ANALYSIS OF BILE-ACIDS AND THEIR CONJUGATES USING HIGH-PH ANION-EXCHANGE CHROMATOGRAPHY WITH PULSED AMPEROMETRIC DETECTION

Bile acids and their conjugated forms may be separated by anion-exchan ge chromatography in alkaline media (0.9 M sodium acetate, 0.1 M sodiu m hydroxide, 15% v/v acetonitrile) on a CarboPac PA-100 column. The ef fluent was monitored at high sensitivity, with detection limits of les s than 10 mu M, using a pulsed amperometric detector. Free bile acids and their glyco- and tauro-conjugated forms were separated and detecte d within 40 min under isocratic conditions.