Micellar electrokinetic chromatography–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry for the identification of drug impurities

Previously, we have presented a system hyphenating continuous micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Here we evaluate this technique for its applicability in impurity profiling of drugs using galantamine and ipratropium as test samples. A background electrolyte (BGE) of 10mM sodium phosphate (pH 7.5), 12.5-15% acetonitrile and 20mM sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) was used for the MEKC-MS analysis of a galantamine sample containing a number of related impurities, and a heat-treated solution of ipratropium containing a number of unknown degradation products. MEKC provided efficient separation of all sample constituents. Despite the presence of non-volatile BGEs, all impurities in the galantamine sample could be detected by ESI-MS in their respective extracted ion traces (XICs) with a detection sensitivity in the sub-microg/ml range (full-scan mode). MS/MS detection provided useful product spectra allowing the structural characterization of the respective galantamine impurities. With the MEKC-MS/MS system, two degradation products could be revealed and identified in the heat-stressed ipratropium sample. The presented method shows good potential for the detection and structure elucidation of minor impurities in drug substances.

Efficient and highly reproducible capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry of peptides using Polybrene-poly(vinyl sulfonate)-coated capillaries

The potential of capillaries noncovalently coated with a bilayer of oppositely charged polymers for the analysis of peptides by CE-MS was investigated. Bilayer coatings were produced by subsequently rinsing fused-silica capillaries with a solution of Polybrene (PB) and poly(vinyl sulfonate) (PVS). The PB-PVS coating showed to be fully compatible with MS detection causing no ionization suppression or background signals. The bilayer coating provided a considerable EOF at low pH, thereby facilitating the fast separation of peptides using a BGE of formic acid (pH 2.5). Under optimized CE-MS conditions, for enkephalin peptides high separation efficiencies were obtained with plate numbers in the range of 300,000-500,000. It is demonstrated that both the cancellation of the hydrodynamic capillary flow induced by the nebulizer gas and a sufficiently high-data acquisition rate are crucial for achieving these efficiencies. The overall performance of the CE-MS system using PB-PVS-coated capillaries was evaluated by the analysis of a tryptic digest of cytochrome c. The system provided an efficient separation of the peptide mixture, which could be effectively monitored by MS/MS detection allowing identification of at least 13 peptides within a time interval of 1.5 min. In addition, the PB-PVS coating proved to be very consistent yielding stable CE-MS patterns with highly favorable migration time reproducibilities (RSDs < 1% over a 3-day period).

Coupling of sequential injection analysis and capillary electrophoresis - Laser-induced fluorescence via a valve interface for on-line derivatization and analysis of amino acids and peptides

The on-line coupling of sequential injection analysis (SIA) and capillary electrophoresis (CE) via an in-line injection valve is presented. The SIA system is used for automated derivatization of amino acids and peptides. Dichlorotriazinylaminofluorescein serves as the derivatization agent, thus enabling sensitive laser-induced fluorescence detection of the derivatized analytes. The SIA procedure includes the following steps: (a) introduction of reagent and sample zones in a holding coil, (b) sample and reagent mixing in a reaction coil, (c) stop-flow step for increase of the reaction time, and (d) delivery of derivatized sample into the loop of the micro-valve interface. A small portion of the analyte zone is introduced electrokinetically in the separation capillary via the valve interface and CE analysis is performed. Factors affecting the CE separation, such as pH, the borate and sodium dodecyl sulphate concentration of the background electrolyte have been optimized. The derivatization conditions have been studied to obtain a high reaction yield in a relative short time. The transfer of a part of the reaction plug into the loop of the valve interface has been optimized. Using des-Tyr(1)-[Met]-enkephalinamide as test compound, it is demonstrated that after automated derivatization, on-line electrophoretic analysis could be achieved. Glycine has been selected as the internal standard in order to correct for variations in reaction time and filling of the injection loop. For the enkephalin, good reproducibility (RSD<4.5% calculated by the ratio of the peak areas) and linearity (0.5-5 microg mL(-1), R(2)>or=0.994) are obtained with a detection limit of 30 ng mL(-1) (S/N=3).

Interlaboratory study of a NACE method for the determination ofR-timolol content inS-timolol maleate: Assessment of uncertainty

Analyses of statistical variance were applied to evaluate the precision and practicality of a CD-based NACE assay for R-timolol after enantiomeric separation of R- and S-timolol. Data were collected in an interlaboratory study by 11 participating laboratories located in Europe and North America. General qualitative method performance was examined using suitability descriptors (i.e. resolution, selectivity, migration times and S/N), while precision was determined by quantification of variances in the determination of R-timolol at four different impurity levels in S-timolol maleate samples. The interlaboratory trials were designed in accordance with the ISO guideline 5725-2. This allowed estimating for each sample, the different variances, i.e. between-laboratory (s2(Laboratories)), between-day (s2(Days)) and between-replicate (s2(Replicates)). The variances of repeatability (s2r) and reproducibility (s2R) were then calculated. The estimated uncertainty, derived from the precision estimates, seems to be concentration-dependent above a given threshold. This example of R-timolol illustrates how a laboratory can evaluate uncertainty in general.

On-line coupling of size exclusion chromatography and capillary electrophoresis via solid-phase extraction and a Tee-split interface

An on-line size exclusion chromatography (SEC)-solid-phase extraction (SPE)-capillary electrophoresis (CE) system using a Tee-split interface has been developed for the analysis of peptides in biological fluids. The SEC column fractionates the sample by molecular size and the low-molecular-weight fraction, which contains the peptides, is directed to a C(18) SPE microcolumn, where the peptides are trapped and concentrated. The SPE column is desorbed with 425 nL acetonitrile and the effluent is sent to the Tee-split interface, which hydrodynamically splits (1:40) the flow and, thus, allows appropriate injection of analytes into the CE system. The performance of the system is investigated by the analysis of enkephalins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). It is demonstrated that the SEC step efficiently removes potentially interfering proteins, permitting reproducible SPE and CE. The total system provides efficient separations of the enkephalins with plate numbers up to 100,000. Concentration limits of detection (S/N = 3) for the peptides are about 100 ng/mL for injection of 20 microL spiked CSF samples. Plots of enkephalin peak areas versus concentration showed good linearity over the 0.25-10 microg/mL range (R2 > or = 0.985). Repeatability of migration time and peak area was within 2% and 10% R.S.D., respectively.

On-line coupling of cyclodextrin mediated nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis to mass spectrometry for the determination of salbutamol enantiomers in urine

The usefulness of the on-line coupling of nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE) with electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry (MS) using heptakis(2,3-di-O-acetyl-6-O-sulfo)-beta-cyclodextrin (HDAS-beta-CD) was demonstrated for the enantioselective determination of low concentrations of salbutamol in human urine. After optimization of several parameters, such as sheath-liquid composition and flow rate, nebulizing gas pressure, CE counter-pressure and position of the CE capillary outlet, a limit of quantification of 18 and 20 ng/ml was obtained for salbutamol enantiomers. Moreover, the relative standard deviation values for repeatability at a concentration of 30 ng/ml were below 7% for both enantiomers. Typical regression lines obtained after application of a simple linear regression model revealed a good relationship between peak area and analyte concentration (with 0.9988 and 0.9966 as coefficients of determination). This paper proposes an easy to use and sensitive NACE-MS method to determine enantiomers of a basic chiral drug in biological fluids preceded by solid-phase extraction as sample cleanup.

Evaluation of the sensitivity of miniaturized liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry for pharmaceutical analysis

LC-ESI-MS is applied frequently in pharmaceutical analysis. The sample amount is generally not restricted, however with LC-ESI-MS, a lack of sensitivity may still be observed with standard-bore LC columns in isocratic mode. Therefore, it was investigated whether increased sensitivity could be achieved by using miniaturized LC-ESI-MS. Seven columns ranging from 0.1 to 4.6 mm ID were tested using several instrument setups. For proper comparison, a sensitivity gain factor (SGF) was introduced. The SGF expresses the extra sensitivity that may be obtained on top of the normal increase of peak concentration, which can be expected when the column ID is reduced. Desogestrel, mirtazapine, and sugammadex sodium were used as test compounds. For desogestrel and sugammadex sodium, the SGF increased up to a factor of 5-13 when the column ID was reduced, indicating enhanced ionization efficiencies at lower flow rates. Optimum sensitivity was found for the 0.3 mm column coupled in combination with a microinjection valve and a dedicated low flow rate interface. For mirtazapine, no increase of SGF was observed when the column ID was decreased. Apparently, the ionization efficiency of this compound is not affected by the flow rate and the spray quality.

Atmospheric Pressure Photoionization for Enhanced Compatibility in On-Line Micellar Electrokinetic Chromatography−Mass Spectrometry

Atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) is presented as a novel means for the combination of micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) and mass spectrometry (MS). The on-line coupling is achieved using an adapted sheath flow interface installed on an orthogonal APPI source. Acetone or toluene is added as dopant to the sheath liquid to enhance analyte photoionization. It is demonstrated that with APPI signal suppression and interferences by the surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and nonvolatile buffers can be circumvented. This implies that MEKC conditions can be selected independently from MS detection. Moreover, it is shown that both polar and apolar compounds can be photoionized, thereby also facilitating the analysis of compounds that are not amenable to electrospray ionization. Consequently, the MEKC-APPI-MS system can provide effective separation and detection of compounds of diverse character in one run using background electrolytes containing up to 50 mM SDS. Concentration limits of detection derived from extracted-ion traces (full scan mode) of test compounds were approximately 1 microg/mL, and the detection sensitivity remained unaffected during 1 day of continuous use. Overall, the system features are very favorable for applications such as drug impurity profiling as is illustrated by the analysis of mebeverine and related compounds (both charged and neutral) at the 0.25% (w/w) level.

Noncovalently bilayer-coated capillaries for efficient and reproducible analysis of proteins by capillary electrophoresis

The suitability of noncovalently bilayer-coated capillaries for the analysis of proteins by capillary electrophoresis (CE) at medium pH was investigated. Fused-silica capillaries were coated simply by successively flushing with a polybrene (PB) and a poly(vinyl sulfonate) (PVS) solution. A protein test mixture was used to evaluate the performance of the coated capillaries. Comparisons with bare fused-silica capillaries were made. Several background electrolytes (BGEs) were tested in combination with the PB-PVS coating, showing that optimum performance was obtained for the proteins using high BGE concentrations. With a 300 mM Tris phosphate buffer (pH 7.0), good plate numbers (150,000-300,000), symmetrical peaks, and favorable migration-time repeatabilities (RSDs below 0.8%) were obtained for the proteins. Using bare fused-silica capillaries, the protein peaks were significantly broadened and the migration-time RSDs often exceeded 5%. It is concluded that the PB-PVS coating effectively minimizes adverse protein adsorption and provides a very stable electroosmotic flow (EOF). We also investigated the potential of a commercially available bilayer coating (CEofix) for protein analysis. It is demonstrated that with this coating, good plate numbers and peak symmetries for proteins can be achieved when the CEofix BGE ("accelerator") is replaced by a common BGE such as sodium or Tris phosphate. Apparently, the negatively charged polymer present in the "accelerator" interacts with the proteins causing band broadening. The utility of the bilayer coatings is further illustrated by the separation of proteins such as interferon-alpha 2b, myoglobin and carbonic anhydrase, by the analysis of a degraded insulin sample in time, and by the profiling of the glycoprotein ovalbumin. In addition, it is demonstrated that even in the presence of concentrations of human serum albumin in the sample of up to 60 mg/mL, the PB-PVS coating still provides reproducible protein separations of good performance.

On-line capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry using dopant-assisted atmospheric pressure photoionization: Setup and system performance

The on-line coupling of capillary electrophoresis (CE) and mass spectrometry (MS) via atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) is demonstrated. To achieve CE-APPI-MS, an adapted coaxial sheath-flow interface was combined with an ion-trap mass spectrometer equipped with an APPI source originally designed for liquid chromatography-MS. Effective photoionization of test compounds was accomplished after optimization of several interface and MS parameters, and of the composition and flow rate of the sheath liquid. Further enhancement of the ionization efficiency could be achieved by adding a dopant, such as acetone or toluene, to the sheath liquid to aid indirect ionization. Acetone significantly increased the ionization of the polar test compounds by proton transfer, while toluene was more useful for the enhanced formation of molecular ions from nonpolar compounds. The effect of several common CE background electrolytes (BGEs) on the APPI-MS response of the analytes was also studied. It appeared that in contrast with electrospray ionization, nonvolatile BGEs do not cause suppression of analyte signals using APPI. Therefore, in CE-APPI-MS, a variety of buffers can be chosen, which obviously is a great advantage during method development. Remarkably, also sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) did not affect the photoionization of the test compounds, indicating a strong potential of APPI for the on-line coupling of micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) and MS.

Chromatographic preconcentration coupled on-line to capillary electrophoresis via a tee-split interface

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) and capillary electrophoresis (CE) are on-line coupled via a Tee-split interface, which provides hydrodynamic injection of the SPE eluate by flow splitting. The interface allows sample preconcentration independently from the CE separation and prevents sample matrix and washing solvents from entering the separation capillary. The effect of the Tee-split interface on the CE efficiency was examined using enkephalin peptides as model compounds. Most favorable plate numbers were obtained using a split ratio of 1:40. Breakthrough volume, desorption efficiency and elution volume for the C18 micro SPE column (5 mm x 0.5 mm i.d.) were found to be 750 microL, 65% and 1 microL, respectively. The performance of the complete system was demonstrated by the preconcentration and separation of an enkephalin mixture. Plate numbers up to 120,000 were obtained using a sample volume of 250 microL and a split ratio of 1:40. Enkephalin peak areas were linear (R2 = 0.996) over the 10-1000 ng/mL range. UV absorbance concentration limits of detection (SIN = 3) were about 5 ng/mL. For 250 microL injections of 100 ng/mL, the relative standard deviation (n = 5) of peak area was lower than 10%.

Investigations into the stabilization of drugs by sugar glasses: III. The influence of various high-pH buffers

PURPOSE

To study the effect of the high-pH buffers ammediol, borax, CHES, TRIS, and Tricine on the glass transition temperature of the freeze concentrated fraction (Tg') of trehalose/buffer and inulin/buffer solutions at pH 6.0 and pH 9.8. Also, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of sugar glasses obtained after freeze drying of these solutions was elucidated. Additionally, the effect occurring during the freezing process on the pH of the various buffers was investigated. Furthermore, the stability of alkaline phosphatase (AP) incorporated in these sugar glasses prepared from solutions at pH 9.8 was evaluated.

METHODS

The Tg' and Tg were measured using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and the change of pH during freezing was estimated by using an indicator solution added to the respective solutions. The enzymatic activity of AP after freeze drying and storage at 60 degrees C was evaluated by an enzymatic activity assay.

RESULTS

It was found that the Tg' and Tg of the samples investigated are strongly influenced by the presence of the buffer. On freezing, only minor changes of the pH were observed. The samples with the lowest Tg and the samples containing buffers that formed complexes with the sugars showed the poorest stability of the AP.

CONCLUSIONS

The stabilizing capacities of sugars that are currently recognized as excellent stabilizers for proteins during drying and storage can be completely lost if certain high-pH buffers such as ammediol, borax, and TRIS are used at high concentrations. Loss of stabilizing capacities can be ascribed to strong depression of the Tg' and Tg or to complex formation.

Chromatographic Preconcentration Coupled To Capillary Electrophoresis via an In-Line Injection Valve

A preconcentration-capillary electrophoresis (CE) system using a small precolumn in combination with an in-line injection valve is presented. The advantage of the present design is the ability to perform the sample preconcentration fully independently from the CE separation and to prevent sample matrix and washing solvents from entering the CE capillary. With a micro injection valve, sample could be effectively introduced into the CE system in an in-line fashion without seriously affecting the CE separation efficiency. Breakthrough volume, desorption efficiency, and elution volume for the C18 microcolumn (5 x 0.5 mm i.d.) were established, yielding values of 750 microL, 70%, and 0.9-1.1 microL, respectively, using enkephalin peptides. The time between the start of the desorption of the analytes from the precolumn and the injection into the CE system was also studied in order to achieve optimal sensitivity and separation efficiency. The performance of the complete system was demonstrated by the preconcentration and separation of an enkephalin mixture. Using a sample volume of 250 microL and a CE injection voltage of -15 kV for 12 s, linearity was observed over 2 orders of magnitude, and detection limits (S/N = 3) were in the 5-10 ng/mL range. A 1000-fold sensitivity enhancement is obtained using this setup, as compared to a regular CE setup. For 100 ng/mL samples, repeatabilities (RSDs) of migration time and peak area were 1.2 and 11%, respectively.

Efficient and reproducible analysis of peptides by capillary electrophoresis using noncovalently bilayer-coated capillaries

The usefulness of a noncovalent capillary coating consisting of two layers of oppositely charged polymers for the separation of peptides with capillary electrophoresis (CE) was studied. Capillaries were coated simply by subsequently flushing with solutions of 1% m/v Polybrene and 1% v/v poly(vinylsulfonate) (PVS) forming a bilayer, which showed to produce a strong and highly reproducible electroosmotic flow (EOF) at low pH. Using this coating in combination with a background electrolyte (BGE) containing sodium phosphate (pH 2.5) and 0.01% v/v PVS, initially broadened and overlapping peaks were obtained for some test peptides. By omitting the PVS from the BGE, the peak width and shape of the peptides improved resulting in baseline separation. A systematic study of the influence of the BGE composition showed that considerable further enhancement of the separation efficiency was achieved by increasing the ionic strength of the BGE. Using a BGE of 200 mM tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris)-phosphate (pH 2.5) plate numbers for the peptides were in the 300 000-600 000 range and the relative standard deviation of the peptide migration times was less then 0.3% (n = 5). The use of Tris-phosphate instead of sodium phosphate allowed the current to stay within acceptable limits when 30 kV was used as separation voltage. Overall, the bilayer coating showed a remarkable EOF repeatability, as well as long-term stability. Compared to bare fused-silica capillaries the intraday and interday repeatability of migration times was very favorable and coated capillaries could be used for over a month performing analyses with low and high ionic strength BGEs without any performance deterioration. The usefulness of the bilayer-coated capillaries for the analysis of positively charged peptides was demonstrated by the fast and efficient separation of various closely related enkephalins and the baseline separation of an isomeric peptide/peptoid couple exhibiting efficiencies of over 550 000 plates.

Feasibility of nonvolatile buffers in capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry of proteins

The combination of capillary electrophoresis (CE) and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) via a triaxial interface was studied as a potential means for the characterization of intact proteins. To evaluate the possibility to use a nonvolatile electrolyte for CE, the effect of sodium phosphate and ammonium borate on the MS signal of the proteins insulin, myoglobin, and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by employing infusion experiments, and compared to the effect of ammonium formate and formic acid. The study shows that with formic acid (50 mM, pH 2.4) the most intense protein signals were obtained, while the use of sodium phosphate buffer (5 and 10 mM, pH 7.5) almost completely diminished the MS response. Ammonium formate and ammonium borate (up to 100 mM, pH 8.5) also caused protein ion suppression, but especially with the borate buffer significant MS intensity remained. MS analysis of myoglobin revealed the loss of the heme group when an acidic CE electrolyte was used. Using a background electrolyte containing 25 mM ammonium borate (pH 8.5), it is demonstrated that a CE separation of a protein test mixture can be monitored with ESI-MS without degrading the MS performance allowing molecular weight determinations of the separated compounds. In the presence of borate, detection limits were estimated to be 5-10 microM (ca. 100 fmol injected). The usefulness of the CE-MS system employing a borate buffer is indicated by the analysis of a stored sample of BSA revealing several degradation products. A sample of placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP), a potential therapeutic agent, was also analyzed by CE-MS indicating the presence of a protein impurity. Probably due to insufficient ionization of the PLAP (a complex glycoprotein), no MS signals of the intact protein were observed.

On-line micellar electrokinetic chromatography-mass spectrometry: feasibility of direct introduction of non-volatile buffer and surfactant into the electrospray interface

An on-line method for the coupling of micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) and mass spectrometry (MS) is presented which allows conventional MEKC conditions to be employed without further modification. The MEKC system is coupled directly to electrospray ionization (ESI) MS using a triaxial interface. A systematic study of the influence of the surfactant concentration, the nature and concentration of buffer salts and presence of organic modifier on the interface performance indicated the feasibility of the MEKC-MS approach. Effective interfacing of MEKC was achieved with both single quadrupole and ion-trap MS instruments. Using a background electrolyte containing 20 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 10 mM sodium phosphate buffer, it is demonstrated that full MEKC runs of test mixtures of mebeverine and related compounds can be monitored by ESI-MS with satisfactory sensitivity. Sub-microg/ml levels of the analytes can still be detected in full scan mode, while detection limits are in the 10-50 ng/ml range when selected ion monitoring is applied. It is shown that such sensitivity would allow full-scan MS detection of 0.1% (w/w) levels of potential impurities in mebeverine. With the ion-trap instrument successful MEKC-MS/MS experiments were carried out providing information-rich MS spectra of the related compounds. Repeated MEKC-MS analyses proved that in the course of 1 day the migration time of mebeverine remained fairly constant while the MS-signal intensity only gradually decreased to approximately 65% of its original value. Once-a-day cleaning of the first part of the ion source, which takes only 5 min, suffices to preserve an optimal interface performance for a prolonged period of time.

Investigations into the stabilisation of drugs by sugar glasses: II. Delivery of an inulin-stabilised alkaline phosphatase in the intestinal lumen via the oral route

In this study the possibility to deliver the acid-sensitive enzyme alkaline phosphatase (AP) from calf intestine (CIAP) to the intestinal system by oral administration was investigated. Tablets were prepared and in vitro evaluated. Final proof of concept studies were performed in rats. This acid labile enzyme is potentially useful in the treatment of sepsis, a serious condition during which endotoxins can migrate into the blood stream. The CIAP was freeze-dried with inulin and subsequently compacted into round biconvex tablets with a diameter of 4mm and a weight of 25-30 mg per tablet. The tablets were coated with an enteric coating in order to ensure their survival in the stomach. In vitro evaluation of tablets containing alkaline phosphatase from bovine intestine (BIAP) was the first step in the development. It was found that tablets without enteric coating dissolved rapidly in 0.10 M HCl with total loss of enzymatic activity of the alkaline phosphatase. Tablets that were coated were stable for at least 2 h in 0.10 M HCl, but dissolved rapidly when the pH was increased to 6.8. Furthermore, it was shown that the enzymatic activity of the released BIAP was fully preserved. The in vivo test clearly showed that the oral administration of enteric coated tablets resulted in the release of enzymatically active CIAP in the intestinal lumen of rats. The location of the enhanced enzymatic activity of AP in the intestines varied with the time that had passed between the administration of the tablets and the sacrificing of the rats. Also, the level of enzymatic activity increased with an increasing number of tablets that were administered.

Potential of capillary electrophoresis for the monitoring of the stability of placental alkaline phosphatase

Alkaline phosphatase (AP) is a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of sepsis. In this paper the potential of capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) for the monitoring of the degradation of placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) was investigated. To induce degradation PLAP samples were exposed to high temperatures, low and high pH and freeze-drying. The samples were then analyzed by CZE and enzymatic activity assay. Upon exposure to temperatures above 65 degrees C, PLAP lost its activity exponentially over time, while CZE revealed both a linear decrease of the area of the main peak and a rise of degradation products. At acidic pH the enzyme appeared to lose its activity. CZE revealed a decrease of the area of the main peak, but no degradation products could be detected. At pH 12 the enzymatic activity and the area of the main peak both decreased linearly over time and, in addition, formation of degradation products could be detected by CZE. Activity and CZE profile of PLAP remained unchanged upon freeze-drying in the presence of inulin. Prolonged storage of freeze-dried samples at room temperature caused a slight decrease of enzymatic activity, while the potential formation of oligomers was revealed by CZE analysis. The examples in this study show that, in combination with activity assays, CZE can provide useful complementary information, especially on the status of the protein and the presence of degradation products.

Investigations into the stabilisation of drugs by sugar glasses: I. Tablets prepared from stabilised alkaline phosphatase

The aim of this study was to investigate the formulation of sugar glass stabilised alkaline phosphatase from bovine intestine (BIAP) into tablets. Two major subjects of tablet formulation were investigated. First, the compaction behaviour of the inulin sugar glass was investigated. Secondly, the effect of the compaction process on the physical stability of sugar glass stabilised BIAP was investigated, comparing inulin and trehalose glass. The tabletting properties of freeze-dried inulin without BIAP were studied first. Freeze-dried inulin conditioned at either 20 degrees C/0% relative humidity (RH) or 20 degrees C/45% RH was compacted at various pressures. As expected, the yield pressure of the material conditioned at 0% RH was higher (68 MPa) than after conditioning at 45% RH (39 MPa). Tablets made of the material stored at 0% RH showed severe capping tendency, especially at high compaction pressures. In contrast, material conditioned at 45% RH gave tablets without any capping tendency and a friability of less than 1%. Sugar glasses of BIAP and either inulin or trehalose were prepared by freeze-drying (BIAP/sugar 1/19 (w/w)). The material was subsequently compacted. Tablets and powders were stored at 60 degrees C/0% RH. The activity of the incorporated BIAP was measured at various time intervals. It was found that inulin was by far superior to trehalose as stabiliser of BIAP in tablets. The poor stabilising capacities of trehalose after compaction are explained by crystallisation of trehalose induced by the compaction process and moisture in the material. The results clearly show that inulin is an excellent stabiliser for BIAP. The tabletting properties are adequate, showing sufficient tablet strengths and low friability. Furthermore, the good (physical) stability of inulin glass with respect to exposure to high relative humidities makes it practical to work with.

Capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection for fast and reliable apolipoprotein E genotyping

The use of capillary electrophoresis (CE) with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection for the rapid determination of apolipoprotein E (apoE) genotypes was studied. High resolution and sensitive detection of the concerned DNA restriction fragments was achieved using CE buffers with hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) as sieving polymer and ethidium bromide (EB) as fluorescent intercalating agent. In order to achieve adequate resolutions in short analysis times, parameters such as concentration of HPMC and EB, separation voltage, and length and coating of the capillary were evaluated. Using a separation buffer with 0.8% (w/w) HPMC and 7 microM EB, characteristic DNA-fragment profiles could be obtained for all common apoE genotypes at an overall rate of ten samples per hour. The method allows direct injection of untreated PCR samples and the use of standard fused-silica capillaries which are effectively coated following a short, one-step rinse procedure. With a simple computerized algorithm based on migration-time ratios for pattern assignment, highly reliable apoE genotyping was achieved. Overall, in terms of speed, ease of use and objectivity the presented method provides a significant improvement over previously reported CE-based procedures for apoE genotyping.

Capillary electrokinetic separation techniques for profiling of drugs and related products

Capillary electrokinetic separation techniques offer high efficiency and peak capacity, and can be very useful for the analysis of samples containing a large variety of (unknown) compounds. Such samples are frequently met in impurity profiling of drugs (detection of potential impurities in a pharmaceutical substance or product) and in general sample profiling (determination of differences or similarities between samples). In this paper, the potential, merits, and limitations of electrokinetic separation techniques for profiling purposes are evaluated using examples from literature. A distinction is made between impurity profiling, forensic profiling and profiling of natural products, and the application of capillary zone electrophoresis, micellar electrokinetic chromatography, and capillary electrochromatography in these fields is discussed. Attention is devoted to important aspects such as selectivity, resolution enhancement, applicability, detection, and compound confirmation and quantification. The specific properties of the various electrokinetic techniques are discussed and compared with more conventional techniques as liquid chromatography.

Characterization of human placental alkaline phosphatase by activity and protein assays, capillary electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) that had been isolated from human placenta was further purified using subsequent ion-exchange chromatography (IEC), affinity chromatography (AC) and centrifugal membrane concentration (CMC). During the process, the PLAP samples from the different stages of purification were characterized regarding purity and activity. This was accomplished by combining Lowry analysis, enzymatic activity assay, capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), capillary gel electrophoresis (CGE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The sample obtained after IEC had a rather low specific activity (6.8 U/mg) and appeared to contain several major contaminants, among which was human serum albumin (HSA). AC followed by CMC yielded PLAP with a specific activity of 128 U/mg. The purity and identity of the protein was indicated by MALDI-TOF-MS yielding a spectrum with one major peak at m/z 58,101. Interestingly, CZE of the pure PLAP revealed a cluster of peaks, which probably reflects the presence of various glycoforms and/or oligomers. The same analytical approach was used to characterize commercially available PLAP. This sample showed a moderate specific activity (15 U/mg) and appeared to be highly impure containing various other proteins.

Towards a general approach for the impurity profiling of drugs by micellar electrokinetic chromatography

A general micellar electrokinetic chromatographic (MEKC) strategy for the impurity profiling of drugs was developed involving a sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and a cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) MEKC system. With this combination, in principle, each sample component passes the detector in at least one of the two MEKC systems provided that separation buffers of the same pH are used in both systems. In order to select the proper MEKC systems, the electroosmotic flow (EOF) and micelle migration time (t(mc)) were determined for separation buffers of several pH values, containing various amounts of surfactant and organic modifier. The selectivity of the MEKC systems was studied using a mixture of compounds with a wide range of physico-chemical properties. The final selection of two adequate MEKC systems for this approach was based on the requirements that the t(mc) (i.e., analysis time) of both systems was below 20 min and that the t(mc)/t(eof) ratio was above 3 or 2 for the SDS and CTAB system, respectively. Furthermore, the systems should provide high efficiency, exhibit differences in selectivity and use moderate concentrations of modifier and surfactant, so that, if needed, further optimization is possible. The selected MEKC systems contained 60 mM SDS or 10 mM CTAB, respectively, in a phosphate buffer (pH 7.5) with 10% acetonitrile. Some test compounds with extreme mobilities were used to demonstrate the suitability of the MEKC approach to detect each component of a sample. The potential of the proposed MEKC combination for impurity profiling was demonstrated by the analysis of fluvoxamine with several impurities at the 0.1% level.

Capillary electrochromatography of basic compounds using octadecyl-silica stationary phases with an amine-containing mobile phase

The capillary electrochromatographic (CEC) analysis of basic compounds on octadecyl-silica stationary phases (Hypersil ODS and Spherisorb ODS I) was studied. A basic drug (fluvoxamine) and one of its possible impurities were used as test compounds. With an eluent of acetonitrile-phosphate buffer (pH 7.0), the compounds could be baseline-separated; however, broad and tailing peaks were obtained. To minimise detrimental interactions with residual silanol groups, the pH of the mobile phase was lowered to 2.5, but the plate numbers were still quite low (<2.6x10(4) plates/m). Addition of a masking agent (hexylamine or triethylamine) to the mobile phase resulted in much better peak efficiencies (ca. 1x10(5) plates/m). Therefore, the influence of the amine concentration and pH of the mobile phase on the CEC performance (peak width, peak tailing, electroosmotic flow, selectivity) was investigated in detail. Highest efficiencies (2.8x10(5) plates/m) could be obtained with the Spherisorb column, while the Hypersil column offered a better selectivity. Furthermore, the results show that the residual silanol groups are (at least partly) responsible for the separation of the basic compounds and that the amount of injected sample has an unusually large effect on the peak efficiency. The usefulness of the system for impurity profiling was demonstrated with a mixture containing fluvoxamine and its stereoisomer (a possible impurity) at the 0.1% level. The general effectiveness of amine additives in CEC was illustrated by the separation of a mixture of five structurally different basic drugs yielding plate numbers in the 1x10(5)-3x10(5) plates/m range. Comparison with capillary electrophoretic analysis revealed a unique selectivity of the CEC system which is based on both electrophoretic mobility and chromatographic partitioning.