Gas chromatography of the fat-soluble vitamins: a review

The application of gas liquid chromatography (GLC) as an analytical tool for the determination of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K has yet to be utilized to its full potential. A review of the published work of many researchers in this field is presented. GLC methods to measure the vitamin A isomers have not been developed to any appreciable practical extent. Liquid liquid chromatography might well be the technique of choice. In the field of vitamin D there are indications that a practical GLC analysis is feasible for pharmaceutical preparations. The GLC applications for vitamin E are diverse, well defined and generally widely accepted in research laboratory situations and for regulatory and quality control usage. Vitamins K1 and K2 have been measured with limited success in a few research laboratories, but the GLC methods have not developed on a practical basis. However GLC is used for measuring vitamin K3 (menadione and menadione sodium bisulfite) on a fairly routine basis in quality control laboratories.