Analysis of thiocyanate in biological fluids by capillary zone electrophoresis

A new sensitive and simple method has been developed for the determination of thiocyanate in human serum, urine and saliva. The determinations were pe rformed in a fused silica capillary [64.5 cm (56 cm effective length)X75 mu m] using 0.1 M beta -alanine-HCl (pH 3.50) as a background electrolyte, sep aration voltage Ls kV (negative polarity), temperature of capillary 25 degr eesC and direct detection at 200 nm. Serum samples were 10-times diluted wi th deionised water and deproteinised with acetonitrile in the ratio 1:2. Ur ine and saliva samples need only 20-fold dilution with deionised water. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of thiocyana te in various human serum, saliva and urine samples. (C) 2001 Elsevier Scie nce B.V. All rights reserved.