“Vitamins are an essential nutrient for normal metabolite”
Vitamins are organic chemicals that are required in little amounts to support metabolite functions and overall sustain the normal functioning of the healthy individual. The body cannot synthesize them in sufficient amounts, so they must be acquired from the diet or supplements.
There are mainly two class of vitamins exist in nature as given below
Fat Soluble Vitamins
Vitamins are easily dissolved in organic solvents or oils and fats, and it can be stored in the body’s fatty or adipose tissues and liver, and are absorbed along with fats in the diet. They can accumulate in the body, potentially leading to toxicity if consumed in excessive amounts.
- Vitamin A: It is important for vision, immunity, and skin health
- Vitamin D: Essential for bone health, calcium absorption, and immune function.
- Vitamin E: Acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells from damage.
- Vitamin K: Crucial for blood clotting and bone health.
Water Soluble Vitamins
Water-soluble vitamins include the B-complex group and vitamin C. These are not stored in the body and excess amounts are excreted in urine. Therefore, they need to be consumed more regularly.
- Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): Important for immune function, skin health, and antioxidant protection.
- Vitamins B: A group of vital vitamins such as B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B5 (Pantothenic Acid), B6 (Pyridoxine), B7 (Biotin), B9 (Folate or Folic Acid), B12 (Cobalamin) in energy production, metabolism, and red blood cell formation.
What are the sources of Vitamins?
Vitamin A
The main sources is include as carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, liver, fish, dairy products, and eggs. Additionally, other sources are red and orange fruits and vegetables like apricots and bell peppers, as well as fortified cereals and margarine
Vitamin D
Free and natural way to boost vitamin D levels, cereals, fatty fish, egg yolks, beef liver, and supplements and fortified milk. While fruits and vegetables are found to be limited access of Vitamin-D such as Banana, Guava, Papaya, Amla, Oranges, Avocado, Kiwi, Button mushrooms, Spinach, Bitter gourd, Bottle gourd, Sweet potatoes, Pumpkin etc.
Vitamin E
sources include nuts (almonds, hazelnuts), seeds (sunflower), vegetable oils (wheat germ, sunflower, safflower), green leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli), and fortified cereals. These foods provide antioxidants, supporting immune function and skin health.
Vitamin K
sources include green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, broccoli), cruciferous vegetables (Brussels sprouts, cabbage), and certain vegetable oils (soybean, canola). Additionally, small amounts are found in meats, dairy products, and fermented foods like natto
Vitamin C
sources include citrus fruits (oranges, lemons), berries (strawberries, blueberries), kiwi, mango, pineapple, and vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and spinach. These foods support immune function and skin health and act as antioxidants.
Vitamin B Complex
Sources of B vitamins include whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, dairy products, eggs, meat, fish, and leafy green vegetables. Each B vitamin has specific sources: B1 (thiamine) is found in whole grains and pork; B2 (riboflavin) in eggs, dairy, and almonds; B3 (niacin) in poultry and peanuts; B6 in chickpeas, bananas, and potatoes; B9 (folate) in leafy greens; and B12 in animal products like meat, fish, and dairy. These vitamins support energy metabolism and nervous system health.
Fat Soluble Vitamin
B. Water Soluble Vitamins
Vitamin Testing in Food
Vitamin testing in food is critical for maintaining nutritional quality, food safety, and regulatory compliance. Vitamins in food can be detected and quantified using a variety of analytical procedures. Following these steps may give you accurate and reliable vitamin analysis in food products. Always follow established procedures and guidelines for food product and vitamins being analyzed. Numerous methodologies have been published, including IS, FSSAI, BIS, and AOAC methods for various type of vitamins.
Sample Preparation
Obtain a representative sample of the material being examined (for example, food or biological). If the sample is solid, homogenize it to ensure consistency. Use proper solvents to extract vitamins. The solubility of the vitamin determines the solvent used (for example, water, alcohol, or hexane).
Vitamin Extraction
- For Water-Soluble Vitamins use aqueous solvents, sometimes with acids or buffers to stabilize the vitamins. Heat and enzymatic treatments might be applied to release bound vitamins.
- For Fat-Soluble Vitamins use organic solvents like hexane, ethanol, or chloroform. Saponification (alkaline hydrolysis) may be required to release vitamins from the food matrix.
- Separation and Purification : Centrifugation separates solid particles from liquid extracts and clarifies the extract by removing tiny particles by filtering. Other procedures, such as solid-phase extraction (SPE), are used to purify the extract and remove interfering matrix or other compounds. The sample is now ready for analysis, which may vary depending on the chemical characteristics of vitamins and the analytical method used.
Analytical Methods
- High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC): Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, and Vitamin B. HPLC separates, identifies, and quantifies vitamins in complex mixtures. It’s highly accurate and widely used in food analysis.
- Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS): LC-MS can assess vitamin D, B vitamins, and other nutrients. Liquid chromatography is used with mass spectrometry to provide comprehensive analysis. It is extremely sensitive and specific, making it ideal for diagnosing low vitamin levels.
- Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis): Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C can measure the absorption of UV or visible light by vitamins in a sample. It’s comparable, simpler, and less expensive but less specific than HPLC or LC-MS.
- Quantification: Prepare standards of known vitamin concentrations to create a calibration curve. Compare the sample’s response to the calibration curve to determine the vitamin concentration. Use internal standards and replicate samples to ensure accuracy and precision.
- Quality Control and Validation: Use certified reference materials (CRM). Perform method validation including linearity, accuracy, precision, detection limits, and quantitation limits. Include quality control samples in each batch of analysis.
Why food manufacturing should go for vitamin testing
Vitamin testing in food is an important part of food science because it ensures that customers get correct information about the nutritional value of their food and that manufacturers meet quality and regulatory standards. It ensures the accuracy of vitamin content on food labels. In addition to monitoring the nutritional quality of food products. Manufacturing requires continual R&D to generate new food products with specific vitamin content for sustain market affordability. Finally, vitamin testing meets the regulatory requirements for vitamin fortification and content in accordance with compliance.
How we can help with vitamin testing for your food products
Cultivator Phyto Lab Pvt. Ltd, a world-class laboratory with elite analytical professionals, can assist with vitamin testing for your food products. They utilize advanced techniques like HPLC, LC-MS, and UV-VIS to ensure precise analysis, accurate nutritional labelling, quality control, and regulatory compliance, meeting industry standards and consumer expectations.
Authors
Dr. Sanjoy Gupta (Ph.D)
Senior Officer- Training and Capacity Building
Dr. Sanjoy Gupta is a seasoned researcher with 13 years of experience across plant biotechnology, health science, nutrition, phytoplankton, and botanical studies. He has conducted research at reputed institutions like CSIR IIP, BSI, NIOT, and Cultivator Natural Products. With over a dozen published articles in national/international journals and thoughtful blog contributions, Dr. Gupta’s multidisciplinary expertise advances knowledge in holistic wellness and scientific innovation.
Kumar Nitesh
FSSAI Approved Food Analyst | Sr. Manager - Technical Chemical Lab
Kumar Nitesh is a seasoned Food Analyst with over 10 years of expertise in method development, validation, and analytical testing across diverse parameters like pesticides, mycotoxins, plant actives, and contaminants. Proficient in advanced instrumentation like LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/MS, and ICP-MS, he has held pivotal roles at reputed organizations. Notably, Kumar Nitesh has been successfully faced as an auditee of different regulatory like EIC, NABL, FSSAI, APEDA, and AYUSH, along with excelling in over 100 national and international proficiency tests. Beyond his analytical pursuits, he contributes to scientific blogs, driving advancements in analytical chemistry and instrumentation.
Reference :
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-Consumer/
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/HealthInformation/nutrientrecommendations.aspx
- https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Appendix-E3-1-Table-A4.pdf
- https://www.fssai.gov.in/upload/advisories/2020/01/5e159e0a809bbLetter_RDA_08_01_2020.pdf
- https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/nutrition-food-safety-health/fat-soluble-vitamins-a-d-e-and-k-9-315/
- https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-45776-5_20#citeas
- Pegg, R. B., & Eitenmiller, R. R. (2017). Vitamin Analysis. Food Analysis, 361–370. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-45776-5_20