Quantitative assay for neohesperidin dihydrochalcone in foodstuffs by capillary electrophoresis

The quantitative analysis of neohesperidin dihydrochalcone in foodstuffs by capillary zone electrophoresis has been investigated. Analytical condition s were varied to optimise the separation of neohesperidin dihydrochalcone f rom other commonly used artificial sweeteners. The best separation was obta ined with a running buffer of 100 mM berate, pH 8.3. The method is linear b etween 2.9-42 mg l(-1), a correlation coefficient 0.9996; limit of detectio n 1.75 mu g l(-1). Intra and inter-day precisions were 1.6% RSD (n=10) and 2.8% RSD (n=10), respectively. The method was shown to be sufficiently prec ise, accurate and selective in quantifying neohesperidin dihydrochalcone in low-calorie soft drinks and foodstuffs.