CHAPTER 20: Analysis of Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B₅)

The pantothenic acid content in blood, urine and food is measured as free or total pantothenic acid and a classical microbiological assay using Lactobacillus plantarum remains the most practical method for this measurement. Although several other methods are available, including radioimmunoassay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), liquid chromatography (LC-MS) and an optical biosensor-based immunoassay, their use is restricted. This is mainly because there has been little interest in assessing pantothenic acid deficiency and thus few attempts have been made to develop these methods. Radioimmunoassay and ELISA lack sensitivity and require non-commercially available antisera. GC-MS requires a derivatization step to be sufficiently volatile for GC. Although the HPLC-fluorimetric method and LC-MS show sensitivity and selectivity for determining low levels of pantothenic acid in the blood, both methods require further development.