Determination of undecylenic and sorbic acids in cosmetic preparations by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.

Abstract

A highly sensitive and selective method for the determination of sorbic (SA) and undecylenic acid (UA) in cosmetic formulations by a high performance liquid chromatography method with electrochemical detection (ECD) is described. The pre-column derivatizations of SA and UA and the internal standard (cyclohexanoic acid (cHA)) were carried out using 1-(2,5-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-bromoethanone (2,5-DBE) as an electroactive labeling reagent previously synthesized in our lab. The resulting electroactive esters were separated by isocratic elution of a 5 micrometer Hypersil CN column with acetonitrile-acetate buffer eluent. The compounds were detected by a porous graphite electrode set at an oxidation potential of +0.45 V. The analytical method developed in this study is suitable for quality control assays of complex cosmetic formulations containing sorbic and/or UA.