Tlc-Bioautogram Analysis Of Vitamin B12 Compounds From Boiled And Dried Japanese Anchovy (Engraulis Japonica) Products

Vitamin B12 contents of boiled and dried Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonica) products (mild- and semi-dried white bait, and dried whole), which are commercially available in Japan, contained about 3.84.6 and 44.6 g of vitamin B12 per 100g weight. TLC-bioautogram analysis indicated that the vitamin B12-activity found in each anchovy product was given as a single spot whose Rf value (0.56) was identical to that of authentic vitamin B12. A red-tint compound was further purified to homogeneity from the dried whole product and partially characterized. TLC and HPLC patterns of the purified compound were identical to those of authentic vitamin B12. These results indicate that the dried whole Japanese anchovy would be an excellent source of vitamin B12 for humans.