Recent advances in the analysis of antibiotics by capillary electrophoresisIn this review, the main aspects related to the separation of different groups of antibiotics by CE as well as the different applications reported in the literature from the beginning 2003 till May 2005 will be provided to the readers. Firstly, the experimental conditions employed to achieve the analysis of antibiotics by CE are given. Then, the main applications performed in the pharmaceutical, clinical, food, and environmental fields have been reviewed making emphasis on sample preparation requirements needed in each case. Finally, the main conclusions and future prospects in this field are presented. Although HPLC is mainly used for the analysis of antibiotics by separation techniques, CE is being increasingly employed due to its favorable characteristics (high efficiency, large flexibility, and low consumption of samples and reagents). In addition, CE is being used in routine analysis because it allows obtaining appropriate analytical characteristics and good quantitative results. The analysis of antibiotics by CE is mainly included in two different working modes: (i) CZE where a separation buffer without or with additives is used for the separation of ionic or ionogenic antibiotics based on their different electrophoretic mobilities, and (ii) MEKC where a micellar system (surfactant at a concentration higher than its CMC) is added to the separation buffer to perform the separation of neutral and/or ionic or ionogenic antibiotics based on the generation of a pseudostationary phase in which analyte partition takes place. Although much less used, CEC and nonaqueous CE (NACE) have also been used for the analysis of antibiotics [2].
KeywordsIn order to provide to the readers an updated view of the separation conditions as well as the different applications reported in the analysis of antibiotics using CE as separation technique, this review covers the literature dealing on the analysis of antibiotics by CE from the beginning of 2003 till May 2005. Literature published before this date on this subject has already been reviewed by Flurer [2][3][4][5]. The experimental conditions employed to achieve the analysis of antibiotics by CE are first presented in this article. Section 3 of this work describes the main applications performed in the pharmaceutical, clinical, food, and environmental fields making emphasis on sample preparation requirements needed in each case. Finally, the main conclusions and future prospects in this field are presented.
Analysis of antibiotics by CE