Extension of AOAC Official Method 999.14 (Choline in Infant Formula and Milk) to the determination of choline in dietary supplements

• Published in: Journal of AOAC International Vol. 87; no. 6; pp. 1297 - 1308
• Main Authors: Rader, J.I, Weaver, C.M, Trucksess, M.W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Gaithersburg, MD AOAC International 01-11-2004
• Subjects: Animals; Ascorbic Acid - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Capsules; Charcoal - analysis; chemical analysis; choline; Choline - analysis; dietary supplements; Dietary Supplements - analysis; Enzymes - analysis; Feeding. Feeding behavior; food analysis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Hydrolysis; Indicators and Reagents; Infant; Infant Food - analysis; infant formulas; milk; Milk - chemistry; milk-based infant formulas; Powders; Quality Control; Reference Standards; soy-based infant formulas; soymilk; Tablets; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Extension; Supplemented diet; Method; Infant formula; Choline; Feeding
• ISSN: 1060-3271; 1944-7922
• DOI: 10.1093/jaoac/87.6.1297

AOAC Official Method 999.14 is applicable for the determination of choline in milk and infant formulas. To date, its use has not been extended beyond these matrixes. We modified Official Method 999.14 and applied it to the determination of choline in a range of choline-containing dietary supplements. Dietary supplement tablets, capsules, wafers, softgels, liquid products, and drink powders were included. We found that the standard curve could be extended to cover a wider range of choline concentrations and defined a procedure for the use of Norit for samples in which the vitamin C content was high enough to interfere with the analysis. Recoveries of choline added to infant formula powders and to representative dietary supplement tablets, capsules, powdered drink mix, and wafer products were 85-114%. The use of Norit during the procedure did not affect the recovery of choline added to infant formula powders or to dietary supplements. An alkaline digestion was included for use with a product containing lecithin as the sole source of choline. Ten of 11 dietary supplement products analyzed by the modified method contained amounts of choline at or above declarations found on the product labels. The remaining product contained about 40% of the label-declared amount of choline.