Quantitative determination of phospholipids in sunflower oil

Phospholipids from sunflower oil samples were enriched by using solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges and subsequently separated and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with an ultraviolet detector. The recovery of individual phospholipids at different total concentrations in model oils and the repeatability of the method were investigated. The results demonstrated the utility of SPE-H PLC for quantitative analysis of phospholipids in sunflower oil and the effectiveness for concentrating, separating, identifying, and quantitating phospholipids in samples with phosphatide contents as low as 0.1%. Samples of sunflower oil at different stages of processing were analyzed, and phospholipid profiles in hexane-extracted oil, hat-pressed oil, and water-degummed oils were compared.