Polymeric Microbore Monolithic Column for the Fast Determination of Milk Whey Proteins in Powder Supplements by Reversed‐phase Liquid Chromatography
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: A rapid and reliable reversed-phase liquid chromatographic method using a poly(butyl methacrylate–co–ethylene dimethacrylate) monolithic column was developed for the separation and quantification of major whey proteins in dietary supplements. Scanning electron microscopy showed a homogeneous monolithic structure formed by ~1 μm polymer globules and large flow-through pores, providing high permeability and low backpressure for fast separations. α-Lactalbumin, bovine serum albumin, and β-lactoglobulin were baseline-separated within 4 min using a steep acetonitrile gradient, with good peak symmetry and highly reproducible retention factors. The method exhibited excellent linearity (R² > 0.99), low limits of detection (2.7–6.2 µg/mL), and satisfactory precision and accuracy, as demonstrated by repeatability and recovery studies (97–112%). Application to commercial supplements confirmed β-lactoglobulin as the predominant protein, followed by α-lactalbumin and minor bovine serum albumin. The approach combines high throughput, robustness, and quantitative reliability, representing an efficient alternative to packed-column RPLC for routine quality control of whey protein products.
Source: Separation Science Plus
DOI: 10.1002/sscp.70271
Authors: Marcelo Campos, Jorge Cesar Masini
Institution: Universidade de São Paulo
Language: English
Subfield: Spectroscopy
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7166050083