successfully applied to pharmaceutical formulations and the results obtained were in good agreement with the labeled values.

Quantification of retinoid concentrations in human serum and brain tumor tissues

Retinoic acid signaling is essential for central nervous system (CNS) differentiation and appears to be impaired in tumors. Thus far, there are no established methods to quantify relevant retinoids (all-trans-retinoic acid, 9-cis-retinoic acid, 13-cis retinoic acid, and retinol) in human brain tumors. We developed a single step extraction and quantification procedure for polar and apolar retinoids in normal tissue, lipid-rich brain tumor tissues, and serum. This quantification procedure is based on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode-array detection (DAD) using all-trans-acitretin as an internal standard and extraction by liquid-liquid partition with ethyl acetate and borate buffer at pH 9. Recovery with this extraction procedure was higher than earlier (two-step) liquid-liquid extraction procedures based on hexane, NaOH, and HCl. The overall quantification procedure was validated according to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines and fulfilled all criteria of accuracy, precision, selectivity, recovery, and stability. The overall method accuracy varied between -5.6% and +5.4% for serum and -3.8% and +6.2% for tissues, and overall precision ranged from 3.1% to 6.9% for serum and 2.1% to 8.3% for tissues (%CV batch-to-batch). The lower limit of quantification for all compounds in tumor tissue (and serum) was 3.9 ng g(-1) (ng mL(-1)). Using this assay, photodegradation of the retinoids was evaluated and endogenous polar and apolar retinoids were quantified in sera and brain tumor tissues of patients and compared with serum and tonsil tissue concentrations of controls. It may thus serve as a suitable method for the characterization of retinoid uptake and metabolism in the respective compartments.

Simultaneous analysis of Vitamins A and E in infant milk-based formulae by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection using a short narrow-bore column

A rapid, simple and reproducible normal-phase (NP) high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-diode array detection (DAD) method for simultaneous qualitative and quantitative determination of Vitamin A (retinol acetate and retinol palmitate) and Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol acetate, alpha-, gamma- and delta-tocopherols) in milk-based infant formulae was developed and validated. The preparation sample was based on protein precipitation and vitamin extraction with ethanol, followed by re-extraction with hexane, while the chromatographic method was based on the use of a short narrow-bore column (50 mm x 2.1 mm; 3 microm particle size), which afforded less solvent consumption and higher mass sensitivity. The method showed acceptable values for precision, recovery and sensitivity, and proved very simple for routine analysis work.

Analysis of vitamin E derivatives in serum using coordinated ion spray mass spectrometry

A method for the extraction and analysis of tocopherols from serum using coordinated ion spray (CIS) mass spectrometry was developed and tested. The tocopherols were extracted from serum and analyzed by direct infusion into the mass spectrometer, bypassing the need for a liquid chromatography step. CIS is a method for improving the ionization efficiency of non-polar compounds by adding metal ions to the electrospray solvent. The non-polar analytes appear as metal adducts in the resulting mass spectrum. Silver was used as the metal ion for the CIS, causing analyte masses to be increased by 107 and 109 Da from the two main silver isotopes. Vitamin E succinate was added to the samples before extraction and was used as an internal standard to compensate for any variations in the extraction efficiency or mass spectrometric response. alpha-Tocopherol and an ether-linked analogue known as alpha-TEA were analyzed in concentrations from 1.25-40 microg/mL (1.9-60 pg consumed). The response curve was constructed by comparing the response of the analytes to the internal standard and gave linear results with r2 values greater than 0.98. This new method was shown to be sensitive, reproducible, fast and required very small amounts of analyte.

Simultaneous determination of deuterated and non-deuterated alpha-tocopherol in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography

Labelled tocopherol is used to evaluate its absorption by biodiscriminating the dietary intake from the endogenous tocopherol pool of subject. A normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the easy separation and quantification of deuterated (d(6)) and non-deuterated alpha-tocopherol. The alpha-tocopherol isotopomers were extracted from plasma triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins in hexane, separated by two EC Nucleosil columns in series with a mobile phase of hexane-isopropanol (659.34:0.786, w/w) running isocratically. The detection of d(6)-alpha-tocopherol was performed by its UV absorbance at 297 nm with a limit of detection of 34 pmol/ml, a limit of quantification of 83 pmol/ml and a range of determination of 34-9905 pmol/ml. Between- and within-assay RSDs were 2.4% (n=10) and 2.7% (n=5), respectively.

Chromatographic analysis of endogenous retinoids in tissues and serum

We present a reliable, highly sensitive, and versatile method for the simultaneous determination of endogenous polar (acidic) and apolar (retinol, retinal, and retinyl esters) retinoids in various biological matrices. Following a single liquid extraction of retinoids from tissues or plasma with isopropanol, polar retinoids are separated from apolar retinoids and neutral lipids via automated solid-phase extraction using an aminopropyl phase. After vacuum concentration to dryness and reconstitution of the residue in appropriate solvents, the obtained fractions are injected onto two different high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-systems. Polar retinoids are analyzed on a RP18 column (2.1mm ID) using a buffered gradient composed of methanol and water and on-column-focusing large-volume injection. Apolar retinoids are separated on a normal-bore RP18 column using a nonaqueous gradient composed of acetonitrile, chloroform, and methanol. Both HPLC systems are coupled with UV detection, and retinoids are quantitated against appropriate internal standards. The method was validated with regard to recovery, precision, robustness, selectivity, and analyte stability. Using 400 microl serum or 200mg tissue, the limits of detection for all-trans-retinoic acid were 0.15ng/ml or 0.3ng/g, respectively. The corresponding values for retinol were 1.2ng/ml or 2.4ng/g, respectively. This method was successfully applied to mouse, rat, and human tissue and serum samples.