Simultaneous liquid chromatographic determination of thiamine and riboflavin in selected foods.

A reliable, improved liquid chromatographic (LC) method has been developed for the measurement of thiamine and riboflavin in foods. The major improvement in the method is the chromatographic separation achieved. The method is also very reproducible and extremely sensitive. After autoclave extraction, samples are derivatized to form thiochrome (a highly fluorescent oxidation product of thiamine). Riboflavin is naturally fluorescent. Interferences are removed on a C18 cartridge and chromatographed by using a reversed-phase separation. The mobile phase used is 72% 0.005M NH4OAc (pH 5.0)-28% MeOH. Fluorescence detection using wavelength switching, 370-435 for thiamine and 370-520 for riboflavin, allows determination of each vitamin at its optimum wavelength for maximum sensitivity. Detection limits were 0.05 ng for both thiamine and riboflavin. The method can also be performed by using a fluorescence detector at a single wavelength, but with a sacrifice of sensitivity. Data comparisons between AOAC fluorometric and LC results were excellent for routine samples, as well as for American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC) check samples. All LC results from AACC samples were within 2 standard deviations of the mean. Reproducibility was 1.9% for thiamine and 1.6% for riboflavin.