Simplified Extraction Procedure and HPLC Determination for Total Vitamin E and β‐Carotene of Reduced‐Fat Mayonnaise

A simple, rapid procedure using direct solvent extraction and liquid chromatography was developed for the simultaneous determination and identification of α ‐tocopheryl acetate, β ‐carotene and tocopherols in reduced‐fat mayonnaise. The method used a zero‐control reference material (ZRM) (made in‐house from olive oil and eggs) for accuracy determination. The vitamins and β ‐carotene were quantified by fluorescence and photodiode array detectors, respectively. The overall % recoveries (mean±S.D.)(n=5) for β ‐carotene, α ‐tocopheryl acetate, α ‐tocopherol, γ ‐tocopherol and δ ‐tocopherol were 101.4±1.4, 99.0±4.2, 102.0±3.6, 101.3±4.4 and 101.9±6.2, respectively. The method differentiates between natural and synthetic forms of vitamin E for accurate assessment of vitamin E biological activity. Comparative assays were performed using both direct solvent extraction and saponification.