CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORETIC SEPARATION OF TRICYCLIC ANTIDEPRESSANTS USING CHARGED CARBOXYMETHYL-BETA-CYCLODEXTRIN AS A BUFFER ADDITIVE

Charged carboxymethyl-beta-cyclodextrin was successful in the capillar y electrophoretic separation of a series of tricyclic antidepressants. The cyclodextrin alone was successful in the separation of carbamazep ine, protriptyline, desipramine, clomipramine, and opipramol using a 3 -(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate capillary coating to reduce the electroosmotic flow. The ideal buffer pH was found to be in the range of 6-7 and the ideal cyclodextrin concentration to be 10 mM. All nine antidepressants were resolved using the charged cyclodextrin in the mi cellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) mode with sodium dodecyl s ulfate as the surfactant. Neither the cyclodextrin nor the surfactant alone were successful in resolving the whole series of compounds under investigation but a combination of both produced the separation. Sepa rations were performed on a linear polyacrylamide coated capillary. Th e ideal pH of the buffer was in the range of 5-7.