An isocratic HPLC method was developed for the determination of coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10)) in human breast milk. After a single-step liquid-liquid extraction, the milk extract was injected directly into the HPLC system. The analytical method is based on pre-column inline treatment of CoQ(10). Chromatographic separation of CoQ(10) and coenzyme Q(9) (CoQ(9)) internal standard was achieved using a reversed-phase Microsorb-MV C(18) analytical column. CoQ(10) and CoQ(9) were monitored by an electrochemical detector (ECD). An excellent linearity (r = 0.999) was observed for CoQ(10) in the concentration range 0.06-2.5 micromol L(-1) in breast milk. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 60 nmol L(-1). Coefficients of variations (CVs) for intra-day and inter-day assay precisions were less than 5%. A total of 194 breast milk samples were analyzed for the CoQ(10) concentration; the mean value was 0.32 +/- 0.21 micromol L(-1).
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