Separation of synthetic food colourants in the mixed micellar system: Application to pharmaceutical analysis

The paper presents a rapid method for the determination of commonly used synthetic food dyes by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography. Detection and separation conditions allowing complete resolution of 15 synthetic food colourants were investigated. The effect of different surfactants on the analytes mobility in relation to their structure was tested. After optimization procedure a dual micellar system was selected. All food dyes were separated in less then 20 min using a fused silica capillary in the borate/dodecylsulfate/deoxycholate buffer containing acetonitrile as organic modifier. The detection wavelength was set at 210 nm. The method was successfully validated by determination of linearity ranges, detection limits, precision and repeatability for all colourants tested. In order to apply the method for pharmaceutical analysis a sample pretreatment procedures were found. Liquid pharmaceuticals were used as it or just after dilution with water. From tablets or capsules the colourants were isolated by adsorption on acidic aluminium oxide. The method was used for identification and if possible for quantification the synthetic food dyes in pharmaceuticals. The analytes are detectable at a concentration level 0.3–0.8 μg ml−1.