HPLC screening of natural vitamin E from mediterranean plant biofactories—a basic tool for pilot-scale bioreactors production of α-tocopherol

The study was performed in order to investigate a simple, efficient, reliable and rapid method of extracting and quantifying natural vitamin E for pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) as well as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. Lyophilized Corylus avellana L. nut samples were powdered by high-speed milling with Waring blender for 40 s. α-Tocopherol was extracted from the nut tissue powder using dehydrated hexane fortified with 0.01% butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT, co-antioxidant). The rate of α-tocopherol accumulation showed differences among nut samples collected in different areas of Italy. Sarda Piccola nut biofactory contained higher amount (81.17 μg/g d.w) of α-tocopherol than other-local eleven Italian cultivar nuts. These results provide insight into the biofactory basis for α-tocopherol accumulation in hazelnut and give the suitable cultivar tissues to establish pilot-scale bioreactors production of natural bioactive vitamin E.