SIMULTANEOUS HPLC ANALYSIS OF PALM CAROTENOIDS AND TOCOPHEROLS USING A C-30 COLUMN AND PHOTODIODE ARRAY DETECTOR

Abstract

An HPLC method for simultaneous identification and quantitation of tocopherols and carotenoids in red palm oil was developed. A C-30 column was used in a HPLC equipped with a photodiode detector and with methyl tertiary-butyl ether/methanol/water as the mobile phase. Tocopherols and carotenoids were monitored at 295 nm and 450 nm, respectively. Gradient elution resulted in complete separation of five tocopherols such as α-, δ-, γ-tocopherols and tocotrienols in palm oil in less than 10 minutes. Several (13) carotenoids were also detected and quantitated in red palm oil within 45 minutes.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This study was partly supported by Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Illinois. The authors acknowledge the Indonesian Oil Palm Research Institute for the leave of absence and scholarship provided to D. Darnoko.

Present address for D. Darnoko: Indonesian Oil Palm Research Institute, Jl. Brigjen Katamso 51, Medan 20001, Indonesia.