High-throughput and sustainable B vitamins analysis in nutritional supplements, vegetables, and fruits via 2D carbon microfiber fractionation system coupled with mass spectrometry

B vitamins are essential for energy metabolism, nervous health, blood production, and the immune system. Their quantification in nutritional supplements and food is mandatory to manage a correct daily intake and dosage. In this study, a fast and sustainable method for the analysis of 8 B vitamins (VB1, VB2, VB3, nicotinamide, VB5, VB6, VB9, VB12) in real samples using a 2D-carbon microfiber fractionation system combined with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (2DμCFs-QqQ-MS/MS) is presented. The method shortens the analysis time to 5 min, showing high sensitivities (LODs: 1.7–13.7 ng mL−1, LOQs: 5.5–45.7 ng mL−1, obtained with standard solutions), good reproducibility (RSDs <15 %), and strong linear correlations (R2 > 0.997). When applied for B vitamin determination in nutritional supplements, results matched product label values at a 95 % confidence level, with batch reproducibility never exceeding 5 %. Furthermore, coupling a 2D-carbon microfiber fraction system with a quadrupole time-of-flight high-resolution mass spectrometry (2DμCFs-QTOF-HRMS) it is possible to carry out quick monitoring of B vitamin contents together with impurity evaluation in real samples.