ENHANCED SEPARATION OF ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS USING A POLYMERIZED NONIONIC SURFACTANT AS A TRANSIENT CAPILLARY COATING

The separation of seven structurally similar antidepressant drugs (ami triptyline, nortriptyline, imipramine, desipramine, protriptyline, dox epin, and nordoxepin) was achieved in under 15 min using a novel nonio nic micelle polymer, poly(n-undecyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside) (PUG) by use of capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). Systematic studies with v arying polymer concentration, pH, and percent organic modifier were co nducted in order to find the optimum conditions for baseline separatio n of the seven tricyclic antidepressants. In addition, equations for c apacity factor were used to estimate the extent of what was initially thought to be micelle analyte interaction. A series of calculations sh ow that a modified CZE system (PUG-CZE) was the actual mode of separat ion. Thus, our study concluded that PUG functioned in a non-electrokin etic chromatography mode.