Ultrasensitive assays of trans- and cis-β-carotenes in vegetable oils by high-performance liquid chromatography–thermal lens detection Original Research Article

The fact that β-carotene might be the protective factor against various cancers, suggests the need for a rapid reliable assay for this potential marker. We have proposed the method for selective, precise and simple profiling of carotenoids as well as for simultaneous ultrasensitive assaying of trans-β-carotene (TBC) and cis-β-carotene(s) (CBC) in five vegetable oils. The oil samples diluted 20 or 100 times were directly injected and analysed by means of the isocratic non-aqueous reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with ultrasensitive thermal lens detection (TLS). Elution of TBC was followed by CBC; both were identified and determined in olive, safflower, sesame, wheat germ and linseed oil by standard addition method. The presence of lutein/zeaxanthin, some xanthophyll and/or early eluting carotene may be also presumed in the aforementioned oils. The examined oils showed different and characteristic carotenoid/carotene profiles and characteristic TBC-to-CBC ratios. Both analytes were selectively detected in the presence of palmitic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic and stearic acid, β-sitosterol and dl-α-tocopherol. This extends applicability of the method to other vegetable oils as well. Favourable analytical performances (high sensitivity, low limits of detection (LODs) and wide linearity span) enabled the direct analyses of highly diluted oils. This resulted in several major benefits of the proposed method, among which (i) reduced risk of stationary phase deterioration, (ii) avoiding the risk of carotenoids transformations and (iii) substantial labour and time savings. The TBC and CBC in diluted vegetable oils were reliably measured at ultratrace level (1–26 ng ml−1) with the S/N ratio ranging from 4 to 140 and precisely determined (imprecision 0.4–8.3%). The concentrations of TBC+CBC estimated in the original oils were as follows: 90.5+51.2 ng ml−1 in sesame oil, 146.0+164 ng ml−1in safflower oil, 464.6+206.1 ng ml−1in linseed oil, 453.7+143.3 ng ml−1 in olive oil and 2.31+2.63 μg ml−1 in wheat germ oil. The characteristic and variable portion of TBC within total β-carotene may serve as a reliable indicator of both, quality and authenticity of the vegetable oil. The HPLC–TLS assay proposed may therefore be successfully applied in nutritional, agricultural and epidemiological studies.