ANALYSIS OF HEPARIN-LIKE PHARMACEUTICALS BY CAPILLARY ZONE ELECTROPHORESIS AND ISOTACHOPHORESIS

Synthetic sulfated bis-lactobionic acid amides are important heparin-l ike pharmaceuticals. The synthesis of these compounds yields molecules differing in the number of sulfate groups, and. during the isolation procedure, the required species may partially decompose or take in som e impurities. This article shows that capillary zone electrophoresis m ay serve well as an expedient method for the analysis of the above-men tioned pharmaceuticals. Complex-forming equilibria between the analyte s and bivalent cations present in the background electrolyte bring sel ectivity necessary for the separation, and the detection at various wa velengths serves as an aid in the characterization of admixtures, deco mposition products. and impurities. Capillary isotachophoresis may als o be used for the analysis of these species, bringing about the potent ial of micropreparation of individual compounds and opening the chance for continuous free-flow electrophoresis.