Combination of solid‐phase extraction and large‐volume stacking with polarity switching in micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography for the determination of traces of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs in saliva

Abstract

A reliable MEKC method for the identification and quantitation of traces of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) ketoprofen, fenbufen and indomethacin in saliva is proposed. Using CE to analyze biological samples often requires suppressing the interferences and peak broadening typically resulting from high-conductivity sample matrices. We addressed this problem by using Microcon, a centrifugal filter device, to reduce the viscosity of saliva and exclude most higher-molecular-mass substances. This initial pretreatment was followed by the combined used of off-line SPE to isolate and concentrate the analytes, and large-volume stacking with polarity switching (LVSS) in the capillary. These two preconcentration steps allow the determination of NSAIDs at concentrations above 0.1 microg/L; therefore, the proposed SPE/LVSS/MEKC method affords a 500-fold sensitivity enhancement relative to conventional CE injection. The LODs obtained afford the determination of NSAIDs in saliva, where analytes can be present at the microgram-per-liter level.