This application note describes the use of capillary electrophoresis to analyze artificial sweeteners and preservatives in drinks. The method does not require a multitude of derivatization chemistries and their separations, and has been successfully applied to both beverages and tablet formulations.
The document details an analytical method using Capillary Zone Electrophoresis (CZE) to detect and confirm artificial sweeteners (such as aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, and acesulfame) and common preservatives (like benzoic acid and sorbic acid) in beverages and tablets. The method utilizes an Agilent Extended Path Length capillary with simultaneous UV-visible absorbance spectral library matching to ensure compound identification without the need for derivatization.
The procedure involves separating compounds using a 20-mM sodium tetraborate buffer at pH 9.4 and detecting them at 192 nm. The text provides experimental conditions, including injection parameters and voltage settings, along with results demonstrating the method's ability to separate multiple analytes in a single run with high reproducibility.
The separation uses a 20-mM sodium tetraborate buffer at pH 9.4.
Buffer replenishment is required every five injections.