Concurrent liquid-chromatographic assay of retinol, alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lycopene, and beta-cryptoxanthin in plasma, with tocopherol acetate as internal standard.

A method is described for simultaneously determining retinol, alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lycopene, and beta-cryptoxanthin in 0.25 mL of plasma. Plasma mixed with sodium dodecyl sulfate is deproteinized with ethanol containing tocopherol acetate, then extracted with heptane. The evaporated organic layer is reconstituted with mobile phase (methanol/acetonitrile/chloroform, 47/47/6 by vol) and injected onto a 100 x 4.6 mm 3-micron column of Spherisorb ODS-2 (LKB) at 1.5 mL/min. The alpha- and beta-carotenes are well resolved during the 6.5-min run. Retinol is monitored at 325 nm, the tocopherols at 292 nm, and the carotenoids at 450 nm. Extraction of concentrations as great as 135 mumol/L is complete. Intrabatch CVs were 1.7%, 2.3%, 4.1%, 10.4%, 6.4%, and 3.6% for retinol, alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lycopene, and beta-cryptoxanthin, respectively. Interbatch CVs for measurements on 30 occasions over 11 weeks were about 10% for all components except alpha-tocopherol (5.3%). Results agree well with those for retinol, alpha-tocopherol, and beta-carotene in quality-control samples.