Potentialities of ITP-CZE method with diode array detection for enantiomeric purity control of dexbrompheniramine in pharmaceuticals

The present work illustrates potentialities of on-line combined isotachophoresis-capillary zone electrophoresis (ITP-CZE) separation techniques coupled with on-capillary diode array detector (DAD) for enantiomeric purity testing of drugs in pharmaceuticals. The general advantages of the proposed method are its (i) high selectivity, (ii) low concentration limit of detection (LOD) obtainable, (iii) enhanced sample loadability, and (iv) enhanced reliability. For separation of brompheniramine (BP) enantiomers, serving as model analytes, carboxyethyl-β-cyclodextrin (CE-β-CD) was appropriate chiral selector providing complete enantioresolution. Given by a high sample load capacity (30 μl sample injection volume) and preconcentration of the analytes in ITP stage, concentration LOD of levobrompheniramine (LBP), serving as model impurity, was 2.5 ng/ml (8 × 10⁻⁹ mol/l). Such separation and detection conditions enabled to easily determine LBP in samples containing a 10³ excess of dexbrompheniramine (DBP). DAD detection in comparison with single wavelength detection can enhance value of analytical information when analytes and interferents have different spectra (distinguishing impurities in analyte zone, confirmation of migration positions of migrants). In this context purity of BP zones was confirmed with higher reliability in pharmaceutical sample. Moreover, distinguishing the trace analyte signal superposed on the baseline noise was provided with sufficient reliability (for this purpose the background correction and smoothing procedure had to be applied to the raw DAD spectra). Successful validation and application of the proposed ITP-CZE-DAD method suggest its routine use for the enantiomeric purity testing of pharmaceuticals.