A specific LC/ESI-MS/MS method for determination of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in neonatal dried blood spots containing a potential interfering metabolite, 3-epi-25-hydroxyvitamin D3

Vitamin D deficiency in an infant is associated with a wide range of adverse health outcomes in later life. A method for the quantification of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D₃ [25(OH)D₃, the best‐established indicator of vitamin D status] in neonatal dried blood spots (DBSs) using LC/ESI‐MS/MS has been developed and validated. The method employed two steps of derivatization, a Diels–Alder reaction with 4‐phenyl‐1,2,4‐triazoline‐3,5‐dione followed by acetylation, to enhance the detectability of 25(OH)D₃ in ESI‐MS/MS and to separate 25(OH)D₃ from 3‐epi‐25‐hydroxyvitamin D₃ [3‐epi‐25(OH)D₃], a potent interfering metabolite. 25(OH)D₃ was extracted from two DBS punches (3 mm in diameter, equivalent to 5.3 μL of whole blood), purified using an Oasis HLB^® cartridge, and subjected to derivatization prior to analysis with LC/ESI‐MS/MS. 25‐Hydroxyvitamin D₄ was used as the internal standard. This method was reproducible (intra‐ and inter‐assay RSDs, <6.9%) and accurate (analytical recovery, 95.2–102.7%), and the LOQ was 3.0 ng/mL. The developed method enabled specific quantification of 25(OH)D₃ in neonatal DBSs and detection of vitamin D deficiency without interference from 3‐epi‐25(OH)D₃.     

Comparative evaluation of new Cookson‐type reagents for LC/ESI‐MS/MS assay of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D3 in neonatal blood samples

The screening of vitamin D deficiency in neonatal infants, which is based on the blood 25‐hydroxyvitamin D₃ [25(OH)D₃] quantification, is important for the early detection, diagnosis and health risk assessment of several diseases. In this study, two new Cookson‐type reagents, 4‐(4‐diethylaminophenyl)‐1,2,4‐triazoline‐3,5‐dione (DEAPTAD) and 4‐(6‐quinolyl)‐1,2,4‐triazoline‐3,5‐dione, were designed and synthesized, then compared with the previous reagents, 4‐phenyl‐1,2,4‐triazoline‐3,5‐dione (PTAD) and 4‐(4‐dimethylaminophenyl)‐1,2,4‐triazoline‐3,5‐dione (DAPTAD), in terms of sensitivity and specificity in the assay of 25(OH)D₃ in neonatal blood samples by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry. Among the reagents, DEAPTAD was found to be the most promising. The limit of detection (0.38 fmol on the column) of the DEAPTAD‐derivatized 25(OH)D₃ was 60 and 2 times lower than those of the intact 25(OH)D₃ and the PTAD derivative, respectively. 25(OH)D₃ was more clearly detected in the plasma sample as the DEAPTAD derivative than the DAPTAD derivative owing to the lower background noise. DEAPTAD derivatization was also useful for the separation of 25(OH)D₃ from a potent interfering metabolite, 3‐epi‐25‐hydroxyvitamin D₃. By using DEAPTAD, a trace amount of 25(OH)D₃ in dried blood spots was reproducibly determined without interference from coexisting compounds. Thus, DEAPTAD was proved useful in the measurement of 25(OH)D₃ in neonatal blood samples. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D3 in human plasma using HPLC with UV detection based on SPE sample preparation

Interest in the metabolism and physiological action of vitamin D is increased exponentially. The most important metabolites of vitamin D are 25‐hydroxyvitamin and 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D₃. The aim of the study was to develop a rapid and simple HPLC method for the measurement of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D₃ in human plasma. A method for the measurement of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D₃ using HPLC with UV detection and investigation into the extraction techniques with regard to stability and recovery are described. For the separation, RP column LiChroCart 125‐4, Purospher RP‐18e, 5 μm, was used. The mixture of methanol and deionized water (95:5 v/v) was used as mobile phase. The analytical performance of this method is satisfactory: the intra‐ and inter‐assay coefficients of variation were below 10%. Quantitative recoveries from spiked plasma samples were between 92.0–103.2%. The LOD was 10 nmol/L. The preliminary reference range of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D₃ in a group of blood donors is 62 ± 26 nmol/L.     

Determination of Vitamin D3 Metabolites Using High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography or Immunoaffinity Chromatography

Our investigation of the analysis of vitamin D₃ metabolites has been reviewed. The development of high‐performance liquid chromatographic methods for the quantitative determination of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D₃ 3‐sulfate and 25‐hydroxyvitamin D₃, which are the major circulating metabolites of vitamin D₃ in human serum/plasma, has been described. The developed methods were applied to the determination of the correlation between the concentration of the sulfate and its genin in healthy subjects and patients with chronic renal failure. The development of immunoaffinity chromatography immobilizing the highly specific anti‐1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D₃ antibody for the pretreatment of radioreceptor assay of 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D₃, which is the active metabolite of vitamin D₃, is also described.     

New approach for the clinical monitoring of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D3 and 25‐hydroxyvitamin D2 by ultra high performance liquid chromatography with MS/MS based on the standard reference material 972

Biomarkers, 25‐hydroxyvitamin D₃ and 25‐hydroxyvitamin D₂, are important indicators of the vitamin D general status and are monitored in several pathophysiological disorders, such as osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease, etc. A novel ultra‐HPLC with MS/MS methodology for the analysis of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D derivatives coupled with a very simple and highly rapid sample preparation step was developed. Analytical parameters obtained showed linearity (R²) above 0.999 for both vitamins with accuracies between 95.8 and 102%. The LODs were as low as 0.22 and 0.67 nmol/L for 25‐hydroxyvitamin D₃ and 25‐hydroxyvitamin D₂, respectively. Intra‐assay precision (%RSD) was lower than 4.5%, and inter‐assay precision (%RSD) was lower than 6.5%. The feasibility of the developed methodology to be applied in clinical routine analysis has been proved by its application in blood samples from non‐agenarian patients, patients with familial hypercholesterolemia and patients suffering from age‐related macular degeneration.     

Analysis of retinol, α‐tocopherol, 25‐hydroxyvitamin D2 and 25‐hydroxyvitamin D3 in plasma of patients with cardiovascular disease by HPLC–MS/MS method

Fat‐soluble vitamins play a pivotal role in the progression of atherosclerosis and the development of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, plasma monitoring of their concentrations may be useful in the diagnosis of these disorders as well as in the process of treatment. The study aimed to develop and validate an HPLC–MS/MS method for determination of retinol, α‐tocopherol, 25‐hydroxyvitamin D2 and 25‐hydroxyvitamin D3 in plasma of patients with cardiovascular disease. The analytes were separated on an HPLC Kinetex F5 column via gradient elution with water and methanol, both containing 0.1% (v/v) formic acid. Detection of the analytes was performed on a triple‐quadrupole MS with multiple reaction monitoring via electrospray ionization. The analytes were isolated from plasma samples with liquid–liquid extraction using hexane. Linearity of the analyte calibration curves was confirmed in the ranges 0.02–2 μg/mL for retinol, 0.5–20 μg/mL for α‐tocopherol, 5–100 ng/mL for 25‐hydroxyvitamin D2 and 2–100 ng/mL for 25‐hydroxyvitamin D3. Intra‐ and inter‐assay precision and accuracy of the method were satisfactory. Short‐ and long‐term stabilities of the analytes were determined. The HPLC‐MS/MS method was applied for the determination of the above fat‐soluble vitamin concentrations in patient plasma as potential markers of the cardiovascular disease progression.     

Identification of conjugation positions of urinary glucuronidated vitamin D3 metabolites by LC/ESI–MS/MS after conversion to MS/MS‐fragmentable derivatives

A liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry‐based method was developed for the identification of the conjugation positions of the monoglucuronides of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D₃ [25(OH)D₃] and 24,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D₃ [24,25(OH)₂D₃] in human urine. The method employed derivatization with 4‐(4‐dimethylaminophenyl)‐1,2,4‐triazoline‐3,5‐dione to convert the glucuronides into fragmentable derivatives, which provided useful product ions for identifying the conjugation positions during the MS/MS. The derivatization also enhanced the assay sensitivity and specificity for urine sample analysis. The positional isomeric monoglucuronides, 25(OH)D₃‐3‐ and ‐25‐glucuronides, or 24,25(OH)₂D₃‐3‐, ‐24‐ and ‐25‐glucuronides, were completely separated from each other under the optimized LC conditions. Using this method, the conjugation positions were successfully determined to be the C3 and C24 positions for the glucuronidated 25(OH)D₃ and 24,25(OH)₂D₃, respectively. The 3‐glucuronide was not present for 24,25(OH)₂D₃, unlike 25(OH)D₃, thus we found that selective glucuronidation occurs at the C24‐hydroxy group for 24,25(OH)₂D₃.     

Determination of vitamins D2 and D3 in pharmaceuticals by supercritical-fluid extraction and HPLC separation with UV detection

Summary The supercritical-fluid extraction of vitamins D₂ and D₃ with carbon dioxide is reported for the first time. The extraction recovery was enhanced by direct addition of diethyl ether to sample contained in the extraction cell. Separation and detection of the analytes was performed off-line by reversed-phase liquid chromatography with UV-detection. The quantification limit of the method is 4.1 μg for both analytes, with precision, expressed as relative standard deviation, of 3.8 and 6.3% for vitamins D₂ and D₃, respectively (η=7). The proposed method has been applied to the determination of vitamin D in different pharmaceutical products; recoveries were between 85 and 105%.     

Identification and Structural Elucidation of Vitamin D3 Metabolites in Human Urine Using LC-MS-MS

An analytical method was developed for the identification of primary vitamin D₃ metabolites in human urine using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in positive mode. Urine samples were purified using C₁₈ solid-phase extraction cartridges and analytical separations were performed by reversed phase liquid chromatography in gradient mode using ammonium acetate (0.01 mol L^?1) and acetonitrile as the mobile phases. Identification and structural elucidation of the metabolites were carried out by comparison with mass spectral fragmentation behavior of vitamin D₃ and retention characteristics. Three primary urinary vitamin D₃ metabolites were identified as 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃, 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ and vitamin D₃ sulphate, respectively.     

Determination of Vitamin D3 and 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Using Liquid Chromatography with Amperometric Detection

Abstract

The electrochemical behaviour of vitamin D₃ and 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ (25-OH D₃) in a high performance liquid chromatography system using amperometric detection is described. Separation is carried out using a C18 reversed-phase column and the optimum mobile phase was a 0.1 M LiClO₄ solution in methanol-water (97:3, v/v) at a flow rate of 1.25 ml/min. 25-OH D₃ and vitamin D₃ were eluted with good resolution at retention times of 3 and 6 minutes respectively, and determined by amperometric detection with a glassy carbon electrode at + 1.050 V (vs Ag/AgCl). Calibration graphs for both substances showed good linearity when amounts of vitamin D₃ between 18 and 312 ng and 27 and 412 ng of 25-OH D₃ were injected. Detection limits of 8 ng (vitamin D₃) and 25 ng (25-OH D₃); relative standard deviations of 3.2% (vitamin D₃) and 5.8% (25-OH D₃) were obtained.     

Quantitative determination of vitamin D metabolites in plasma using UHPLC-MS/MS

Vitamin D is an important determinant of bone health at all ages. The plasma concentrations of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OH D) and other metabolites are used as biomarkers for vitamin sufficiency and function. To allow for the simultaneous determination of five vitamin D metabolites, 25-OH D₃, 25-OH D₂, 24,25-(OH)₂ D₃, 1,25-(OH)₂ D₃, and 1,25-(OH)₂ D₂, in low volumes of human plasma, an assay using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was established. Plasma samples were spiked with isotope-labeled internal standards and pretreated using protein precipitation, solid-phase extraction (SPE) and a Diels–Alder derivatization step with 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione. The SPE recovery rates ranged from 55% to 85%, depending on the vitamin D metabolite; the total sample run time was <5 min. Mass spectrometry was conducted using positive ion electrospray ionization in the multiple reaction monitoring mode on a quadrupole–quadrupole-linear ion trap instrument after pre-column addition of methylamine to increase the ionization efficiency. The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations were 1.6–4.1% and 3.7–6.8%, respectively. The limit of quantitation for these compounds was determined to be between 10 and 20 pg/mL. The 25-OH D results were compared with values obtained for reference materials (DEQAS). In addition, plasma samples were analyzed with two additional Diasorin antibody assays. All comparisons with conventional methods showed excellent correlations (r ² = 0.9738) for DEQAS samples, demonstrating the high degree of comparability of the new UHPLC-MS/MS technique to existing methods.     

Vitamin D analysis in plasma by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with C(30) reversed phase column and UV detection--easy and acetonitrile-free

Two physiologically important forms of vitamin D exist: vitamin D₂ and vitamin D₃, which by liver based hydroxylase enzymes are converted to 25-hydroxyvitamin D₂ and 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃, respectively. These hydroxylated metabolites of vitamin D are measured in plasma to assess the vitamin D status of animals and humans. Therefore cheap and reliable analytical methods are very much in demand in nutritional and physiological research. After saponification and extraction of plasma or serum samples the current method uses reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography on a C₃₀ column and with UV detection at 265 nm for quantifying vitamin D₂, vitamin D₃, 25-hydroxyvitamin D₂, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃. The method proved versatile with respect to plasma lipid content, sample amount, and plasma concentration of the vitamin D metabolites as it was tested using plasma from six different species: cattle, pigs, poultry, mink, horses, and humans. In cattle plasma recoveries were between 86.6 and 101.0%, within day error between 0.9 and 5.9%, and between day error between 0.2 and 1.7%. However, depending on species and sample amount error percentages varied. When running the method on standard reference material^® 972 “Vitamin D in human serum” from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) (Gaithersburg, USA) the results for 25-hydroxyvitamin D₂ and 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ concentrations were within the boundaries provided by NIST, reflected by Z-scores between 0.1 and 0.9.     

Development,validation and comparison of four methods for quantifying endogenous 25OH‐D3 in human plasma

To meet the increasing clinical needs for 25‐hydroxyvitamin D3 (25OH‐D3) detection, the development of an efficient and accurate high‐performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS) method for plasma 25OH‐D3 quantitation is important. Since 25OH‐D3 is an endogenous compound, the lack of a plasma blank increases the difficulty of accurately quantifying 25OH‐D3. Selection of a method suitable for clinical monitoring among various methods for endogenous compound quantification is necessary. Methyl tert butyl ether was chosen for the sample treatment in a liquid–liquid extraction protocol. Water as a blank matrix, 5% human serum albumin in water as a blank matrix, surrogate analyte and background subtraction were designed to address the problem of a deficiency of a plasma blank. Four liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry methods were fully validated to verify the advantages and limitations owing to regulatory deficiencies for endogenous compound validation. All four methods met the criteria and could be used to monitor clinical samples. Overall 30 human plasma samples were quantified in parallel using the four methods. The difference between any two methods was <12.6% and the total relative standard deviation was <5.2%. Background subtraction and 5% human serum albumin in water as a blank matrix may be better choices considering data quality, matrix similarity, cost and practicality.     

25‐Hydroxyvitamin D3 Synthesis by Enzymatic Steroid Side‐Chain Hydroxylation with Water

The hydroxylation of vitamin D₃ (VD₃, cholecalciferol) side chains to give 25‐hydroxyvitamin D₃ (25OHVD₃) is a crucial reaction in the formation of the circulating and biologically active forms of VD₃. It is usually catalyzed by cytochrome P450 monooxygenases that depend on complex electron donor systems. Cell‐free extracts and a purified Mo enzyme from a bacterium anaerobically grown with cholesterol were employed for the regioselective, ferricyanide‐dependent hydroxylation of VD₃ and proVD₃ (7‐dehydrocholesterol) into the corresponding tertiary alcohols with greater than 99 % yield. Hydroxylation of VD₃ strictly depends on a cyclodextrin‐assisted isomerization of VD₃ into preVD₃, the actual enzymatic substrate. This facile and robust method developed for 25OHVD₃ synthesis is a novel example for the concept of substrate‐engineered catalysis and offers an attractive alternative to chemical or O₂ /electron‐donor‐dependent enzymatic procedures.     

Automated method for the determination of vitamin D3 hydroxymetabolites in serum

An almost automated method for the determination of hydroxymetabolites of vitamin D₃ (cholecalciferol) in human serum is reported. The method consists of three steps: 1) a batch liquid–liquid extraction step with 2-propanol and hexane, and drying of the extract and reconstitution with phosphate buffer. 2) A cleanup and preconcentration step based on solid-phase extraction using Prospekt equipment, with CN group cartridges and elution with the chromatographic mobile phase. 3) A chromatographic step for individual separation of the target analytes starting with a 90:10 methanol–water mixture, then a linear gradient to obtain 100% methanol; followed by photometric detection. The method provides a linear range between 1.0 and 100 ng mL^–1 for 24,25-(OH)₂ vitamin D₃ and for 25-(OH)₂ vitamin D₃, and between 1.5 and 100 ng mL^–1 for 1,25-(OH) vitamin D₃, with correlation coefficients ranging between 0.993 and 0.987, repeatability between 1.9% and 4.8% and within-laboratory reproducibility between 2.8% and 8.8%.     

High Performance Liquid Chromatogrphy of Fat-Soluble Vitamins. III. Determination of Vitamin D3 in Pharmaceutical Preparations and in Blood

Abstract

A reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method (HPLC) is described for separation and determination of colecalciferol (Vitamin D₃) in Vitamin preparations and in biological materials. Vitamin D₃ is extracted from the formulations and from the blood in a fully automated electronically controlled extraction apparatus. For HPLC a column of lichrosorb RP18 and methanol as eluent are used. The extraction, separation and determination of vitamin D₃ needs about 10–20 minutes. The described extraction and HPLC methods allow the detection of 1–2 ng per injection and are well reproduced with a maximum coefficient of variation of < 3,5%. Vitamin A-acetate is used as internal standard.     

Metabolic profiling of major vitamin D metabolites using Diels–Alder derivatization and ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Biologically active forms of vitamin D are important analytical targets in both research and clinical practice. The current technology is such that each of the vitamin D metabolites is usually analyzed by individual assay. However, current LC-MS technologies allow the simultaneous metabolic profiling of entire biochemical pathways. The impediment to the metabolic profiling of vitamin D metabolites is the low level of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ in human serum (15–60 pg/mL). Here, we demonstrate that liquid–liquid or solid-phase extraction of vitamin D metabolites in combination with Diels–Alder derivatization with the commercially available reagent 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione (PTAD) followed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)–electrospray/tandem mass spectrometry analysis provides rapid and simultaneous quantification of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃, 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₂, 24R,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃, 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ and 25-hydroxyvitamin D₂ in 0.5 mL human serum at a lower limit of quantification of 25 pg/mL. Precision ranged from 1.6–4.8 % and 5–16 % for 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ and 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃, respectively, using solid-phase extraction. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Sensitive measurement of serum 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry after removing interference with immunoaffinity extraction

Vitamin D plays important roles in bone health and a variety of other pathophysiological conditions. 1α,25‐Dihydroxyvitamin D is the active form of vitamin D. Quantification of serum 1α,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D is useful for evaluation of several diseases including chronic renal failure, hypoparathyroidism, sarcoidosis, and rickets. Measurement of 1α,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D is very challenging due to its low circulating concentration and presence of interfering substances in serum. In this report, a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method for quantifying serum 1α,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D is described. Lithium adducts of 1α,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D were formed prior to mass spectrometry analysis to improve ionization efficiency. We tested a number of different sample preparation procedures and found that immunoaffinity extraction was the method of choice because it completely removed isobaric interferences and matrix effects present in patient serum. Extraction efficiency, expressed as absolute recovery, was greater than 60% in both patient serum and charcoal‐stripped serum. This method was linear from 3.4 to 206.2 pg/mL for 1α,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D₃ and 3.9 to 212.6 pg/mL for 1α,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D₂ with an accuracy of 89.8–98.4% and 97.5–115.7%, respectively. Inter‐assay and intra‐assay coefficients of variance (CVs) for both analytes at two different concentration levels ranged from 2.5–7.0%. Comparison with a radioimmunoassay for measuring total 1α,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D concentration using 40 patient samples showed a Deming regression slope of 0.751, a y‐intercept of 0.84 pg/mL, an r value of 0.7909, and a mean percentage difference of –27.1%. Comparison with a reference LC/MS/MS method (n = 20) showed a Deming regression slope of 1.020, a y‐intercept of 1.32 pg/mL, an r value of 0.9797, and a mean percentage difference of –2.9%. In conclusion, usage of immunoaffinity extraction enabled a sensitive LC/MS/MS method for quantification of 1α,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D in serum. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Flow-injection analysis of vitamin D3 and 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 by amperometric detection

A simple, rapid and sensitive flow-injection method with amperometric detection for the determination of vitamin D₃ and 25-hydroxy-vitamin D₃ (25-OH-D₃) in pharmaceutical preparation is described. The method is based on the anodic electrochemical behaviour of these substances in methanol-water using a glassy carbon electrode. The optimum working potential was + 1.050 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). The influence of flow-rate, coil length and injection volume on sensitivity was established. Calibration graphs for both vitamin D₃ and 25-OH-D₃ show good linearity in the range 1.8×10^?7?1.0×10^?5 M. Detection limits of 7 ng (vitamin D₃) and 11 ng (25-OH-D₃) and relative standard deviations of 1.5% were obtained.     

Simultaneous quantitative analysis of eight vitamin D analogues in milk using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Milk is an important source of nutrients for various risk populations, including infants. The accurate measurement of vitamin D in milk is necessary to provide adequate supplementation advice for risk groups and to monitor regulatory compliance. Currently used liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) methods are capable of measuring only four analogues of vitamin D in unfortified milk. We report here an accurate quantitative analytical method for eight analogues of vitamin D: Vitamin D₂ and D₃ (D₂ and D₃), 25-hydroxy D₂ and D₃, 24,25-dihydroxy D₂ and D₃, and 1,25-dihydroxyD₂ and D₃. In this study, we compared saponification and protein precipitation for the extraction of vitamin D from milk and found the latter to be more effective. We also optimised the pre-column derivatisation using 4-phenyl-l,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione (PTAD), to achieve the highest sensitivity and accuracy for all major vitamin D forms in milk. Chromatography was optimised to reduce matrix effects such as ion-suppression, and the matrix effects were eliminated using co-eluting stable isotope labelled internal standards for the calibration of each analogue. The analogues, 25-hydroxyD₃ (25(OH)D₃) and its epimer (3-epi-25(OH)D₃) were chromatographically resolved, to prevent over-estimation of 25(OH)D₃. The method was validated and subsequently applied for the measurement of total vitamin D levels in human, cow, mare, goat and sheep milk samples. The detection limits, repeatability standard deviations, and recovery ranges were from 0.2 to 0.4 femtomols, 6.30–13.5%, and 88.2–105%, respectively.