Enantiomeric separation of alanyl and leucyl dipeptides by capillary electrophoresis with cyclodextrins as chiral selectors

Rapid discrimination of enantiomers by ion mobility mass spectrometry and chemical theoretical calculation: Chiral mandelic acid and its derivatives

Because R/S-mandelic acids (MA) and their derivatives are critical starting materials or intermediates in the synthesis of chiral drugs, their chirality discrimination is important. In this study, R/S-MA and its derivatives, including R/S-2-phenylpropionic acid (2-PPA), R/S-methoxyphenylaceticacid (MPA), and R/S-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyric acid (HPBA), were accurate simultaneous mobility-discriminated by forming diastereomer complexes for the first time, which were obtained by simply mixing with cyclodextrins (α, β, γ-CD) and transition-metal ions (Mn²⁺, Fe²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Zn²⁺). The mass spectra revealed non-covalent diastereomer complexes formed by CD, enantiomers, and metal ions, and ion-mobility spectrometry (IMS) was performed for 109 pairs of complexes. Significant chiral discrimination was observed in the formed diastereomeric complexes, and their separation peak-to-peak resolution (R_p-p) for the enantiomers depended on the transition metal ion type. In most cases, the R_p-p value gradually increases with CD size, with quaternary complexes having the largest R_p-p value. The greatest chiral distinctions of 2-PPA, MA, MPA, and HPBA were obtained by the diastereomeric complex ions of [(2-PPA)(α)₂+Zn²⁺-H]⁺, [(MA)(α)₂+Zn²⁺-H]⁺, [(MPA)₂(β)+Co²⁺-H]⁺, and [(HPBA)(α)₂+Fe²⁺-H]⁺, with R_p-p values of 1.35, 1.57, 1.70, and 0.71, respectively. Furthermore, the favorable conformation and collisional cross section (CCS) value of the different [CD + R/S-MA + Cu-H]⁺ complexes were measured using chemical theoretical calculations to detail their intermolecular interaction, revealing that [α-CD + R/S-MA + Cu-H]⁺ has two favored gas complexes, and the CCS calculated were consistent with the TIMS observed. In addition, R² > 0.99 was obtained for the relative quantification of the chiral enantiomers. Overall, the proposed method provides a promising strategy for distinguishing the enantiomers of MA and their derivatives, with the advantages of simplicity, speed, and accuracy, without the need for complex chemical derivatization or chromatographic separation.

Enantiomeric resolution of multiple chiral centres racemates by capillary electrophoresis

Enantiomeric resolution of multichiral centre racemates is an important area as some multichiral centre racemates are of great medicinal importance. However, enantioseparation of such types of racemates is a challenging task. Amongst many analytical techniques, capillary electrophoresis is a powerful technique and may be used to resolve such racemates. Only few papers are available describing enantiomeric resolution of such racemates. Therefore, efforts have been made to describe the enantiomeric resolution of multichiral centre racemates by capillary electrophoresis. This article discusses the importance of multichiral racemates, the need for capillary electrophoresis in enantiomeric resolution and chiral resolution of multichiral centre racemates using various chiral selectors. Further, attempts have been made to discuss the future challenges and prospects of enantiomeric resolution of multichiral racemates. The various chiral selectors used for the purpose are chiral crown ether, cyclodextrins, polysaccharides, macrocyclic glycopeptide antibiotics and ligand exchange.

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.

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.

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 developments in chiral capillary electrophoresis and applications of this technique to pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

This paper provides an overview of the current status of chiral capillary electrophoresis (CE). The emphasis is placed on the application of CE in chiral separation of various racemic compounds. During the last two years about 280 papers, several review articles, and two entire issues, edited by S. Fanali (Electrophoresis 1999, 20, 2577-2798, and H. Nishi and S. Terabe (J. Chromatogr. A 2000, 879, 1-471.) have been devoted to chiral CE. Enantiomeric separations of various compounds, e.g., pharmaceuticals, drug candidates, drugs and related metabolites in biological fluids, amino acids, di- and tri peptides, pesticides and fungicides, have been performed using different chiral selectors. Native and derivatized cyclodextrins continue to be the most widely used chiral selectors. Other chiral selectors such as natural and synthetic chiral micelles, crown ethers, chiral ligands, proteins, oligo- and polysaccharides, and macrocyclic antibiotics have also been applied to chiral CE separations.

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.

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.