Concurrent determination of alpha-tocopherol and free fatty acids in human plasma by glass open tubular capillary column gas chromatography.

A new gas chromatographic procedure was developed for the concurrent analysis of mixtures of long-chain acids (as methyl esters), cholesterol (as the trimethylsilyl ether) and the tocopherols (as trimethylsilyl ethers). This method was used in a study of free fatty acids and alpha-tocopherol in the plasma of normal subjects and stroke patients. The chromatographic separation was based upon the use of thermostable glass open tubular capillary columns prepared with Silanox (procedure of Lin, Pfaffenberger and Horning) and a new polar liquid phase (Schwartz-Mathews polyphenyl ether sulfone phase). The German-Horning injection system was used in a modified gas chromatograph.