Determination of vitamin D in fortified and nonfortified milk powder and infant formula using a specific radioassay after purification by high-performance liquid chromatography

A reliable and sensitive radioassay is described for the determination of vitamin D in milk powder and infant formula. After saponification of the sample interfering compounds like sterols are removed by digitonin precipitation and chromatography on small columns packed with alumina. ( super(3)H)Vitamin D is added to the sample as an internal standard, to correct for losses due to previtamin D formation, as well as other procedural losses. Vitamin D is quantitated by a competitive protein binding (CPB) assay after final cleanup of the extract on a straight-phase HPLC column. Diluted sheep serum is used as the source of the binding protein, having equal affinity for both vitamins D sub(2) and D sub(3).