CE assay for simultaneous determination of charged and neutral impurities in dexamphetamine sulfate using a dual CD system

A CE assay for the simultaneous determination of charged and uncharged potential impurities (1S,2S-(+)-norpseudoephedrine, 1R,2S-(-)-norephedrine, phenylacetone and phenylacetone oxime) of dexamphetamine sulfate including the stereoisomer levoamphetamine was developed and validated. The optimized background electrolyte consisted of a 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 3.0, containing 80 mg/mL sulfobutylether-beta-CD and 25 mg/mL sulfated beta-CD. Separations were performed in 40.2/35 cm, 50 mum id fused-silica capillaries at a temperature of 20 degrees C and an applied voltage of -10 kV. 1R,2S-(-)-ephedrine was used as internal standard. The assay was validated in the range of 0.05-1.0% for the related substances and in the range of 0.05-5.0% for levoamphetamine. The LOD was 0.01-0.02% depending on the analyte. The assay also allowed the separation of the E,Z-stereoisomers of phenylacetone oxime. The effect of the degree of substitution of sulfobutylether-beta-CD was investigated. In commercial samples of dexamphetamine sulfate between 3.2 and 3.7% of levoamphetamine were found. Furthermore, phenylacetone and phenylacetone oxime could be observed at the LOD, indicating the synthetic origin of the investigated samples.

Advances in capillary electrophoretic enzyme assays

In recent years, capillary electrophoresis (CE) has become a frequently used tool for enzyme assays due to its well-recognized advantages such as high separation efficiency, short analysis time, small sample and chemicals consumption. The published applications cover all aspects of enzyme characterization and analysis including the determination of the enzyme activity, substrate and modulator characterization and identification, as well as the investigation of enzyme-mediated metabolic pathways of bioactive molecules. The CE assays may be classified into two general categories: (1) pre-capillary assays where the reactions are performed offline followed by CE analysis of the substrates and products and (2) online assays when the enzyme reaction and separation of the analytes are performed in the same capillary. In online assays, the enzyme may be either immobilized or in solution. The latter is also referred to as electrophoretically mediated microanalysis (EMMA). The present review will highlight the literature of CE-based enzyme assays from 2006 to November 2009. One section will be devoted to applications of microfluidic devices.

Separation of peptides by capillary electrophoresis

Peptides are an important class of analytes in chemistry, biochemistry, and food chemistry as well as medical and pharmaceutical sciences. As a high-resolution technique, capillary electrophoresis (CE) is well suited for the analysis of polar compounds such as peptides. In addition, CE is orthogonal to high-performance liquid chromatography, as both techniques are based on different physico-chemical separation principles. For the successful development of peptide separations by CE, operational parameters including buffer pH, buffer concentration and buffer type, applied voltage, and capillary dimensions, as well as background electrolyte additives such as detergents, ion-pairing reagents, cyclodextrins, (poly)amines, soluble polymers, etc. must be considered and optimized.

Study on complex formation of biologically active pyridine derivatives with cyclodextrins by capillary electrophoresis

The capillary electrophoretic separation of the pyridine derivatives pyridoxine, pyridoxal, nicotinamide, nicotinic acid and isonicotinic acid in phosphate buffer using cyclodextrins as buffer additives was studied at pH 2.0 and 3.5. Superior separation was achieved at pH 2.0. Addition of alpha- and beta-cyclodextrin and the respective 2-hydroxypropyl derivatives as well as carboxymethyl-alpha-cyclodextrin to the running buffer did not significantly improve the resolution of the compounds. The interactions of alpha- and beta-cyclodextrin as well as their hydroxypropyl derivatives with the pyridine derivatives were investigated by capillary electrophoresis at pH 2.0. No complex formation was observed between the cyclodextrins and pyridoxine, pyridoxal and nicotinamide. alpha-Cyclodextrin and 2-hydroxypropyl-alpha-cyclodextrin form weak 1:1 complexes with nicotinic and isonicotinic acids in aqueous media at 298.15K, while beta-cyclodextrin and its hydroxypropyl derivative did not form complexes. The apparent stability constants (K) of the complexes calculated from the electrophoretic mobility data ranged between 3 and 33 kg/mol. The negative values of enthalpy and entropy of complex formation obtained from the graphical plot of the van't Hoff equation indicate an important role of van der Waals and electrostatic interactions in the binding of nicotinic acid with alpha-cyclodextrin.

Comprehensive profiling of the complex dendrimeric contrast agent Gadomer using a combined approach of CE, MS, and CE-MS

The complex dendrimeric contrast agent Gadomer has been comprehensively characterized using various mass spectrometric techniques in combination with capillary electrophoresis. The analytical challenges arising from the structure of this analyte, e.g., the presence of a complex isotopic pattern originating from multiple gadolinium chelates could be overcome using this combined approach. Results obtained from initial MALDI-TOF-MS measurements could subsequently be complemented and confirmed by CE-ESI-TOF-MS measurements. Furthermore, high resolution Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance-MS (FT-ICR-MS) as a stand alone technique and in combination with CE was performed to obtain mass spectra of high mass accuracy and resolution of various impurities and related dendrimers present in low concentrations in several Gadomer batches. The profile of related dendrimers and impurities of lower molecular weight present in Gadomer could be elucidated and variances in the pattern of related dendrimers present in batches obtained via different synthetic routes could be detected. The qualitative analysis of Gadomer using MS techniques in combination with CE provides the fundamental basis for a framework of analytical methodologies for the characterization of Gadomer. By designing such a framework of methodologies the challenges associated with the introduction of dendrimers into the clinical stage may be overcome and the reproducible quality and safety of these innovative products can be ensured.

Development and validation of a stereoselective HPLC method for the determination of thein vitro transport of nateglinide enantiomers in rat intestine

A simple stereoselective high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the determination of the in vitro transport of the enantiomers of nateglinide (N-(trans-4-isopropylcyclohexyl-carbonyl)-phenylalanine) in the rat intestine using a Chiralcel OJ-RH column (150 x 4.0 mm, 5 microm). The effects of the mobile phase composition, pH, the flow rate, and the temperature on the chromatographic separation were investigated. The enantioseparation was achieved at 33 degrees C using a mobile phase containing 100 mM potassium dihydrogen phosphate, pH 2.5, and ACN (32:68 v/v) delivered at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The analytes were monitored at 210 nm and linearity (r >0.99) was obtained for a concentration range of 0.5-50 microg/mL. The LOD and LOQ were 0.2 and 0.5 microg/mL for the R-enantiomer and 0.2 and 0.8 microg/mL for the S-enantiomer, respectively. Both, the intra- and interday accuracy and precision of the calibration curves were determined. The method was successfully applied to estimate the in vitro passage of the enantiomers and the racemate of nateglinide in duodenum, jejunum, and ileum of rats. Generally, higher concentrations of nateglinide and the S-enantiomer were observed when the racemate was administered compared to administration of the individual enantiomers of nateglinide.

Influence of buffer substances and urea on the β-cyclodextrin-mediated chiral separation of dipeptides in CE

The influence of buffering substances and urea on the beta-CD-mediated chiral separations of the dipeptides Ala-Phe and Ala-Tyr was studied in the pH range of 2.5-3.8. Only minor effects of the buffer substances on the chiral separation selectivity alpha were observed at a beta-CD concentration of 15 mg/mL. In contrast, the selectivity improved at pH 2.5 but decreased at pH 3.8 upon the addition of 2 M urea. Complexation by beta-CD resulted in a shift of the pK(a) values toward higher values which was more pronounced for the DD-enantiomers of both dipeptides than for the LL-enantiomers. Addition of urea further increased the pK(a) shift. The consequence of this pK(a) shift is an increase of the fraction of the protonated, positively charged form of the peptides which explained the improved chiral separation at pH 2.5 and the reduced selectivity at pH 3.8. A pK(a) shift by the addition of urea was also observed for N-tert-butyloxycarbonyl phenylalanine (BOC-Phe) as a model compound that is strongly complexed by beta-CD. This effect was not stereospecific. Addition of urea resulted in a decrease of the apparent complexation constants between beta-CD and the BOC-Phe enantiomers to the same extent but this did not affect the separation selectivity alpha. For chiral separations that display strong pH dependence such as peptide enantioseparations close to the pK(a) values of the compounds, urea may not solely be regarded as a solubility enhancer for beta-CD but may also influence the separation.

Development and validation of a capillary electrophoresis method for the simultaneous determination of impurities of escitalopram including the R-enantiomer

A stereospecific capillary electrophoresis assay for the simultaneous determination of related substances and the enantiomeric purity of escitalopram was developed by a central composite face-centered factorial design and subsequently validated. Separations were carried out in a 50 microm, 47/40 cm fused-silica capillary. The optimized conditions included 20mM phosphate buffer, pH 2.5, containing 0.5mg/ml beta-cyclodextrin and 22 mg/ml sulfated beta-cyclodextrin as background electrolyte, an applied voltage of -20 kV and a temperature of 28 degrees C. Salicylic acid was used as internal standard. The assay was validated for the (R)-enantiomer of citalopram and the enantiomers of the impurity citadiol in the range of 2.5-150 microg/ml and 2.5-50 microg/ml, respectively. The limit of detection was 0.02% for all compounds, the limit of quantitation 0.05%, relative to a concentration of escitalopram of 5mg/ml. Intraday precision of migration time and peak area ratio were in the range of 0.17-0.44% and 1.64% and 6.25%, respectively. Relative standard deviations of interday precision ranged between 0.84% and 1.85% in the case of migration times and between 5.20% and 9.28% for peak area ratio. The assay was applied to the determination of the purity of escitalopram in bulk drug and tablets. (R)-Citalopram and (S)-citadiol were detected as impurities.

Nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry

Nonaqueous background electrolytes broaden the application of capillary electrophoresis displaying altered separation selectivity and interactions between analytes and buffer additives compared to aqueous background electrolytes. In addition, nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE) appears to be ideally suited for online coupling with mass spectrometry due to the high volatility and low surface tension of many organic solvents. Despite these advantages and an increasing use of nonaqueous background electrolytes in CE, coupling of NACE to mass spectrometry has not yet been applied very often to date. The present review summarizes the applications of online NACE-MS with regard to the analysis of drugs, stereoisomers, peptides, alkaloids, polymers and others. A brief discussion of solvent effects in NACE and pH of nonaqueous background electrolyte systems is also presented.

Capillary electrophoresis analysis of hydrolysis, isomerization and enantiomerization of aspartyl model tripeptides in acidic and alkaline solution

In order to investigate the degradation of two aspartyl tripeptides, Gly-Asp-PheNH2 and Phe-Asp-GlyNH2 in solution capillary, electrophoresis methods were developed and validated. Separation of most degradation products including those arising from isomerization and enantiomerization of the Asp residues was achieved in a 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 3.0. Resolution of comigrating compounds could be achieved by addition of cyclodextrins to the background electrolyte. For tripeptide derivatives the assays were linear in the range of 0.015-3.0 mmol/l. Some dipeptides and amino acids exhibited a narrower linear range due to low UV absorbance. The limits of detection were in the range of 0.005-0.1 mmol/l. Incubation of the model peptides was carried out at pH 2 and 10. At pH 2, degradation of the peptides proceeded via C-terminal deamidation and peptide backbone hydrolysis. In contrast, isomerization and enantiomerization were observed in combination with deamidation at pH 10. Generally, degradation of Phe-Asp-GlyNH2 proceeded faster compared to Gly-Asp-PheNH2 due to steric hindrance by the phenyl side chain.