Application of planar chromatography to the determination of cotinine in urine of active and passive smoking pregnant women

A quick and economical method for the determination of nicotine and its mai n metabolite-cotinine in urine from smoking and passively smoking pregnant women is proposed using TLC-densitometry. Chromatographic :separations were performed on the plates coated with silica gel bound with C-18 alkyl chain s. Chromatograms were developed using a mixture of acetonitrile and water ( 88 + 12, v/v) in a horizontal chamber. Visualization was carried out under UV illumination at lambda = 254 nm and then cotinine was quantified by the use of densitometer in reflectance mode at lambda = 260 nm. Nicotine was id entified after derivatization with Dragendorff reagent under visible light. The results of nicotine and cotinine analysis were verified by questionnai res obtained from pregnant women according to their age and smoking status correlated with spontaneous abortion frequency and child death rate. Copyri ght (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.