Chiral separations of basic drugs and quantitation of bupivacaine enantiomers in serum by capillary electrophoresis with modified cyclodextrin buffers.

Modified cyclodextrin derivatives were evaluated as the buffer additives in capillary electrophoresis of several racemic pharmaceutical bases. Uncoated and polyacrylamide-modified silica capillaries were compared for their effectiveness in the enantiomeric resolution and migration reproducibility of model solutes. Using cationic detergents in the mixed-micellar mode, optimized separations of the racemic drug bupivacaine are demonstrated in a spiked serum sample at the therapeutic level. Precision, linearity and sensitivity of the method appear adequate for reliable quantitation required in pharmacokinetic and clinical studies.