A high-performance liquid chromatography method to measure tocopherols in assai pulp (Euterpe oleracea)

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the laboratory scale determination of the tocopherol content of assai pulp is reported. This method includes the description of microscale saponification and extraction with diethyl ether. The optimized conditions for reversed-phase HPLC with UV and fluorescence detection were as follows: 250 mm × 4.60 mm Gemini C18 column with 5 μm particles, 28 °C column temperature, 95:5 (v v− 1) methanol:water mobile phase, 1.0 mL min− 1 flow rate and 2.6% method precision for α-tocopherol. To determine the α-, β-, γ- and δ-tocopherol content of fresh pulp, the analyzed assai pulp was collected from three different regions of production in the Amazonian estuary. This study revealed that assai pulp is rich in vitamin E (394.3 μg g− 1 dry matter of α-tocopherol), confirming the nutritional properties of assai.