The Effect of Physical Refining on Palm Vitamin E (Tocopherol, Tocotrienol and Tocomonoenol)

This study reports the effect of physical refining on palm vitamin E including α- tocopherol, α-, γ and α-tocotrienols as well as α- tocomonoenol. A method using HPLC with fluorescence detector using normal phase silica column is described. An isocratic elution with n-hexane/THF/2-propanol (1000:60:4, by vol.) as mobile phase was used. The structure of the α- tocomonoenol was determined using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The composition of the vitamers were α-tocopherol (14-17%), α-tocotrienol (22-24%), γ- tocotrienol (49-53%), α- tocotrienol (6-7%) and α- tocomonoenol (3%) throughout the physical refining. The concentration of all vitamers in crude palm oil was 1273±18 ppm. The concentrations of all vitamers in degummed palm oil, bleached palm oil and deodorized palm oil were 1134±20 ppm, 1095±18 ppm and 1029±18 ppm, respectively. This method provides fast and valuable information with minimal analysis time and no sample pre-treatment.