Advances in the Applications of Capillary Electrophoresis to Tobacco Analysis

Background: Capillary electrophoresis (CE) has found a wide range of applications because of its high separation efficiency, low expense, short analysis time and minimal sample volume requirement. The tobacco quality depends on the nature and quantity of numerous substances. CE has been applied in the constituent analysis of tobacco and tobacco products for quality control and research. Methods: The advances in the applications of CE to tobacco analysis are reviewed. The main subjects cover the separation modes of CE, the detection techniques of CE, sample preparations and the applications of CE in the measurements of various constituents in tobacco samples. In addition, the CE-based metabonomic investigation of tobacco is also introduced. Results: Capillary zone electrophoresis, micellar electrokinetic chromatography, capillary isotachophoresis, capillary gel electrophoresis, capillary electrochromatography and non-aqueous CE have been applied in the determination of a variety of constituents in tobacco and tobacco products. The assayed substances include alkaloids, amines, saccharides, organic acids, inorganic ions, phenols, phenolic acids, flavonoids, amino acids, peptides, proteins, hormones, agricultural chemicals, etc. Conclusion: This review demonstrates that CE is a promising analytical technique in tobacco analysis. It is anticipated that CE will find more applications in tobacco investigations.