Simultaneous Determination of Ten Nucleosides and Related Compounds by MEEKC with [BMIM]PF6 as Oil Phase

In the present study, four nucleobases (adenine, cytosine, uracil, thymine), four nucleosides (adenosine, cytidine, uridine, thymidine), and two nucleotides (adenosine-5′-monophosphate, and cytidine-5′-monophosphate) were simultaneously determined by MEEKC with ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIM]PF₆) as oil phase. Experimental parameters including the microemulsion compositions (surfactant, co-surfactant, and oil phase), pH, and concentration of borate buffer were intensively investigated. Finally, the ten compounds were well separated within 11 min using the running buffer composed of 140 mM SDS, 1.8 M n-butanol, and 10 mM BMIM]PF₆ in 20 mM borate buffer of pH 9.0. The developed method was successfully applied to determine the contents of investigated compounds in three different widely used traditional Chinese medicines (cultured Cordyceps sinensis, Radix Astragali, and Radix Isatidis). The results indicated that the developed MEEKC method could be used for the rapid determination of nucleobases, nucleosides, and nucleotides in herbal medicines or other complex matrices.