Comparison of Different Capillary Electrophoresis Modes and HPLC for the Separation of Xanthones

Abstract

Nine xanthones from a Chinese traditional medicine, Securidaca inappendiculata Hassk, were separated by different capillary electrophoresis (CE) modes, including capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC), microemulsion electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEEKC), and capillary electrochromatography (CEC). The comparison of separation selectivity and efficiency for xanthones by using these CE methods indicated that different CE modes greatly varied in the separation selectivity and efficiency for xanthones; their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Moreover, compared with traditional chromatographic methods, e.g., high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), CE shows higher separation ability and analytical speed for these xanthones.