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PUBLICATIONS

Improved Liquid Chromatography Methods for the Separation and Quantification of Biotin in Multivitamin/Multielement Tablets

Published

Author(s)

B C. Nelson, Katherine E. Sharpless, Lane C. Sander

Abstract

Two independently developed liquid chromatography (LC) methods for the quantitative determination of biotin in multivitamin/multielement tablets (NIST Standard Reference Material 3280 (SRM 3280)) are described. The methods use distinctly different tablet extraction solvents (1.5% aqueous formic acid vs. methanol) and analyte detection principles (mass spectrometry (MS) versus evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD)) to ensure quantitative reliability. Both methods yield highly comparable results for the mean level of biotin (LC/MS = 26.5 0.3 mg/kg (n = 12); LC/ELSD = 24.7 1.7 mg/kg (n = 12)) in SRM 3280, yet the methods differ considerably in their analytical characteristics. The isotope-dilution LC/MS method exhibits excellent linearity from 0.02 ng to 77 ng biotin on-column with a method limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.02 (S/N > 3) and 0.06 (S/N > 10) ng biotin on-column, respectively. The LC/ELSD method exhibits good linearity from 155 to 9900 ng biotin on-column with a method LOD and LOQ of 155 (S/N > 3) and 310 (S/N > 10) ng biotin on-column, respectively. Method performance data indicates that the LC/MS method is analytically superior to the LC/ELSD method; however, either method in combination with SRM 3280 should provide quality assurance, accuracy and traceability for biotin levels in multivitamin/multielement dietary supplements.
Citation
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Volume
54
Pub Type
Journals

Keywords

biotin, dietary supplements, evaporative light scattering, liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, multivitamin/multielement tablets

Citation

Nelson, B. , Sharpless, K. and Sander, L. (2006), Improved Liquid Chromatography Methods for the Separation and Quantification of Biotin in Multivitamin/Multielement Tablets, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Accessed October 13, 2025)

Issues

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Created April 23, 2006, Updated October 12, 2021
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