Complexation trends and binding constants between dextrin oligomers and small molecules as measured through affinity capillary electrophoresis.

Quantitative aspects of a previously reported pre-equilibration affinity/capillary electrophoretic methodology (Hong, M., et al., Anal. Chem. 1998, 70, 3590-3597) were studied using fluorescently labeled oligosaccharides and analgesic drugs. Frontal analysis capillary electrophoresis (FA-CE) was investigated for these interaction systems. In order to fulfill certain FA requirements, the analysis conditions of the sugar-drug combinations had to be adjusted individually. Only after the establishment of these conditions, acceptable binding data (association constants) could be obtained. The constants are in the range of weak hydrogen bonding and are comparable to the constants that were independently obtained through 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.