An Overview of Analytical Methods for Quantitative Determination of Coenzyme Q10 in Foods

Abstract

Food analysts have developed three primary techniques for coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) production: isolation from animal or plant matrices, chemical synthesis, and microbial fermentation; this literature review is focused on the first method. Choosing the appropriate analytical method for determining CoQ10 in a particular food product is essential, as this analyte is a quality index for healthy foods; various associations of extraction and quantification techniques are available in the literature, each having advantages and disadvantages. Several factors must be considered when selecting an analytical method, such as specificity, linear range, detection limit, quantification limit, recovery rate, operation size, analysis time, equipment availability, and costs. In another train of thought, the food sector produces a significant amount of solid and liquid waste; therefore, waste-considered materials can be a valuable source of CoQ10 that can be recovered and used as a fortifying ingredient or dietary supplement. This review also pursues identifying the richest food sources of CoQ10, and has revealed them to be vegetable oils, fish oil, organs, and meat.

Determination of Coenzyme Q10 Content in Food By-Products and Waste by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Diode Array Detection

“…HPLC with DA detection at 275 nm is the most common technique to estimate CoQ10 in foods, generally using calibration with an external standard [ 9 ]. For example, in 2000, it was used by Mattila et al [ 13 ] to measure CoQ10 levels in pork heart, beef meat, and Baltic herring flesh by applying direct extraction with n -hexane/ethanol (5:1, v / v ).…”

“…The lowest concentration of CoQ10 was found in WPC (36.56 µg CoQ10/g sample), while in HPC, it was not detected. Most studies have only focused on determining CoQ10 in raw materials and oils [ 9 , 34 ], and, to our knowledge, this is the first one conducted on oil press cakes. In the study of Rodríguez-Acuña et al [ 34 ], CoQ10 was isolated by solid-phase extraction (SPE) from crude oil of rapeseed and refined oil of sunflower, showing levels of 46.4 and 8.7 µg/g, respectively.…”

“…A previous paper [ 9 ], a literature review, highlighted vegetable oils, fish oil, organs, and meat as the richest sources of CoQ10. Based on this information, press cakes could be considered potential sources of this compound, given that they still contain oils, and cold-press oil extraction creates high amounts of these by-products [ 10 ].…”

“…Several methods are available in the literature for CoQ10 determination in food matrices by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) [ 8 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ], which first consists of analyte extraction with different solvents, followed by the instrumental analysis of the obtained extracts [ 9 ]. These include direct extraction with an ethanol/hexane mixture [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 18 ], supercritical carbon dioxide extraction [ 16 ], accelerated solvent extraction [ 17 ], and extraction by saponification [ 8 ].…”

The Association between the Diversity of Coenzyme Q10 Intake from Dietary Sources and the Risk of New-Onset Hypertension: A Nationwide Cohort Study

“…Most CoQ10 supplements are expensive and difficult to promote in the daily lives of the entire population. The exogenous acquisition methods of CoQ10 include various natural foods in addition to nutritional supplements [11,12]. Previous studies have also found a significant non-linear correlation between the total intake of CoQ10 from dietary sources and risk factors related to cardiovascular disease, such as C-reactive protein [13].…”