Chiral separation of amino acids and peptides by capillary electrophoresis

Gas-chromatographic separation of stereoisomers of dipeptides

Synthetic dipeptides comprising mixtures of enantiomers, diastereomers, or sequential isomers were converted into their N-perfluoroacetyl dipeptide esters (perfluoroacetyl: trifluoroacetyl, pentafluoroacetyl, heptafluorobutyryl; ester: methyl, 1-propyl, 2-propyl, 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) and analyzed by GC-MS on the chiral stationary phases Chirasil-L-Val and Lipodex-E using helium as carrier gas. Further, dipeptides were converted into their N-trifluoroacetyl dipeptide S-(+)-2-butyl esters and separated on achiral phenylmethyl polysiloxane column (HP-5 MS). Derivatization of dipeptides was performed at ambient temperature in order to avoid formation of the corresponding diketopiperazines. The best separation of stereoisomers was achieved with TFA and PFP methyl esters on Chirasil-L-Val.

Recent advances in peptide and peptidomimetic stereoisomer separations by capillary electromigration techniques

As the stereochemistry of peptides determines their physicochemical properties and biological activities, analytical methods able to discriminate between peptide stereoisomers are important especially with regard to pharmaceutical peptides and peptidomimetics. The present review summarizes recent developments in peptide and peptidomimetic stereoisomer separations by capillary electromigration techniques. The majority of separations were performed by CE while only few reports have been published on the subject of electrochromatography. In addition to systematic studies on the applicability of certain buffer additives and the evaluation of specific experimental conditions, there have been attempts to understand the mechanistic aspects of peptide stereoisomer separations as well as to analyze the structure of peptide-CD complexes.

Measuring D-amino acid-containing neuropeptides with capillary electrophoresis

Neuropeptides are heavily posttranslationally modified (PTM) gene products that are often characterized by a variety of mass spectrometric approaches. Recently, the occurrence of amino acids in the D-form has been documented in several neuropeptides. As this modification has no associated mass shift, this particular PTM is difficult to evaluate using mass spectrometry (MS) alone. Here we demonstrate several approaches using capillary electrophoresis (CE) with absorbance and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) for the separation of native and derivatized molluscan peptides containing D-amino acids. The combination of peptide derivatization followed by CE/LIF is well suited for single cell measurements because of its ability to characterize the peptides in such small samples. In order to verify this approach, the D-Trp-containing peptide NdWFa (NH2-Asn-D-Trp-Phe-CONH2), present in individual neurons from the marine mollusk Aplysia californica, has been characterized. The mass spectra show that NdWFa and/or NWFa are present in specific neurons; CE/LIF analysis of these cells demonstrates that NdWFa is the dominant form of the peptide.

A new strategy for the selective determination of d-amino acids: Enzymatic and chemical modifications for pre-column derivatization

A new strategy for the selective determination of D-amino acids (DAAs) employing a pre-column derivatization was designed with concepts based on both enzymatic and chemical modifications. Selective determination of DAAs was accomplished by following: DAA was enzymatically modified with D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO: EC 1.4.3.3) to form an alpha-keto acid. Subsequently, resulting alpha-keto acid was detected by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after chemical modification with o-phenylenediamine (PDA) in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol (2ME) to give the corresponding quinoxalinol derivative (PDA-alpha-keto acid derivative). After optimizing the pre-column derivatization and HPLC separation, five peaks corresponding to DAAs (D-alanine, D-leucine, D-methionine, D-phenylalanine, D-valine (as the standard mixture of DAAs in this paper) were separately eluted and monitored by means of a conventional HPLC system with a gradient elution on octadecyl silica gel (ODS) column and a fluorescence detector (Ex.: 341 nm, Em.: 413 nm), respectively. It was confirmed that the present method was incapable of detecting L-amino acids (LAA) when a sample solution consisting of both LAAs and DAAs was examined. The linearity of the peak-area responses to their concentration range of DAAs from 10 to 500 microM is 0.994-1.000, and their detection limits were 0.2-1 microM (signal/noise = 3). When this method was applied to a methanolic extract of short-necked clams, Ruditapes philippinarum (in Japanese, Asari), a big peak, corresponding to D-alanine was detected, corresponding to 2.9 mg/g D-alanine. In this paper, we present an example of pre-column derivatization method that was newly configured to take into account both the biological and chemical properties of the substances in question.

Stereoselective peptide analysis

The stereochemistry of a peptide determines its spatial features and can profoundly influence its chemical properties and biological activity. Thus, the analysis of the stereochemical properties of a peptide is an important aspect of its characterisation. For such investigations a "selector" that engages in stereoselective interactions with the peptide analytes is often used. A substantiated knowledge of the underlying molecular recognition mechanism will therefore be helpful in understanding existing and developing new stereoselective analysis systems. After a short introduction concerning the fundamentals of peptide stereoisomers and their biological implications, the stereoselective peptide analysis methods described in the literature are comprehensively reviewed. The characteristics and applications of the employed methods based on various techniques including chromatography (pressure- and electrokinetically driven), capillary electrophoresis, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry are discussed. The various selectors that have been utilised to discriminate peptide enantiomers and/or diastereomers are described concurrently. The review concludes with an overview of combinations and comparisons of techniques that have been applied to the analysis of peptide stereoisomers and constitute a trend for further developments.

Method for on-line derivatization and separation of aspartic acid enantiomer in pharmaceuticals application by the coupling of flow injection with micellar electrokinetic chromatography

A novel, easy and accurate capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled with flow injection (FI) method for the separation and determination of aspartic acid (Asp) enantiomers by on-line derivatization had been developed, and it had been applied to the real sample for the first time. The derivatization reagents were o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) and mercaptoethanol (ME), which were obtained easily, the chiral selector was beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD), the micellar chemical was sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and the modifier was methanol. By on-line derivatization, aspartic acid enantiomers were automatically and reproducibly converted to the ultraviolet (UV)-absorbing diastereoisomer derivates, which were separated by micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). According to the factors affecting the separation and sensitivity of aspartic acid enantiomer and other amino acids in the real sample, the pH value and concentration of the buffer, the concentration of beta-CD and SDS, the volume percentage of the methanol (v/v) in the buffer, the applied voltage and the conversion time were selected as the investigating variates. Under the investigated separation conditions, D-aspartic acid (D-Asp), L-aspartic acid (L-Asp) and other four amino acids achieved the baseline separation in not only the standard mixture of amino acids but also the real sample (Compound Amino Acid Injection (6AA)). The repeatability (defined as relative standard deviation (RSD), n = 5) was 4.0% and 4.0% with peak area evaluation, and 4.2% and 3.7% with peak height evaluation for D-Asp and L-Asp in the real sample. Recovery at added standard levels of 1.0, 3.0 and 6.0 mM was 92%, 104% and 109%, respectively.

Capillary electrophoresis technologies for screening in drug discovery

The high separation efficiency of capillary electrophoresis (CE), combined with the high selectivity and sensitivity of mass spectrometry (MS) detection offers the potential of unique resolving power and high-throughput capacity to the analysis and structural identification of complex mixtures. Recent advances in CE-MS interfaces and commercially available 96-capillary instruments have made the implementation of routine CE methods for drug screening feasible.:

Absolute Determination Method Using Chirality for Glufosinate and Bialaphos by .GAMMA.-Cyclodextrin Modified Capillary Zone Electrophoresis

A novel absolute determination method using chirality without any calibration curves or comparison standards has been proposed for phosphorus-containing amino acid-type herbicides, glufosinate (D,L-GLUF) and bialaphos (BIAL). This method is based on a change in the enantiomeric ratio after the spiking of a known amount of the enantiomers with different enantiomeric ratios to a sample. D,L-GLUF was determined by adding a known amount of L-GLUF to the sample, derivatizing them with dansyl chloride, and measuring the ratio of the peak area of the D-isomer to that of the L-isomer by means of gamma-cyclodextrin modified capillary zone electrophoresis. The accuracy and precision of the method were evaluated using a synthetic sample. The mean values obtained for D- and L-GLUF agreed with the values taken within 1.6%; also the reproducibility was as good as less than 2.8%. The determination of BIAL was achieved by determining GLUF quantitatively produced by the acid hydrolysis of BIAL. The proposed methods were applied to the analysis of commercial herbicides and the validity and usefulness were evaluated.

Subsecond chiral separations on a microchip

Fast chiral separation of DNS-amino acids could be realized using microchip electrophoresis with fluorescence detection. For this purpose, highly sulfated cyclodextrins (HS-gamma-CD) were used as chiral selectors enabling high selectivity. Even subsecond separation of DNS-tryptophan, DNS-norleucine, DNS-phenylalanine, DNS-methionine, and DNS-aspartic acid could be achieved. Baseline separation could be accomplished within 720 ms, which is the fastest separation of enantiomers reported to date. A more complex mixture consisting of three chiral DNS-amino acids could be separated within 3.3 s utilizing a separation length of only 7 mm and an electrical field strength of 2012 V/cm.

Chiral separation of natural and unnatural amino acid derivatives by micro-HPLC on a Ristocetin A stationary phase

This paper deals with the chiral separation of Fmoc- and Z-derivatives of natural and unnatural sulfur containing amino acids by micro-HPLC. The separations were carried out in microbore columns packed with a new material based on Ristocetin A bonded to 3.5 microm silica gel. The columns were run in the normal phase, polar organic mode as well as in the reversed phase mode, whereby best results were obtained with the reversed-phase mode using mixtures of triethylamine acetate (TEAA) buffer and methanol as mobile phases.

A novel double coating for microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography with laser-induced fluorescence detection: as tested with amino acid derivatives

A novel double coating (DC) was developed for fast and reproducible microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC), as tested with separation and determination of amino acids using laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection after derivatization with 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazol. The simple coating is a combination of a removable covalent layer and a dynamic SDS coating. Hexamethyldisilazane was utilized for the covalent layer that can be regenerated on-line. Compared with previous no-coating method, the analysis time was shortened; and the reproducibility of migration times was improved.

Capillary zone electrophoresis of α-helical diastereomeric peptide pairs with anionic ion-pairing reagents

The present study uses an unique capillary electrophoresis (CE) approach, that we have termed ion-interaction capillary zone electrophoresis (II-CZE), for the separation of diastereomeric peptide pairs where a single site in the centre of the non-polar face of an 18-residue amphipathic alpha-helical peptide is substituted by the 19 L- or D-amino acids. Through the addition of perfluorinated acids at very high concentrations (up to 400 mM), such concentration levels not having been used previously in chromatography or CE, to the background electrolyte (pH 2.0), we have been able to achieve baseline resolution of all 19 diastereomeric peptide pairs with an uncoated capillary. Since each diastereomeric peptide pair has the same sequence, identical mass-to-charge ratio and identical intrinsic hydrophobicity, such a separation by CZE has previously been considered theoretically impossible. Excellent resolution was achieved due to maximum advantage being taken of even subtle disruption of peptide structure/conformation (due to the presence of D-amino acids) of the non-polar face of the amphipathic alpha-helix and its interaction with the hydrophobic anionic ion-pairing reagents. In addition, due to the excellent resolution of diastereomeric peptide pairs by this novel CZE approach, we have also been able to separate a mixture of these closely-related alpha-helical peptides.

Analysis of calcitonin and its analogues by capillary zone electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Capillary zone electrophoretic (CZE) separations and mass spectrometric analysis of salmon calcitonin and related analogues were performed to generate electrophoresis and mass fingerprints for quality control of the recombinant polypeptide pharmaceutical salmon calcitonin. The calcitonins and their corresponding tryptic digests were successfully separated by CZE at low pH in fused silica capillaries dynamically modified with poly-cationic polymers. The poly-cationic modified inner surface of the fused silica capillaries generated a strong anionic electroosmotic flow (EOF). Analytes of negative, neutral, and positive charge were all swept through the capillary toward the positive electrode. Compared to Polybrene-coated capillaries, capillaries coated with PEI showed a markedly slower but much more stable electroosmotic flow. The migration order of the analytes was predicted by comparing approximate values of the charge to (molecular mass)2/3 ratios. The predicted migration order was confirmed by off-line analysis of CZE fractions with matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS).

Liquid chromatographic–mass spectrometric separation of oligoalanine peptide stereoisomers: influence of absolute configuration on enantioselectivity and two-dimensional separation of diastereomers and enantiomers

This contribution describes the chromatographic separation of peptide stereoisomers. Thereby, one focus is laid on the influence of the absolute configurations of peptide enantiomer pairs on their enantioselective separation. Three different N-terminal protecting groups and three different chiral stationary phases (CSPs) based on cinchona alkaloid derivatives were employed and oligoalanine di-, tri- and tetra-peptides were used as model set. The absolute configurations of the individual enantiomeric pairs were found to profoundly influence both the elution order and the enantioselectivity. The stereoselective molecular recognition mechanism was observed to be dependent on the combination of configuration and the chosen protecting group and CSP. As the CSPs on their own exhibited insufficient diastereoselectivity, a two-dimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) system was developed for the separation of both diastereomers and enantiomers of peptides in the second part of this study. Diastereomers were separated by reversed phase (RP) and the resulting enantiomeric pair fractions were transferred to a CSP for enantioseparation. All eight stereoisomers of a tripeptide (Ala-Ala-Ala) and 9 out of 10 stereoisomers of a tetrapeptide (Ala-Ala-Ala-Ala) could be successfully resolved.

Enantiomeric separation of TAPP, H-Tyr-(D)Ala-Phe-Phe-NH(2), by capillary electrophoresis using 18-crown-6-tetracarboxylic acid as a chiral selector

A capillary electrophoresis method for the enantiomeric separation of the tetrapeptide H-Tyr-(D)Ala-Phe-Phe-NH(2) (TAPP), has been developed and validated. The preferred background electrolyte (BGE) consisted of 0.1 M aqueous phosphoric acid adjusted to pH 3.0 with triethanolamine. The chiral selectors 18-crown-6-tetracarboxylic acid (18C6H(4)) and heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin (2,6-DM-beta-CD) were compared and the crown ether 18C6H(4) was found to be superior. The separation of TAPP and its enantiomer was accomplished within 30 min with a resolution greater than 3.5. The method was then investigated with respect to selectivity, linearity, accuracy, range, precision, detection limit (DL), quantitation limit (QL) and robustness, essentially following International Conference of Harmonisation (ICH) guidelines for the validation of analytical methods. The DL and QL for the TAPP enantiomer were found to be 0.3 and 0.8%, respectively, at the target TAPP concentration of 1 mg/ml. Robustness was tested using a full factorial design for the following four experimental variables varied at two levels: pH of the BGE, chiral selector concentration in the BGE, phosphoric acid concentration in the BGE, and temperature. The method showed good performance with respect to all of the validation parameters, and proved to be robust to changes in the experimental parameters within the tested domain.

A DNA aptamer as a new target-specific chiral selector for HPLC

In this paper, a DNA aptamer, known to bind stereospecifically the D-enantiomer of an oligopeptide, i.e., arginine-vasopressin, was immobilized on a chromatographic support. The influence of various parameters (such as column temperature, eluent pH, and salt concentration) on the L- and D-peptide retention was investigated in order to provide information about the binding mechanism and then to define the utilization conditions of the aptamer column. The results suggest that dehydration at the binding interface, charge-charge interactions, and adaptive conformational transitions contribute to the specific D-peptide-aptamer complex formation. A very significant enantioselectivity was obtained in the optimal binding conditions, the D-peptide being strongly retained by the column while the L-peptide eluted in the void volume. A rapid baseline separation of peptide enantiomers was also achieved by modulating the elution conditions. Furthermore, it was established that the aptamer column was stable during an extended period of time. This work indicates that DNA aptamers, specifically selected against an enantiomer, could soon become very attractive as new target-specific chiral selectors for HPLC.

Enantioselective ligand exchange in modern separation techniques

As a follow-up to a series of review articles on enantioselective ligand exchange chromatography, the present contribution critically evaluates achievements in this area of active and successful research which have been reported in the scientific since 1992. Also discussed is enantioselective ligand exchange in electromigration techniques which have developed especially fruitfully during the last decade.

Capillary electrophoresis with field-enhanced stacking for rapid and sensitive determination of strychnine and brucine

A new capillary electrophoresis procedure with field-enhanced stacking concentration for the analysis of strychnine and brucine is established. After optimization of the separation and concentration conditions, the two alkaloids can be separated within 5 min and quantified with high sensitivity (The detection limits were 1.0 ng mL(-1) for strychnine and 1.4 ng mL(-1) for brucine). The method was useful for qualitative and quantitative analysis of strychnine and brucine in Strychnos nux-vomica L with recovery of 105.1% for strychnine and 98.4% for brucine.

Comparison of enantioseparations using Cu(II) complexes with L-amino acid amides as chiral selectors or chiral stationary phases by capillary electrophoresis, capillary electrochromatography and micro liquid chromatography

In this paper we report that Cu(II) complexes with L-amino acid amides were used as chiral selectors for enantioseparation by capillary electrophoresis, capillary electrochromatography (CEC) and micro liquid chromatography using chemically modified monolithic columns. The enantioselectivity, enantiomer migration order, and the performance have been compared when different chiral selectors were used in these modes. L-Enantiomers showed longer retention times than D-forms in both CEC and LC modes. However, it has interestingly been observed that the migration order of Dns-DL-Ser showed an exception in CEC using L-prolinamide-modified column that Dns-L-Ser was eluted as the first peak. On the basis of proposed structures of complexes in the chiral recognition, differences in migration orders and recognition mechanism were discussed.

Determination of free L- and D-alanine in hydrolysed protein fertilisers by capillary electrophoresis

of racemisation of hydrolysed protein fertilisers (HPFs) using an The objective of this study was to determine the degree inexpensive and easy to handle analytical method for qualitative control of the products. Using a polyacrylamide coated capillary and a run buffer containing 0.1 M Tris-borate+2.5 mM EDTA-Na2+0.1% sodium dodecylsulfate+10 mM beta-cyclodextrin a quantitative separation of D- and L-alanine (Ala) was made from an not treated HPF sample derivatised with dansyl chlorine by capillary electrophoresis. The D-Ala:[D-Ala+L-Ala] ratio, called degree of racemisation (RD), was calculated. The analysis of ten commercial HPFs has shown that more than 60% of HPFs have an RD > or = 40%. while only one product has shown an RD <5%. These results showed that most of the HPFs on the market are obtained with strong hydrolytic processes and high contents of D-amino acids are probably less effective as plant nutrients or even potentially dangerous to plants.

Determination of D-alanine in the rat central nervous system and periphery using column-switching high-performance liquid chromatography

A column-switching chiral HPLC system for the determination of minute amounts of D-Ala in mammalian tissues has been established. D-Ala and its L-enantiomer are purified as a DL mixture on a micro-ODS column after precolumn fluorescence derivatization with 4-fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole and are introduced to a chiral column to determine each enantiomer. The calibration curve of D-Ala spiked into a rat cerebellum sample is linear from 5 to 5000 fmol with a correlation coefficient of 1.0000. The lower limit of quantitation of D-Ala is 5 fmol (S/N=5). Within-day and day-to-day precisions of spiked D-Ala (15 fmol) are 3.9 and 4.8% (R.S.D), respectively. With this system, the anatomical distribution of free D-Ala in the rat central nervous system and periphery has been investigated. Among the 22 examined tissues of the rat, the highest amount of D-Ala has been observed in the anterior pituitary gland (86.4+/-9.9 nmol/g wet tissue), and the second highest amount has been observed in the pancreas (29.2+/-5.0 nmol/g wet tissue). Postnatal and day-night changes in D-Ala amounts in the anterior pituitary gland have also been studied. The amount of D-Ala is highest at 6 weeks of age and significantly decreases with age, and the amount of D-Ala is significantly higher during the daytime than during the nighttime.

D-Amino acids in mammals and their diagnostic value

Substantial amounts of D-amino acids are present in mammalian tissues; their function, origin and relationship between pathophysiological processes have been of great interest over the last two decades. In the present article, analytical methods including chromatographic, electrophoretic and enzymatic methods to determine D-amino acids in mammalian tissues are reviewed, and the distribution of these D-amino acids in mammals is discussed. An overview of the function, origin and relationship between the amino acids and pathophysiological processes is also given.

Development of enantioselective chemiluminescence flow- and sequential-injection immunoassays for alpha-amino acids

The development of an enantioselective flow-through chemiluminescence immunosensor for amino acids is described. The approach is based on a competitive assay using enantioselective antibodies. Two different instrumental approaches, a flow-injection (FIA) and a sequential-injection system (SIA), are used. Compared to the flow-injection technique, the sequential injection-mode showed better repeatability. Both systems use an immunoreactor consisting of a flow cell packed with immobilized haptens. The haptens (4-amino-L- or D-phenylalanine) are immobilized onto a hydroxysuccinimide-activated polymer (Affi-prep 10) via a tyramine spacer. Stereoselective antibodies, raised against 4-amino-L- or D-phenylalanine, are labeled with an acridinium ester. Stereoselective inhibition of binding of the acridinum-labeled antibodies to the immobilized hapten by amino acids takes place. Chiral recognition was observed not only for the hapten molecule but also for a series of different amino acids. One assay cycle including regeneration takes 6:30 min in the FIA mode and 4:40 min in the SIA mode. Using D-phenylalanine as a sample, the detection limit was found to be 6.13 pmol/ml (1.01 ng/ml) for the flow-injection immunoassay (FIIA) and 1.76 pmol/ml (0.29 ng/ml ) for the sequential-injection immunoassay (SIIA) which can be lowered to 0.22 pmol/ml (0.036 ng/ml) or 0.064 pmol/ml (0.01 ng/ml) by using a stopped flow system. The intra-assay repeatability was found to be about 5% RSD and the inter-assay repeatability below 6% (within 3 days).

Chiral analysis of biogenic DL-amino acids derivatized by urethane - protected alpha-amino acid N-carboxyanhydride using capillary zone electrophoresis and micellar electrokinetic chromatography

A new analytical method for enantioselective separation of DL-amino acids derivatized by N-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-L-alanyl N-carboxyanhydride (FMOC-L-Ala-NCA) using capillary electrophoresis was developed. Separation parameters, such as composition and pH of the background electrolyte, and concentration of gamma-cyclodextrin (in capillary zone electrophoresis) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (in micellar electrokinetic chromatography) were optimized. The separation method was validated and it suits well for purity analysis. Detection limit of the method was 0.2% of the minor enantiomer in the major one. The level of racemization in coupling during solid-phase peptide synthesis was studied using capillary electrophoresis with gamma-cyclodextrin as a chiral selector. The anchorage of the first (C-terminal) amino acid derivative to the solid supports bearing the hydroxylic groups is the key step of the synthesis affecting the extent of its racemization. FMOC-L-phenylalanine was chosen as the suitable model amino acid derivative making it possible to study the degree of racemization of N-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-L-alanine-L-phenylalanine synthesized on different polymer resins, using the different condensation agents.

Studies on the chiral recognition of peptide enantiomers by neutral and sulfated beta-cyclodextrin and heptakis-(2,3-di-O-acetyl)-beta-cyclodextrin using capillary electrophoresis and nuclear magnetic resonance

The separation of dipeptide and tripeptide enantiomers using a neutral single isomer cyclodextrin (CD) derivative, heptakis-(2,3-di-O-acetyl)-beta-CD (DIAC-beta-CD), was investigated with respect to the amino acid sequence applying standard separation conditions. With only one exception the DD-enantiomers migrated faster than the LL-stereoisomers. Separations obtained for the same set of peptides using beta-CD and the sulfated single isomer derivatives heptakis-(2,3-di-O-acetyl-6-sulfo)-beta-CD (HDAS-beta-CD) and heptakis-6-sulfo-beta-CD (HS-beta-CD) revealed identical enantiomer migration order in the presence of the 2,3-disubstituted derivatives DIAC-beta-CD and HDAS-beta-CD. In contrast, reversed migration sequence was found for beta-CD and HS-beta-CD compared to DIAC-beta CD and HDAS-beta-CD indicating the importance of the substitution pattern on the wider rim of the CD cavity on the chiral recognition of the peptide enantiomers by the CDs. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments indicated different complexation modes between the enantiomers and the CDs depending on the presence of acetyl substituents on the wider rim of the CD torus. Thus, the CD-induced chemical shifts observed in samples containing Ala-Phe or Ala-Tyr and beta-CD or HS-beta-CD were consistent with an inclusion of the aromatic moiety into the CD cavity. Although the CD-induced chemical shifts in the presence of DIAC-beta-CD and HDAS-beta-CD did not allow direct conclusions on the complexation mode they substantially differed from those observed in the presence of 2,3-unsubstituted CDs indicating different structures of the peptide-CD complexes.

Chiral separation of amino acids derivatized with fluoresceine-5isothiocyanate by capillary electrophoresis and laser-induced fluorescence detection using mixed selectors of beta-cyclodextrin and sodium taurocholate

Chiral separation of 20 pairs of amino acids derivatized with fluoresceine-5-isothiocyanate (FITC) by capillary electrophoresis and laser-induced fluorescence detection was studied using the mixture of beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) and sodium taurocholate (STC) as selector. Resolution was considerably superior to that obtained by using either beta-CD or STC alone. The molar ratio of beta-CD to STC of about 2:3 was found to be critical to achieve maximum separation. At this beta-CD-to-STC ratio, chiral separation occurred at really low total concentration of beta-CD and STC (<0.1 mM). Other impacting factors were investigated including the total concentration of beta-CD and STC, pH, and capillary conditioning procedure between two successive runs. Using a running buffer of 80 mM borate containing 20 mM beta-CD and 30 mM STC at pH 9.3, all of the 20 pairs of FITC-amino acid enantiomers were baseline resolved. The resolutions of the most pairs of the amino acid enantiomers (17 of 20) were higher than 3.0, only three pairs gave a resolution lower than 3.0 but higher than 1.90 (beta-phenylserine, pSer). The highest resolution reached 14.58 (Glu). Two derivatives of beta-CD, 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-CD (HP-beta-CD) and heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl)-beta-CD (DM-beta-CD) were also explored. HP-beta-CD showed similar cooperative effect with STC, while DM-beta-CD together with STC led to poorer chiral separation.

Selected fundamental aspects of chiral electromigration techniques and their application to pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

While capillary electrophoresis has been established as a major enantioseparation technique within the last decade, the potential of capillary electrochromatography is still studied extensively. This review summarizes recent applications of electromigration techniques with regard to the enantioseparation of chiral drugs. The first part discusses the general aspects of migration models and the enantiomer migration order. The application of capillary electrophoresis to chiral pharmaceutical analysis considers recent literature on: (1) chiral resolutions of non-racemic mixtures of enantiomers for the development of assays and the determination of the stereochemical purity of the drugs, (2) chiral separations of compounds in pharmaceutical formulations and products, and (3) enantioseparations of drugs in biological samples. A shorter section devoted to chiral electrochromatography discusses some fundamental aspects as well as the application to the chiral analysis of drugs including bioanalysis.

pKa values of peptides in aqueous and aqueous-organic media. Prediction of chromatographic and electrophoretic behaviour

In the present work, models describing the effect of the pH on the chromatographic and electrophoretic behaviour for polyprotic peptides were compared. The proposed models can be simultaneously used for determination of dissociation constants and selection of the optimum pH for the separation of peptides, in water and acetonitrile-water mixtures widely used in liquid chromatography and in capillary electrophoresis. The models use the pH value measured in the acetonitrile-water mixture instead of the pH value in water and take into account the effect of the activity coefficients. They permit the determination of the acidity constants in the aqueous and hydro-organic mobile phase from chromatographic retention and electrophoretic migration measurements, respectively. The values obtained by both proposed techniques agree with the potentiometric values previously determined. The suitability of the proposed models for predicting chromatographic and electrophoretic behaviour of compounds studied from a limited number of experimental data was also compared. The separation between solutes by both techniques in a complex mixture can be easily predicted, making simple and rapid pH selection to achieve optimum separation.

Migration behavior of therapeutic peptide hormones: prediction of optimal separation by capillary electrophoresis

A general equation that relates electrophoretic mobility of polyprotic peptide substances and pH of the running electrolytes is established, taking into account the species in solution and the activity coefficients. Modelling electrophoretic mobility as a function of pH can be simultaneously used for determination of ionization constants and selection of the optimum pH for separation of mixtures of the modelled compounds. The proposed relationships allow an important reduction of the experimental data needed for development of new separation methods. The accuracy of the proposed equations is verified by modelling the migration behavior of a heterogeneous series of polyprotic amphoteric peptide hormones. By calculating the values of predicted resolutions, selection of the optimum pH to perform separation of their mixtures becomes a rapid and simple process.

Recent advances in capillary electrophoresis of peptides

The article gives a comprehensive review on the recent developments in the applications of high-performance capillary electromigration methods, including zone electrophoresis, isotachophoresis, isoelectric focusing, affinity electrophoresis, electrokinetic chromatography and electrochromatography, to analysis, preparation and physicochemical characterization of peptides. The article presents new approaches to the theoretical description and experimental verification of electromigration behavior of peptides, and covers the methodological aspects of capillary electroseparations of peptides, such as strategy and rules for the rational selection of separation mode and experimental conditions, sample treatment, suppression of peptide adsorption to the inner capillary wall, new developments in individual separation modes and new designs of detection systems. Several types of applications of capillary electromigration methods to peptide analysis are presented: conventional qualitative and quantitative analysis for determination of purity, determination in biomatrices, monitoring of physical and chemical changes and enzymatic conversions, amino acid and sequence analysis and peptide mapping of proteins. Some examples of micropreparative peptide separations are given and capabilities of capillary electromigration techniques to provide important physicochemical characteristics of peptides are demonstrated.

Recent advances in amino acid analysis by capillary electrophoresis

Amino acids are studied extensively using capillary electrophoresis. In this review we will report the different researchs which have been done in the literature since 1998. We will describe the developments of, detection methods, separations of enantiomers, the new medical applications, and amino acids in food and plants.

Method development and validation for the chiral separation of peptides in the presence of cyclodextrins using capillary electrophoresis and experimental design

The present study describes the application of statistical experimental design to the optimization of enantioselective separations of peptides in capillary electrophoresis in order to obtain optimal operating conditions for routine work. Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin was used as chiral selector and Ala-PheOMe as model peptide. The experiments were performed according to a face centered cube response surface experimental design for obtaining information how the factors such as concentration of the chiral selector, pH, buffer concentration and voltage affected the two response goals, resolution and analysis time. In order to achieve the simultaneous optimization of these two major electrophoretic performance goals for efficient and fast separation, the Derringer desirability functions were tested. While in the predefined experiments the analysis time for baseline separation was 25 min the desirability functions proposed a CE method, which diminished the analysis time and permitted the complete separation of the peptide enantiomers within 9 min.

Fundamental aspects of chiral separations by capillary electrophoresis

A review is presented that surveys the basic theory of direct separation of enantiomers by capillary electrophoretic (CE) techniques. These separations are based on the formation of diastereomeric complexes between the enantiomeric analytes and a chiral selector added to the electrolyte solution. The review covers a comprehensive treatment of the equations needed for optimization of selectivity coefficients, resolution and analysis time in the zone electrophoretic mode. In this context, it takes into account combined equilibria of complexation and protonation/deprotonation as well as complexation and paritition into micelles. On the basis of these equations, the benefits of charged selectors and the optimization potential inherent to pH tuning can be documented. In addition, the review deals with some basic aspects of chiral isoelectric focusing and briefly discusses indirect enantioseparation. In a subsequent section a survey is given on particularfeatures of the various types of chiral selectors. Finally, the recent developments in preparative enantioseparation in continuous free-flow system and by use of isoelectric membranes are discussed.

Influence of the amino acid sequence and nature of the cyclodextrin on the separation of small peptide enantiomers by capillary electrophoresis using randomly substituted and single isomer sulfated and sulfonated cyclodextrins

The separation of dipeptide and tripeptide enantiomers using negatively charged single isomers as well as randomly sulfated and sulfonated cyclodextrins (CDs) was investigated with respect to the amino acid sequence of the peptides and the nature of the CDs. Standardized conditions concerning buffer pH and molarity, CD concentration, and separation voltage were applied. Compared to suffobutylether-beta-CD and heptakis-(2,3-dimethyl-6-sulfato)-beta-CD, randomly sulfated beta-CD as well as the single isomer derivatives heptakis-6-sulfato-beta-CD and heptakis-(2,3-diacetyl-6-sulfato)-beta-CD were the more universal CDs for enantioseparations. The enantiomer migration order depended to a greater extent on the CD than on the amino acid sequence of the peptide although small structural differences such as formation of a peptide amide or ester affected the chiral recognition by the randomly substituted CD derivatives. Using sulfobutylether-beta-CD or heptakis-(2,3-diacetyl-6-sulfato)-beta-CD the DD enantiomers migrated before the LL enantiomers for most peptides while the opposite migration order, i.e. LL before DD, was observed when heptakis-6-sulfato-beta-CD was applied as chiral selector.

Electrophoretic behavior of peptides in capillary electrophoresis influence of ionic strength and pH in aqueous-organic media

Through correct pH, pKa and activity coefficients values, a model describing the effect of pH on electrophoretic mobility of substances has been applied to a series of peptides in water and in acetonitrile-water mixtures. The derived equations permit prediction of the optimum pH for the electrophoretic separation from only a few experimental values and they also permit determination of pKa values of analytes in the aqueous-organic media employed. Furthermore, the electrophoretic resolution between pairs of substances can be predicted, in order to evaluate electrophoretic separations of the studied peptides.

Chemometric modeling of neurotransmitter amino acid separation in normal and reversed migration micellar electrokinetic chromatography

A chemometric experimental design has been applied for the optimization of neurotransmitter amino acid separation in capillary electrophoresis. The optimizations were carried out for normal micellar electrokinetic chromatography (N-MEKC) and reversed migration micellar electrokinetic chromatography (RM-MEKC). In order to optimize three separation factors and study the interaction between factors, a response function was optimized via searching its optimum (minimum/maximum). For this purpose a central composite design with multivariate linear regression (MLR) analysis was utilized. Modeling with good regression coefficients from the MLR adequately described the interaction of factors such as background electrolyte and sodium dodecylsulfate concentrations which had a large impact on selectivity and migration behaviors. Similar optimal conditions regarding resolution and number of theoretical plates but different retention behaviors as a function of background electrolyte and micellar concentrations were observed for N-MEKC and RM-MEKC. Improved overall performance from the RM-MEKC separation of five neurotransmitter acids, superior to N-MEKC, is demonstrated in terms of repeatability, peak symmetry, sensitivity, and in particular, impurity determination in an overloaded separation system.

Separation of dipeptide and tripeptide enantiomers in capillary electrophoresis using carboxymethyl-beta-cyclodextrin and succinyl-beta-cyclodextrin: influence of the amino acid sequence, nature of the cyclodextrin and pH

The separation of the LL and DD enantiomers of dipeptides and tripeptides using cyclodextrins (CDs) containing carboxyl groups was investigated with respect to the amino acid sequence of the peptides, the nature of the cyclodextrin and the buffer pH. Compared to succinyl-beta-cyclodextrin, carboxymethyl-beta-cyclodextrin was the more universal CD for enantioseparations. Reversal of the enantiomer migration order upon increasing the buffer pH from 2.5 to 3.5 was observed in some cases. As shown for Phe-Phe reversal of the migration order also occurred between pH 3.5 and 5.3. Complexation constants and complex mobilities change with pH as both, the charge of the peptide and the charge of the CD vary depending on the pH. The complexation constants and complex mobilities of the dipeptides Ala-Phe and Phe-Phe were determined in order to explain the enantiomer migration behavior in the pH range 2.5-5.3. While the complexation constants determined the migration order at pH 2.5 and 5.3, complex mobility had a strong influence around pH 3.5-3.8.

Separation of monomethyl-benz[a]anthracene isomers using cyclodextrin-modified electrokinetic chromatography

Cyclodextrin-modified electrokinetic chromatography (CD-EKC) was investigated for the separation of 12 monomethylbenz[a]anthracene (MBA) isomers. Combined use of a polymeric surfactant, poly(sodium 10-undecenyl sulfate) (poly-SUS), with various types of neutral cyclodextrins (CDs) [beta-CD, gamma-CD, dimethyl-beta-CD (DM-beta-CD), trimethyl-beta-CD (TM-beta-CD) and hydroxypropyl-beta-CD (HP-beta-CD)] were successful in CD-EKC separation of the MBA isomers. Baseline resolution of 10 of the 12 isomers, except for 9-MBA and 2-MBA, was achieved with gamma-CD at pH 9.75. The beta-CD, gamma-CD, and beta-CD derivatives (DM-beta-CD, TM-beta-CD, HP-beta-CD) were found to have different resolution and selectivity. Additionally, the tR/t0 values of isomers were found to be dependent on the type and concentration of the CD additives. In general, tR/t0 values of MBA isomers decrease with an increase in the concentration of beta-CD derivatives, whereas the reversed was true when the concentrations of native beta-CD and gamma-CD were varied. The combination of 5 mM gamma-CD, 0.5% (w/v) poly-SUS, 35% (v/v) acetonitrile at a pH of 9.75 provided the best selectivity and resolution of the MBA isomers with a separation time of 110 min. However, the use of 30 mM DM-beta-CD under similar EKC conditions resulted in much faster separation (ca. 16 min) of 10 MBA isomers.