Capillary electrophoresis for drug analysis in body fluids

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECC) represent attractive methods for the determination of drugs and metabolites in body fluids. In CZE, minute (nanoliter) quantities of samples are applied to the beginning of a fused-silica capillary filled with buffer. On application of a high-voltage DC field, charged solutes begin to separate and are swept through the capillary by the combined action of electrophoresis and electroosmotic bulk flow and are on-column detected toward the capillary end. In MECC, the buffer contains charged micelles (e.g., dodecyl sulfate micelles) and both uncharged and charged solutes separate based on differential partitioning between the micelles and the surrounding buffer and, if charged, also by differential charge effects, including electrophoresis. Based on validated MECC drug assays developed in our laboratory, key aspects of measuring drug levels by MECC, including sample preparation, solute detection and identification, quantitation, reproducibility, and quality assurance are discussed. Drug levels determined by MECC are shown to be in good agreement with those obtained by nonisotopic immunoassays and/or high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Using on-column multi-wavelength detection, this technology is also well suited for toxicological drug screening and confirmation and for the exploration of drug metabolism. Compared with HPLC and gas chromatography, capillary electrophoresis has distinct advantages, including automation, small sample size, minimal sample preparation, use of very small amounts of organic solvents and inexpensive chemicals, ease of buffer change and method development, and low cost of capillary columns. Electrokinetic capillary assays are complementary to the widely employed immunoassays. The state of the art and the pros and cons of capillary electrophoresis for the determination of drugs in body fluids are discussed with the goal of encouraging newcomers to start using this emerging analytical methodology.