Determination of caffeine and associated compounds in food, beverages, natural products, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography.

A method is described for quantitating caffeine, theobromine, theophylline, paracetamol, propyphenazone, acetylsalicylic acid, salicylic acid, and codeine phosphate in corresponding real samples of food, beverages, natural products, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetic preparations by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography. The separation is carried out at 25 degrees C and 25 kV, using a 20 mM phosphate buffer (pH 9.0), 80 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate, and 7.5% (v/v) acetonitrile. UV detection is at 210 nm. The method is shown to be specific, accurate (recoveries over the range 98.9-101.2%), linear over the tested range (correlation coefficients>or=0.9993), and precise (relative standard deviation below 2.1%). The method is applied for the quantitative analysis of these compounds in different foods, beverages, natural products, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetic products.