Quantitation of nicotine in tobacco products by capillary electrophoresis.
A simple and rapid capillary electrophoresis (CE) method was developed for the quantitation of nicotine in commercial tobacco products. The method involves a 6 min run at 30 kV, using a 50 mM phosphate buffer (pH 2.5), paraquat as internal standard, and UV detection at 260 nm. Nicotine was extracted from tobacco products in <15 min. Recoveries from spiked extracts were >95%, and the extraction efficiencies of water, 1 M HCI, 1 M acetic acid, 5 mM phosphate buffer (pH 2.5), and 1% triethanol amine were similar. Nicotine concentrations in 67 samples of cigarettes, cigars, and bidis varied between 0.37 and 2.96% (w/w). An established gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method using toluene extraction consistently yielded lower nicotine values than the CE method. Experimental evidence suggests that this is due to insufficient extraction of nicotine by toluene.
Clarke
Michelle Bruffey
MB
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, National Laboratory Center, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. MBClarke@atfhq.atf.treas.gov
D000470:Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis; D019075:Electrophoresis, Capillary; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D009538:Nicotine / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000737:chemistry*
D000470:Alkaloids; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D009538:Nicotine