Determination of levofloxacin and norfloxacin by capillary electrophoresis with electrochemiluminescence detection and applications in human urine

Abstract

A novel method for the determination of norfloxacin (NOR) and levofloxacin (LVX) was developed by CE separation and electrochemiluminesence detection (ECL). The methods for capillary conditioning and the effect of solvent type were studied. Parameters affecting the CE and ECL were also investigated. Under the optimum conditions, the two analytes were well separated within 9 min. The LODs (S/N = 3) in standard solution are 4.8 x 10(-7) mol/L for NOR and 6.4 x 10(-7) mol/L for LVX, respectively. The precisions of intraday and interday are less than 4.2 and 8.1%, respectively. The LOQs (S/N = 10) in real human urine samples are 1.2 x 10(-6) mol/L for NOR and 1.4 x 10(-6) mol/L for LVX, respectively. The applicability of the proposed method was illustrated in the determination of NOR and LVX in human urine samples and the monitoring of pharmacokinetics for NOR. The recoveries of NOR and LVX at different levels in human urine samples were between 84.3 and 92.3%.