Table 3.
Summary of methods for determination of vitamin C in human biological materials.
| Technique | Sensitivity (AA in μM if not Specified) |
Advantages | Disadvantages | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LC-UV/PDA | 4.95 * | Commonly affordable technique, | AA determination only (poor absorption properties of DHA), | [211,225,226,227] |
| 4.0 * | ||||
| 5.0 ** | ||||
| 31.81 * | ||||
| LC-ECD | 9 × 10−2 * | selectivity and sensitivity, easy miniaturization | DHA is electroinactive, contamination of electrode by real samples | [226,228,229,230] |
| 1.34 * | ||||
| 2.5 × 10−2 * | ||||
| 0.50 * | ||||
| LC-MS | 0.5 ** | selectivity, possibility of simultaneous determination of AA and DHA possibility of labeled internal standards usage |
Costly device, highly skilled personnel, complicated DHA ionization | [213,214,231] |
| DHA: 5 ** | ||||
| 113 ** | ||||
| CE-ECD | CZE-ECD: | Small sample and solvent volumes, good sensitivity |
High separation voltage could interfere with the detection of an electrochemical signal, contamination of electrode by real samples, DHA is electroinactive | [224,232,233,234] |
| 1.7 *** | ||||
| 0.49 *** | ||||
| 0.50 *** | ||||
| CE-CL | MCE-CL: | Small sample and solvent volumes, good sensitivity | No natural luminescence of AA (necessity of reaction with luminol—AA enhancing effect), contamination of electrode by real samples | [232,235,236] |
| 1.3 *** | ||||
| CZE-CL: | ||||
| 0.01 *** | ||||
| CE-UV | MEKC-UV: | Small sample and solvent volumes | Low sensitivity, poor absorption properties of DHA, AA determination only | [232,237,238] |
| 5.0 *** | ||||
| 0.85 *** | ||||
| biosensors | 0.12*** | Small sample and solvent volumes, low price, portable, good sensitivity, possible to detect AA in vivo |
Mostly using ECD—impossible to detect DHA, not commercially available, not tested for large biological sample series | [239,240,241,242,243,244,245,246,247] |
| 7.4 × 10−2 *** | ||||
| 8.5 × 10−4 *** | ||||
| 5.0 × 10−4 *** | ||||
| 0.02 *** | ||||
| 5.68 × 10−3 *** | ||||
| 9.0 × 10−3 *** | ||||
| 13.5 × 10−3 ** | ||||
| 0.85 × 10−3 *** | ||||
| HPLC-UV kits | 2.84 * | See LC-UV | See LC-UV, very high cost | [248,249] |
| 2.27 * | ||||
| colorimetric/FLD kits | 2.0 × 10−4 *** | One kit usable for different matrices (fluids, cells, tissues), commonly available technique, small sample, and solvent volumes, low operation cost | Impossible to differentiate AA and DHA, suitable for large sample series—expiration of the kit after opening | [250,251,252,253] |
| 5.0 *** (FLD) | ||||
| 3.2 *** | ||||
| immunoassays kits | 0.57 *** | One kit usable for different matrices (fluids, cells, tissues), commonly available technique, small sample, and solvent volumes, low operation cost | Cross-reactions, impossible to differentiate AA and DHA, suitable for large sample series—short expiration of the kit after opening | [254,255] |
| 1.08 *** |
* LOQ (limit of quantification), ** LLOQ (lower limit of quantification), *** LOD (limit of detection). AA, ascorbic acid. DHA, dehydroascorbic acid. LC-UV/PDA, liquid chromatography with photodiode array/ultraviolet detection. FLD, fluorescence detection. LC-ECD, liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. LC-CL, liquid chromatography with chemiluminescence detection. LC-MS, liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry detection. CE-ECD, capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection. CE-CL, capillary electrophoresis with chemiluminescence detection. CE-UV, capillary electrophoresis with ultraviolet detection. CZE-ECD, capillary zone electrophoresis with electrochemical detection. MCE-CL, microchip capillary electrophoresis with chemiluminescence detection. CZE-CL, capillary zone electrophoresis with chemiluminescence detection. MEKC-UV, micellar electrokinetic chromatography with ultraviolet detection. ECD, electrochemical detection. LC-UV, liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. HPLC-UV, high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection.