FT-IR based methodology for quantitation of total tocopherols, tocotrienols and plastochromanol-8 in vegetable oils

Fingerprint infra-red spectra of oils from several samples of canola, flax, soybean and sunflower seeds were recorded. The tocopherols, tocotrienols and plastochromanol-8, cumulatively called chromanols, amounts were determined with high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The sum of tocopherols, tocotrienols and plastochromanol-8 amounts and the infra-red spectra were subjected to partial least-squares analysis. Excellent correlation was obtained between the calculated and experimental values. The developed methodology may provide an alternative method for rapidly scanning vegetable oils for vitamin E type molecules.