Effects of the limited analyte solubility on its mobility and zone shape: electrophoretic behavior of sanguinarine and chelerythrine around pH 7.

Electrophoretic mobilities and shapes of zones of sanguinarine and chelerythrine in aqueous media around pH 7 are affected by limited solubility of their uncharged forms and by the pH-dependent chemical equilibrium between cationic and uncharged forms of these alkaloids. The sanguinarine solubility in sodium MOPS of pH 7.4 was estimated at 50 micromol x L(-1). Sanguinarine zones in this buffer have the shape of tailed peak with concentration-independent mobility if the injected sanguinarine concentration exceeds this solubility limit only slightly. The chelerythrine solubility is higher because of lower dissociation constants of its cations. Precipitation of sanguinarine and chelerythrine with the phosphate anions decelerates their electrophoretic transport in phosphate buffer. Sanguinarine solubility is 5 micromol x L(-1) at the most in 13 mmol x L(-1) sodium phosphate buffer of pH 7.4. Acidifying of the sample up to pH 3 decreases the tailing of the peaks of sanguinarine and chelerythrine and contributes to the rise of sharp maxima of their migrating zones. Any capillary coating deteriorates the peak shape.