1. Investigación

An in-capillary sample preconcentration strategy based on solid phase extraction (SPE) technology coupled with capillary electrophoresis (CE) has been developed taking advantage of both techniques (SPE and CE). An in-line frit-free preconcentration device for capillary electrophoresis containing MCX beads, obtained from the corresponding Waters OASIS® cartridges, was prepared. The retention of the particles was based on the relative diameters of the particles, carefully selected, and the capillaries. An experimental preconcentration factor of 100 was found for the system. Conditions were optimised for 3-nitrotyrosine measurement in rat urine being 4.4 M spiked in the urine the lowest value detectable.

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) poses unique challenges in many different analytical applications, mainly to biological and complex samples and when only small amounts of sample are available, due to its low sample consumption. As a consequence, poor limits of detection are usually observed with this technique, especially with UV photodetectors. Minimal or no sample treatment is desirable in any analytical method to avoid external sources of contamination or errors and to provide a high throughput. On- and in-capillary sample pre-concentration strategies, based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) technology can take advantage of both techniques (SPE and CE), while avoiding sample contamination and tedious manipulations when the sample amount is an issue. Moreover, the combination can provide two-dimensional separations. This review collects the most recent strategies that merge SPE technology built on- and in-capillary pre-concentration for increasing sensitivity and/or selectivity.

Short chain organic acids play an important role in different areas such as biochemistry, clinical chemistry, or the food industry. The enantiomeric ratio of chiral metabolites is an important parameter for the understanding of metabolic processes and in many cases it can serve diagnostic purposes. On the other hand, the presence of racemates in food products could indicate the use of organic acids as additives; this is not always permitted and needs to be controlled. The short chain of these acids makes difficult the three point interaction generally accepted as necessary for chiral recognition. Relatively recent publications have demonstrated the feasibility of their direct chiral separation in capillary electrophoresis by various techniques utilizing exchange capillary electrophoresis, macrocyclic antibiotics, cyclodextrins, ion-pair method, and transition metal complexes. The present article describes existing methods and strategies proposed to advance these areas.

A capillary electrophoresis method has been developed and validated for acetic, citric, fumaric, lactic, malic, oxalic, succinic, and tartaric acids plus the measurement of nitrate and sulfite ions in white and red wines. The separation was carried out in a neutral coated capillary. Separation was performed at 14 kV of applied potential. Temperature was maintained at 20 C. The background electrolyte used was 200 mM phosphate buffer at pH 7.50. Separation was obtained in less than 13 min. Validation parameters obtained for the method permit it to be considered adequate for routine analysis.

Fruit juices have very distinct organic acid profiles that can be used as fingerprints for establishing possible adulteration. Recently, our group developed and validated a capillary electrophoresis method using UV detection for determining citric, isocitric, tartaric, and malic acids in natural and commercial orange juices. Sample treatment consisted of only dilution and centrifugation or filtration. This method has been applied to evaluate these acids and their ratios in 63 samples of Navelina, the most common variety of Spanish oranges, over a three month period. This evaluation has been conducted to establish ranges of acid concentrations and to compare them with those found in commercial juices. The more reliable parameter, because of the lower variability in fresh samples, was found to be the citrate/isocitrate ratio with a value of 113 (RSD ) 10%). Only one of nine ramdonly selected commercial juices presented values within the range of those of the population of just-pressed Navelina orange juice. Moreover, three of them had measurable tartrate values, which is not a natural component of orange juice, showing mixtures with cheaper fruits.