Analytical Techniques for Water-Soluble Vitamins
Summary
Water-soluble vitamins, including the B-complex group and vitamin C, play indispensable roles in metabolism, neurological function and antioxidant protection. Accurate quantification in diverse matrices—ranging from pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals to foodstuffs and biological fluids—poses analytical challenges due to their varying polarity, acid-base behaviour and low concentration levels. Contemporary approaches combine efficient sample preparation (such as enzymatic digestion, acid hydrolysis and solid-phase extraction) with advanced separation and detection strategies. High-performance liquid chromatography techniques, often coupled with ultraviolet or photodiode-array detection, remain the mainstay for routine assays, while liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry offers superior sensitivity and structural specificity. Emerging methods employ hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography for rapid isocratic separations, high-performance thin-layer chromatography for cost-effective screening and green solvents for reduced environmental impact. Method validation under international guidelines ensures reliability, with parameters such as limit of detection, limit of quantification, linearity, precision and recovery routinely assessed. These analytical platforms support quality control in multivitamin formulations, fortification programmes and dietary surveys, contributing to public health monitoring and regulatory compliance on a global scale.
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Analytical Techniques for Water-Soluble Vitamins publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in analytical techniques for water-soluble vitamins across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC): A separation technique that pumps pressurised solvent through a column packed with stationary phase to resolve analytes based on interactions with the column material.
Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS): A hyphenated analytical method combining liquid chromatography separation with two stages of mass analysis for enhanced sensitivity and structural identification.
Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography (HILIC): A mode of liquid chromatography that uses polar stationary phases and high organic solvent content to retain and separate polar analytes rapidly.
High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC): A planar chromatography technique in which samples are applied to a coated plate and developed with mobile phase, enabling simultaneous analysis of multiple samples.
Limit of Detection (LOD) and Limit of Quantification (LOQ): The lowest analyte concentration at which a method can reliably distinguish signal from noise (LOD) and quantify with acceptable precision and accuracy (LOQ).
References
- Development of chromatographic methods to determine multivitamins formulation depending on their solubility and polarity: comparative study using three greenness assessment tools. BMC Chemistry (2024).
- Studies on the Effects of Process Conditions on Separation of B1, B2 and B3 Vitamin Mixture Using HILIC and RPLC Chromatography. AgriEngineering (2022).
- Development and Validation of a Quantitative Analysis of Water-Soluble Vitamins Using High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography and Its Application to the Analysis of Nutraceuticals. Separations (2024).
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