An approach based on ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry allowing the quantification of both individual phytosteryl and phytostanyl fatty acid esters in complex mixtures.

A method for the analysis of both individual phytosteryl and phytostanyl fatty acid esters in complex mixtures was established. The approach was based on a previously not described combination of three elements: (i) the formation of [M-FA+H](+) fragment ions via APCI (atmospheric pressure chemical ionization), (ii) a highly efficient UHPLC-based separation on a 1.7 μ C8 column, previously established for phytostanyl fatty acid esters, allowing the distinction of individual fatty acid esters sharing the same sterol/stanol nucleus and of isotope peaks of phytosteryl fatty acid esters and corresponding phytostanyl fatty acid esters based on these [M-FA+H](+) fragment ions, and (iii) the adjustment of the APCI conditions allowing the differential APCI-MS-SIM (single ion monitoring) detection of phytostanyl esters of linoleic and linolenic acid based on their distinct formation of a [M+H](+) ion. The usefulness of the methodology was demonstrated by the analysis of a commercially available enriched margarine. Two runs per sample allowed the quantification of 35 target analytes; the total amounts of esters were between 124.7 and 125.3g/kg, being in good agreement with the labelled 125 g/kg. Validation data were elaborated for 35 individual fatty acid esters of sitosterol, campesterol, brassicasterol, stigmasterol, sitostanol and campestanol. Recovery rates ranged from 95 to 106%; the coefficients of variation were consistently <5%, except for stigmasteryl-18:1. The approach describes for the first time a quantification of both individual phytosteryl and phytostanyl fatty acid esters and thus closes an analytical gap related to this class of health-relevant food constituents.