Simplified sample preparation and rapid detection by RP‐HPLC/FLD of tocopherols and tocotrienols in margarines: Preliminary screening of plant fats—potential quality markers

Abstract

A simplified, rapid, and accurate method for sample preparation and determination of tocopherols and tocotrienols (vitamin E) in margarine was developed. For this purpose, 28 margarines with different amounts of fat (20, 39, 60, 70, 75, and 80%) and of two types (spreads and cooking fats) were used. Sample preparation was reduced to a limited number of rapid steps: weighting, melting, diluting, vortexing, and centrifugation, following which the samples were directly injected to the HPLC system. The developed method prevented analyte losses and was characterized by good repeatability and reproducibility (1.4-5.5% and 2.9-9.9%, respectively) and accuracy range (97.9-101.2%) as well as recovery of tocopherols and tocotrienols when compared to the saponification method (89.4-104.4%), without any interference of other compounds from the margarine matrix and thus reduced the risk of potential measurement errors. Fat content in margarine samples did not have any negative impact on precision, accuracy or recovery of tocopherols and tocotrienols. Concentrations of tocopherol (T) and tocotrienol (T3) homologues in margarine samples depended on the fat content and ranged from 2.65-26.27 (a-T), 0.02-0.70 (b-T), 4.23-23.60 (g-T), 0.08-2.34 (d-T), 0.39-15.05 (a-T3), 0.00-1.36 (b-T3), 0.49-20.08 (g-T3), and 0.00-5.28 mg/100 g (d-T3).Practical applications: The necessity to ensure high quality and nutritional value of food products results in the need to develop new high quality analytical methods. This paper describes a simple, rapid and accurate method of sample preparation, preventing analyte losses, and facilitating fast determination of all tocopherol and tocotrienol homologues by RP-HPLC/FLD in margarines containing different amounts of fat (20, 39, 60, 70, 75, and 80%). Margarines are a significant source of vitamin E in our daily diet; therefore, the developed method could be implemented in industry both in routine control and to improve nutrition information about the product provided on the label and also as the first screening test to assess the possible origin of the fat used for margarine production (with tocopherols and tocotrienols as quality markers).

Phenolic compounds in different fruit parts of crab apple: Dihydrochalcones as promising quality markers of industrial apple pomace by-products

“…On this basis, a detailed analysis of phenolic compounds of powdered apple pomace, could help to ensure the high quality of the final product. Previously reported native bio-compounds, for instance, tocochromanols in margarin and butter, could be used as a potential quality markers for preliminary screening to exclude or confirm the possibility of adulteration (Górnaś and Siger, 2015;Górnaś et al, 2014c). In the present study, certain polyphenols, more specifically phloretin dihexoside and 3-hydroxyphloridzin, may be applied as a new tool (preliminary markers) to ensure the quality (apple pomace free of stems and seeds vs. apple pomace containing stems and seeds) and safety of the apple pomace (to exclude the possible presence of amygdalin, found in apple seeds).…”

Varied Composition of Tocochromanols in Different Types of Bran: Rye, Wheat, Oat, Spelt, Buckwheat, Corn, and Rice

“…[5,7] Much less is known about T3s and their health benefits, but they are considered as a "potential ally" against cancer and other chronic diseases of the 21st century. [8] Plant oils and margarines are among the richest natural sources of Ts and T3s, [9][10][11][12] and these products are major sources of vitamin E in the daily diet of a significant part of the human population. Bran, rich in tocochromanols, may also be considered as an important and valuable source of vitamin E in the daily diet.…”

Determination of tocopherols and tocotrienols in human breast adipose tissue with the use of high performance liquid chromatography–fluorescence detection

“…To date, fluorescence was implemented as a detection technique in a vast majority of studies concerning determination of tocochromanol compounds in biological and food matrices (Amaral, Casal, Torres, Seabra, & Oliveira, ; Barbas, Castro, Martınez, & Herrera, ; Che et al, ; Górnaś et al, ; Górnaś & Siger, ; Górnaś, Soliven, & Segliņa, ; Knecht, Sandfuchs, Kulling, & Bunzel, ; Nesaretnam, Gomez, et al, ; Siluk et al, ; Viñas et al, ; Ziegler, Schweiggert, & Carle, ). Owing to its high sensitivity and satisfactory selectivity, fluorescence detection was often used for quantification of T (Siluk et al, ; Viñas et al, ; Ziegler et al, ), T3 (Che et al, ) or both (Amaral et al, ; Górnaś et al, , ; Górnaś & Siger, ; Knecht et al, ). Contrary to this, mass spectrometry detection was rarely described in the literature as a useful tool in tocochromanol analysis with ESI (Bustamante‐Rangel et al, ; Górnaś et al, ) and APCI methods (Bartosińska, Jacyna, et al, ; Gentili & Caretti, ; Viñas et al, ).…”