Simultaneous quantification of fat-soluble vitamins A, 25-hydroxylvitamin D and vitamin E in plasma from children using liquid chromatography coupled to Orbitrap mass spectrometry

Abstract

The fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K are micronutrients essential for physiological activity, metabolism and growth. Accurate and sensitive analytical methods are needed to support growing research into fat-soluble vitamins and their impact on children's growth and health. Here we report the first method for simultaneous quantification of fat-soluble vitamins A (retinol), 25-hydroxylvitamin D₂, 25-hydroxylvitamin D₃, and vitamin E (α-tocopherol) using a Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometer in high-resolution, parallel reaction monitoring mode. This method can select desired ions with high efficiency, potentially making it superior to triple-quadrupole mass spectrometers that employ multiple reaction monitoring. The proposed method offers excellent accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity, as demonstrated with plasma samples from healthy children.

Keywords: Fat-soluble vitamin; High-resolution; LC-MS; Orbitrap.