Vitamin Analysis

This chapter describes the principles and procedures for three types of methods applied to vitamin analysis: bioassays, microbiological and chemical assays. The chemical assays are emphasized, particularly (ultra) high-performance liquid chromatography [(U)HPLC], because many vitamins and/or vitamers are commonly measured by (U)HPLC as official or unofficial methods. The various methods described are, in general, applicable to the analysis of more than one vitamin and several food matrices. However, the analytical procedures must be properly tailored to the analyte in question and the biological matrix to be analyzed. Covered in the chapter are the critical aspects of sample preparation and extraction of a vitamin from the food matrix prior to analysis.