Published:Journal of Chromatographic Science,
ISSN 0021-9665Volume
41, Number 1, January 2003, pp. 1-6
Separation and Determination of Ephedrine and Pseudoephedrine
by Combination of Flow Injection with Capillary Electrophoresis
Hongli Chen1, Xingguo Chen1,*, Qiaosheng Pu1, Zhide Hu1, Zhengfeng
Zhao2, and Martin Hooper2
1Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P.R. China and
2School of Applied Sciences, Monash University, Monash University Gippsland
Campus, Churchill, Vic. 3842, Australia
A simple, rapid, and accurate method for the separation and
determination of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine using direct UV absorbance detection
has been developed by the combination of flow injection with capillary electrophoresis
for the first time. The buffer solution used is a 40mM borate solution with
the pH adjusted to 9.5 using a 2M NaOH solution. The linear calibration range
is 50 to1000 µg/mL (r = 0.9996) for both analytes, and the recoveries
are 91.2–108.2% for ephedrine and 92.6–107.3% for pseudoephedrine,
respectively. The relative standard deviation of the peak area is 1.6% for
ephedrine and 1.3% for pseudoephedrine (n = 6) at a concentration of 500 µg/mL,
respectively. A series of samples is injected repeatedly without current interruption
and subsequent rinsing, and the contents of these two alkaloids in three marketed
drugs and the medical plant, Ephedra sinica, are determined with satisfactory
results by this method.
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