Simultaneous determination of Vitamins A, D3, E, and K1 in Micelle Emulsion by high performance liquid chromatography

Vitamins E, A, K1, and D3 are lipophilic compounds as beneficial ingredients widely used in cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations for a variety of skin care functions. Effective diffusion of vitamins E, A, K1, and D3 from formulations into the epidermis and possibly into the dermis and subcutaneous layers is important for their functional actions. The purposes of this study were i) to simultaneously and quantitatively estimate vitamins E, A, K1, and D3, ii) to determine any possible interference among each one of them in a commercial cosmetic product, NovaSOLRTM ADEK-Q10 micelle emulsion sample, and iii) to study the potential diffusion of vitamins E, A, K1, and D3 through artificial membrane from the cosmetic emulsion sample. Methods for quantitative evaluation and diffusion studies of the vitamins were established by utilizing developed High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and in vitro Franz diffusion cell system with cellulose membrane. The results showed that the developed HPLC analytical method was successful in evaluating vitamins E, A, K1, and D3 alone as well as in the presence of each other. No interference was observed among the vitamins in the cosmetic emulsion sample. The diffusion studies also showed that the vitamins successfully diffused through the cellulose membrane from the emulsion sample without any interference observed. The in vitro data obtained from the diffusion studies indicated that the relative ranking in total release percentages was: vitamin D3 > vitamin K1 >> vitamin E > vitamin A, depending on their molecular weights.