Quantification of Tocopherols and Tocotrienols (Tocols) in Oils, Fats, and Food Products by HPLC Fluorescence

Tocopherols and to a lesser extent tocotrienols were widely present in food from animal and vegetable origin. Some of these compounds exhibited a vitamin E activity and played a major action in the cell antioxidant defence system and as antioxidants per se in foods. Tocols were mainly present in the human diet. Thus, accurate quantification of tocols in fats, oils, and foods was required both for nutritional recommendations and food quality and shelf life in relation to their antioxidant properties. In this chapter, a step-by-step protocol was presented to quantify these compounds -after normal phase liquid chromatography separation and fluorescence detection of tocols in oils and some foods of different origins.