HPTLC and HPLC-MS quantification of coenzyme Q10 and cholesterol in fractionated chicken-breast tissue

Coenzyme Q10, an essential factor of oxidative phosphorylation and an important antioxidant, is used as food additive in industrial production of poultry meat. In this study chickens were fed with water-soluble coenzyme Q10-β-cyclodextrin complex for 40 days and the distribution of CoQ10 and cholesterol in the chicken-breast cells was then measured. Cell fractions were analyzed by HPTLC and results were confirmed with a new HPLC-MS method. Both methods are suitable for quantitative evaluation, but HPTLC is particularly suitable for screening purposes. Validation revealed HPTLC is a reliable, sensitive, and flexible analytical tool in comparison with HPLC-MS, despite its inherently lower sensitivity and selectivity.