Analytical characterization of heparin by capillary zone electrophoresis with conductivity detection and polymeric...

A capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method for the analytical characterization of intact (high-molecular-weight) heparin was developed. For the first time, a hydrodynamically closed CZE separation system with conductivity detector was used for the separation, detection and quantitation of this highly sulfated, linear polysaccharide. Glycine (25mM) adjusted to pH 9.0 by bis-Tris-propane served as the running electrolyte system. Polymeric additives, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), dextran (DEX), were used to improve the separation selectivity as they strongly retarded the heparin macromolecule while they did not practically influence comigrating inorganic anions. The proposed electrophoretic method was successfully validated. It was convenient for the sensitive, simple, rapid and reproducible assay of heparin in raw materials and isotonic saline. Here, the use of the conductivity detector was advantageous as it allowed heparin to be analyzed without a sample pretreatment. The CZE method should be an alternative to the pharmacopoeial conventional gel electrophoresis having used in the quality control of heparin so far. In addition, it should be convenient to quantitative estimation of heparin present in a preparation used, e.g., as the chiral selector in CE separations.