Effect of end-capping of reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic matrices on the analysis of vitamin A and its metabolites

On-line solid-phase extraction and isocratic separation of retinoic acid isomers in microbore column switching system

On-line solid-phase extraction coupled with micro-HPLC by column switching is an ideal technique for the analysis of retinoic acid in serum or plasma. The advantages are mainly contributed to an automated sample workup and low detection limits. On-line processing of the sample ensures minimal losses and full light protection during the entire procedure. Critical steps such as evaporation, extraction, and multiple transfers are avoided. Furthermore, the precision of highly automated methods is generally better than manual methods. We have successfully coupled a 2.1-mm I.D. analytical column with a 2.1-mm extraction column. This setup allows for large amounts of supernatant to be injected onto precolumns for concentration and cleanup. By means of column switching, this concentrate is transferred to the microcolumn with a highly reduced volume. The reduced diameter of the analytical column and the on-line solid-phase extraction allow for the fully automated quantification of as little as 100 fmol all-trans-retinoic acid in human serum. The detection limits obtained with these column switching techniques can compete with LC-MS. This new micro-HPLC method will be useful for the quantitation of endogenous retinoic acid metabolites, which are present at very low concentrations in biological material. Furthermore, more sensitive methods might also lead to the discovery of hitherto unknown retinoic acid metabolites. The combination of on-line SPE and micro-HPLC has, to our knowledge, not been used previously for retinoic acid analysis. The development of isocratic separation methods for retinoic acid isomers made this possible.

Chromatographic and electrophoretic analysis of biomedically important retinoids

The determination of retinol (vitamin A) and its metabolites, as well as synthetic retinoids, in biological samples is a challenging task due to the sensitivity of these compounds to light, heat and oxygen, high protein binding, separation of geometric isomers and determination of low endogenous levels. Numerous procedures for sample preparation have been published for biological fluids and tissues, consisting of solvent extraction, solid-phase extraction (off-line) and HPLC with column switching (on-line solid-phase extraction). The last-mentioned technique has several advantages, including a high degree of automation, no evaporation of extraction solvents, protection from light and higher sensitivity. Due to the favourable UV characteristics of most retinoids, HPLC with UV detection is most often employed, and photodiode array detection is becoming more and more popular. Fluorescence and electrochemical detection have found only a limited field of application, but the use of LC-MS resulted in a few highly sensitive methods. Reconsideration of GC through the use of better deactivated columns and cold on-column injection and evaluation of new promising separation methods, such as supercritical fluid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis, have shown preliminary encouraging results, but appear to reach the required sensitivity only by coupling to MS. Therefore, HPLC with UV detection is still the method of choice for highly sensitive and selective retinoid determination, as well as for high sample throughput and robustness.

Chromatography of retinoids

This article reviews the determination of retinoic acids and their metabolites (first-generation retinoids), aromatic retinoids (second generation) and arotinoids (third generation) in biological samples. Because of the sensitivity of the retinoids to isomerization and oxidation, special care has to be taken from sample collection and storage, throughout extraction, till the final chromatographic separation. High and strong protein binding, and insolubility in aqueous solutions hamper the extraction from biological samples. Various extraction procedures are discussed, mainly involving liquid-liquid extraction of biological fluids or lyophilized tissue samples. The new technique involving direct injection of biological fluids or tissue homogenates, using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with automated column switching, provides full protection from light and simplifies sample work-up. HPLC with ultraviolet detection is the method of choice for the determination of retinoids, because it is rapid, sensitive and allows separation of geometric isomers and metabolites within a wide polarity range. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry is not appropriate for first- and second-generation retinoids because of isomerization, but allows very sensitive determination of third-generation retinoids, although very extensive sample clean-up and derivatization are necessary. However, direct injection of large volumes of biological fluids into HPLC systems, using on-line solid-phase extraction and automated column-switching, results in very sensitive methods even with simple ultraviolet detection and may become the method of choice for routine analyses.

Chromatography of fat-soluble vitamins in clinical chemistry

A review is presented of current gas and liquid chromatographic methods for the determination of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and the provitamin A beta-carotene in biological samples of human origin. For each vitamin, the discussion successively focuses on procedures for sample preparation, gas and liquid chromatographic systems and principles of detection. The emphasis is on liquid chromatography, which is gradually becoming a standard technique in fat-soluble vitamin assays. New trends in the liquid chromatography of these compounds include the use of smaller particles and shorter columns, to improve speed, and the advance of electrochemical detection as an alternative to absorbance and fluorescence detection. Bonded phases, both normal and reversed phase, tend to be preferred over underivatized silica as column supports. Gas chromatography remains of particular value in combination with mass spectrometry, a technique which may form the basis of reference methods. In general, despite the availability of well established analytical methods for fat-soluble vitamins, the wealth of recent literature in this area indicates that there continues to be a need for new assays with enhanced speed, specificity and sensitivity.