A simple HPLC-ELSD method was developed for the separation and quantification of native cyclodextrins. The technique was validated in the presence of two interfering matrices composed of byproducts from the cyclization medium. A fast separation of the compounds was achieved (in <20min) using a NUCLEODUR(®) C18 Pyramid column (150mm×4.6mm; particle size 5μm) at 30°C. The analytes were eluted using a linear gradient of acetonitrile and water containing 1% (v/v) of acetic acid at a flow rate of 0.3mL/min. Validation results showed that the method was accurate (93-110%) and selective. The precision was ≤5.7% for a hydrolyzed starch blank matrix spiked with cyclodextrins, and ≤6.2% for a blank matrix composed of a mixture of dextrin and glucose spiked with cyclodextrins. The limit of quantification was 0.05g/L for alpha- and 0.06g/L for beta- and gamma-cyclodextrins. The new HPLC-ELSD method could accurately quantify the three cyclodextrins directly in a cyclization medium, without pretreatment of the samples.
Keywords: Analytical method development; CD quantification; Cyclodextrins; HPLC–ELSD; Validation.
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