1. What is Biotin
- Biotin, also called vitamin B7 or vitamin H, is a water-soluble vitamin that plays an essential role in the body's metabolism. Biotin plays an essential role in many biological processes, especially the metabolism of fatty acids, amino acids and glucose. It is an indispensable component for the activity of many enzymes, participating in DNA synthesis, cell development and maintaining the health of skin, hair and nails.
- Biotin participates in enzymatic reactions related to the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. In addition, biotin is also important for maintaining the health of the skin, hair, nails and nervous system.
The human body cannot synthesize biotin on its own and must absorb it through food. Food sources rich in biotin include:
- Animal liver
- Egg yolk
- Nuts such as almonds and walnuts
- Whole grains
- Okra, broccoli
- Dairy products
Biotin deficiency, although rare, can lead to hair loss, skin inflammation, fatigue, and neurological disorders.
2. The role of biotin testing in food
- To ensure the nutritional quality of the products and comply with food safety standards, testing the biotin content in food, functional foods and animal feed is necessary. Biotin control is also particularly important in the production of supplement products and medical nutrition products, where biotin is often added to the formula in precise amounts.
* Biotin testing requirements can come from:
- Regulations of food regulatory agencies
- The need for accurate nutritional labeling
- Ensuring product stability throughout the shelf life
- New product development
- However, biotin has fairly stable chemical properties and is difficult to detect directly without a suitable pretreatment method.
3. Method for testing Biotin in food using the affinity column from R-Biopharm
- To meet the need for accurate and efficient biotin analysis, R-Biopharm (Germany) has developed an affinity column for biotin from the product line EASI-EXTRACT®.
- See the details of the immunoaffinity column product for Biotin analysis that we offer here.
* Principle
The affinity column uses antibodies with high specificity for biotin, allowing selective separation of biotin from complex sample matrices (such as milk, functional foods, animal feed,...) before quantitative analysis. This method helps remove impurities and increase the accuracy and sensitivity of the measurement.
* Basic procedure
- Sample preparation: the food sample is ground, homogenized and extracted with a suitable solvent (usually water or buffer solution).
- Loading the sample onto the affinity column: the biotin-containing extract is loaded onto the column. Biotin will selectively bind to the antibodies on the column.
- Washing the column: unbound impurities are washed off the column with buffer solution.
- Eluting biotin: Biotin is eluted from the column with a special solvent.
- Analysis: the eluate can be quantified by methods such as: HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography), LC-MS/MS (Liquid Chromatography - Tandem Mass Spectrometry).
This method allows biotin to be quantified with high accuracy, even at very low concentrations.
* Outstanding advantages
- High selectivity: the antibodies on the column bind only to biotin, limiting interference from similar compounds.
- High sensitivity: biotin is detected at low levels, suitable for foods rich or low in biotin.
- Wide range of applications: suitable for milk, infant formula, animal feed, supplements,...
- Time saving: a fast procedure, easy to integrate into standard HPLC analysis systems.
- R-Biopharm products also come with complete detailed instructions, reference standards and technical support from the company, making it easy for laboratories to implement.
4. Conclusion
- Biotin is an important micronutrient that needs to be controlled in food products and functional foods. The method for biotin testing using the affinity column from R-Biopharm brings an effective and reliable solution for manufacturers and testing laboratories.
- With advanced technology and German quality, R-Biopharm is the preferred choice for many laboratories worldwide when trace analysis of biotin in complex sample matrices is needed.
Customers, please contact us for more details about quotations and product information!
