Determination of Organic Acids in Apple and Cider by Liquid Chromatography with ordinary and narrow-bore columns. A Comparative Study

Abstract

Two narrow-bore columns packed with octadecylsilane of various particle sizes were used to compare their efficiency for the separation of organic acids in apple and cider with that of ordinary columns. The best simultaneous resolution of quinic, malic, shikimic, lactic, acetic, citric and succinic acid was accomplished by using a 100 × 2.1 mm ID, 3-μm Spherisorb ODS-2 column and a phosphate buffer as the mobile phase. This chromatographic system provided a separation efficiency comparable to that afforded by an ordinary 250 × 4.6 mm ID, 5-μm Spherisorb ODS-2 column, plus greater rapidity (30%) and economy, all of which allowed the accurate, precise determination (CV=3%) of the above-mentioned compounds. Finally, the performance of an ordinary UV detector and that of a rapid spectral detector in this type of determination were critically compared.