Fractionation and Quantification of β-Carotene and Vitamin A Derivatives in Human Serum

Abstract

Abstract Concentrations of β-carotene, retinyl esters, retinol, retinal, and retinoic acid were determined quantitatively in human serum. Extraction of the compounds was accomplished with a petroleum ether-ethanol system and fractionation by thin-layer chromatography. Each fraction's absorbance was measured by ultraviolet spectrophotometry and expressed as micrograms per 100 ml. By this method, 85% or more of individual premeasured standards and more than 69% of premeasured combined standards could be recovered. The levels of β-carotene and Vitamin A derivatives recovered from the serums of 10 males and 10 females compared favorably with those obtained with other methods. The procedure outlined is rapid, simple, and reproducible.