Electrophoretic behavior of adamantane derivatives possessing antiviral activity and their determination by capillary zone electrophoresis with indirect detection

Separation and determination of adamantane derivatives with antiviral activity, namely amantadine (1-adamantan amine), memantine (1-amino-3,5-dimethyl adamantane) and rimantadine (alpha-methyl-1-adamantane methylamine), were examined by capillary zone electrophoresis. After optimization, an indirect detection method using 5 mM 4-methylbenzylamine in ethanol/water solution (1:4) as simultaneously absorbing and buffering background electrolyte with detection at 210 nm was found suitable for determination of the individual compounds (limit of detection was 0.35 mg L(-1) for memantine hydrochloride, S/N = 3). Baseline separation of all the three compounds was reached by addition of alpha- or beta-cyclodextrins to the electrolyte in concentrations of 20 and 2 mM, respectively.