CHIRAL DIFFERENTIATION OF THE OPTICAL ISOMERS OF RACEMETHORPHAN AND RACEMORPHAN IN URINE BY CAPILLARY ZONE ELECTROPHORESIS

A novel capillary zone electrophoretic method based on the use of propanol-modified p-cyclodextrin buffers has been developed; it unambiguously detects and quantitates the optical isomers of racemethorphan and racemorphan without prior derivatization. Detection limits in urine down to 20 ppb have been obtained. The method uses a solid-phase extraction recovery of analytes followed by ultraviolet detection. Separation conditions include the use of 60mM (J-cyclodextrin and 50mM sodium dodecyl sulfate in a buffer containing 20% 1-propanol. © Oxford University Press 1993.