Determination of the enantiomeric purity of (-) terbutaline by capillary electrophoresis using cyclodextrins as chiral selectors in a polyethylene glycol gel.

A method was developed for determination of the enantiomeric purity of the therapeutic-pharmacological active (-)-enantiomer of terbutaline using cyclodextrins as a chiral selector dissolved in a removable liquid polyethylene glycol gel by use of capillary electrophoresis. The effect of temperature, type and concentration of polyethylene glycol and cyclodextrins was studied on the resolution between the two enantiomers. Best results were obtained with 10 mM hydroxyethyl-beta-cyclodextrin dissolved in a 10% polyethylene glycol-2000 solution at 15 degrees C. Under these conditions, an impurity of 0.1% (distomer/eutomer) can be readily detected.