Determination of Quinine, Quinidine, and Cinquinidine by Capillary Electrophoresis

Abstract

This article presents the results of the research on a newly developed methodology for the separation and determination of quinine and its two derivatives. The analyzed compounds are biologically active, which are used in the treatment of malaria. The mixture of the analyzed compounds, i.e., hydrochlorides: quinidine, quinine, and cinquinidine, was dissolved in water and then exposed to optimization of separation and determination by isotachophoresis. The analysis was conducted with a varying number of steps and varying time of analysis, different intensities and voltages of the electric current, and different high voltage limits. For the ternary mixture, the optimal time of analysis was just over 8 min. On the other hand, the determination of cinquinidine had the shortest time of analysis (less than 3 min). The conducted validation of the developed methodology indicates very good conditions for the determination of quinidine, quinine, and cinquinidine.

Keywords:

• alkaloids
• determination
• isotachophoresis
• malaria
• quinine and its derivatives
• separation

Acknowledgments

We would like to gratefully thank prof. N. Erchak for providing compound 4,4′-bis{1-(perhydroazepiniomethyl)-[spirobi(1-sila-2,5-dioksacyklopentan-3-on)]at}.