Chiral separation of propranolol by electrokinetic chromatography using nanodiamonds and human serum albumin as a pseudo-stationary phase in river water

Propranolol is currently considered as an emerging contaminant in water bodies. In this study, R- and S-propranolol were determined in river samples by electrokinetic chromatography (EKC) using nanodiamonds (NDs) and human serum albumin (HSA) as a pseudo-stationary phase in order to achieve enantioseparation. Previously, river samples were preconcentrated using a column filled with Amberlite® IR-120 and Dowex® 50WX8 resins. The setting up of influential factors such as temperature, voltage, pH, and HSA and NDs concentration is accurately described along this manuscript. A multivariate study and optimization was carried out to obtain the enantioseparation of propranolol (Rs = 2.91), which was reached under the following experimental conditions: voltage of 16 kV, temperature of 16°C, phosphate buffer pH 9.5, NDs of 0.20%, and HSA of 15 μmol l-1 . The recoveries of analytes under optimal conditions were higher than 98%. The limits of detection were 0.85 μg l-1 for R- and S-propranolol. The method was applied to real samples, and the obtained results in three different water sources studied were 1.02, 0.59, and 0.30 μg l-1 for the R-enantiomer and 0.99, 0.54, and 0.28 μg l-1 for the S-enantiomer. The accuracy of the proposed methodology (including bias and precision) has allowed us to propose it as a successful tool for the control of water quality.

Capillary electrochromatography-mass spectrometry of kynurenine pathway metabolites

Few articles are reported for the simultaneous separation and sensitive detection of the kynurenine pathway (KP) metabolites. This work describes a capillary electrochromatography-mass spectrometry (CEC-MS) method using acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS) functionalized stationary phase. The AMPS column was prepared by first performing silanization of bare silica with gamma-maps, followed by polymerization with AMPS. The CEC-MS/MS methods were established for six upstream and three downstream KP metabolites. The simultaneous separation of all nine KP metabolites is achieved without derivatization for the first time in the open literature. Numerous parameters such as pH and the concentration of background electrolyte, the concentration of the polymerizable AMPS monomer, column length, field strength, and internal pressure were all tested to optimize the separation of multiple KP metabolites. A baseline separation of six upstream metabolites, namely tryptophan (TRP), kynurenine (KYN), 3-hydroxykynurenine (HKYN), kynurenic acid (KA), anthranilic acid (AA), and xanthurenic acid (XA), was possible at pH 9.25 within 26 min. Separation of six downstream and related metabolites, namely: tryptamine (TRPM), hydroxy‑tryptophan (HTRP), hydroxyindole-3 acetic acid (HIAA), 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3-HAA), picolinic acid (PA), and quinolinic acid (QA), was achieved at pH 9.75 in 30 min. However, the challenging simultaneous separation of all nine KP metabolites was only accomplished by increasing the column length and simultaneous application of internal pressure and voltage in 114 min. Quantitation of KP metabolites in commercial human plasma was carried out, and endogenous concentration of five KP metabolites was validated. The experimental limit of quantitation ranges from 100 to 10,000 nM (S/N = 8-832, respectively), whereas the experimental limit of detection ranges from 31 to 1000 nM (S/N = 2-16, respectively). Levels of five major KP metabolites, namely TRP, KYN, KA, AA, and QA, and their ratios in patient plasma samples previously screened for inflammatory biomarkers [C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)] was measured. Pairs of the level of metabolites with significant positive correlation were statistically evaluated.

Synthesis and Chiral Separation of Some 4-thioflavones

A thionation reaction was performed on some chiral flavanones using Lawesson's reagent (LR) and leads to the formation of new chiral thiocarbonyl flavanes. LR in this thionation reaction with Hesperetin and Naringenin gives new flavan-4-thiones with yields ranged between 41 and 52%. Based on the Wittig reaction principle, LR is currently the most widely used reagent for this type of reaction. Enantiomeric separation by high-performance liquid chromatography methods was then set-up using three different polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases (CSPs). Chiral separations were successfully accomplished with high resolution (1.22 ≤ Rs ≤ 5.23). The chiral discrimination mechanism(s) between the analytes under study, mobile phase, and the CSPs were discussed.

In Silico Prediction of the Thermodynamic Equilibrium of Solute Partition in Multiphase Complex Fluids: A Case Study of Oil-Water Microemulsion

Multiphase complex fluids such as micelles, microemulsions, and dispersions are ubiquitous in product formulations of foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and fine chemicals. Quantifying how active solutes partition in the microstructure of such multiphase fluids is necessary for designing formulations that can optimally deliver the benefits of functional actives. In this paper, we at first predict the structure of a heptane/butanol/sodium dodecyl sulfate droplet in water that self-assembled to form a microemulsion through the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and subsequently investigate the thermodynamic equilibrium of solute partitioning using COSMOmic. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the MD/COSMOmic approach is used for predicting solute partitioning in a microemulsion. The predicted partition coefficients are compared to experimental values derived from retention measurements of the same microemulsion. We show that the experimental data of droplet-water partition coefficients (K_droplet/w) can be reliably predicted by the method that combines MD simulations with COSMOmic.

One-step fabrication of cinchona-based hybrid monolithic chiral stationary phases via photo-initiated thiol-ene polymerization for cLC enantioseparation

Although various click polymerization reactions (thiol-ene, thiol-yne, thiol-Michael, thiol-epoxy and amine-epoxy) have been utilized to prepare either hybrid or organic monolithic columns with homogeneous network structures, there were few reports on fabrication of monolithic CSPs via click polymerization. Herein, a fast and robust approach was explored to fabricate cinchona-based monolithic hybrid CSPs via photo-initiated thiol-ene polymerization within 10 min in one step. A self-synthesized octakis(3-mercaptopropyl) octasilsesquioxane (POSS-SH) was polymerized with phenylisocyanate cinchonidine (PCD) and (+)-N,N'-diallyl-L-tartardiamide (DATDA) or 1,2,4-trivinylcyclohexane (TVCH). The resulting two kinds of as-synthesized monolithic CSPs, poly(POSS-co-DATDA-co-PCD) and poly(POSS-co-TVCH-co-PCD), were evaluated for cLC enantioseparation of acidic racemates. It was found that they exhibited different enantioseparation ability due to using different multivinyl crosslinkers. The influence of ACN content in mobile phase on the enantioseparation of acidic racemates was investigated. The separation mechanism was also discussed on the basis of a comparison of enantioseparation on two kinds of hybrid monolithic CSPs.

Quality by design-assisted development of a capillary electrophoresis method for the chiral purity determination of dexmedetomidine

Dexmedetomidine is a selective α₂ -adrenergic agonist used for patient sedation, while its enantiomer levomedetomidine has no sedative effects. As CE has been shown to be a powerful technique for enantiomer analysis, the aim of the study was the quality by design-based development of a CE-based limit test for the enantiomeric impurity levomedetomidine. The analytical target profile was defined that the method should be able to determine levomedetomidine with acceptable precision and accuracy at the 0.1% level. From initial scouting experiments, sulfated β-cyclodextrin was selected as chiral selector. The critical process parameters were identified in a fractional factorial resolution V+ design, while a central composite face centered design and Monte Carlo simulations were used for defining the design space of the method. The selected working conditions were a 21.3/31.5 cm, 50 μm id fused-silica capillary, a 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 6.5, containing 40 mg/mL sulfated β-cyclodextrin, a capillary temperature of 17°C and an applied voltage of 10 kV. Validation according to the ICH guideline Q2(R1) demonstrated repeatability and intermediate precision of content and migration time between 9.3 and 4.2% with accuracy in the range of 92.0 and 98.9%.

Development of a capillary electrophoresis method for the determination of the chiral purity of dextromethorphan by a dual selector system using quality by design methodology

Dextromethorphan is a centrally acting antitussive drug, while its enantiomer levomethorphan is an illicit drug with opioid analgesic effects. As capillary electrophoresis has been proven as an ideal technique for enantiomer analysis, the present study was conducted in order to develop a capillary electrophoresis-based limit test for levomethorphan. The analytical target profile was defined as a method that should be able to determine levomethorphan with acceptable precision and accuracy at the 0.1 % level. From initial scouting experiments, a dual selector system consisting of sulfated β-cyclodextrin and methyl-α-cyclodextrin was identified. The critical process parameters were evaluated in a fractional factorial resolution IV design followed by a central composite face-centered design and Monte Carlo simulations for defining the design space of the method. The selected working conditions consisted of a 30/40.2 cm, 50 μm id fused-silica capillary, 30 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 6.5, 16 mg/mL sulfated β-cyclodextrin, and 14 mg/mL methyl-α-cyclodextrin at 20°C and 20 kV. The method was validated according to ICH guideline Q2(R1) and applied to the analysis of a capsule formulation. Furthermore, the apparent binding constants between the enantiomers and the cyclodextrins as well as complex mobilities were determined to understand the migration behavior of the analytes.

Separation of atropisomers by chiral liquid chromatography and thermodynamic analysis of separation mechanism

In the pharmaceutical industry, the analysis of atropisomers is of considerable interest from a scientific and regulatory perspective. The compound of interest contains two stereogenic axes due to the hindered rotation around the single bonds connecting the aryl groups, which results in four potential configurational isomers (atropisomers). The separation of the four atropisomers is achieved on a derivatized β-cyclodextrin bonded stationary phase. Further investigation shows that low temperature conditions, including sample preparation (−70 °C), sample storage (−70 °C), and chromatographic separation (6 °C), were critical to preventing interconversion. LC-UV-Laser Polarimetric analysis identified peak 1/2 as a pair of enantiomers and peak 3/4 as another. Thermodynamic analysis of the retention data indicated that the separation of the pairs of enantiomers is primarily enthalpy controlled as indicated by the positive slope of the van’t Huff plot. The difference in absolute Δ (Δ H), ranged from 2.20 kJ/mol to 2.42 kJ/mol.

Spreading of Thin Droplets of Perfect and Leaky Dielectric Liquids on Inclined Surfaces

The spreading of droplets may be influenced by electric fields, a situation that is relevant to applications such as coating, printing, and microfluidics. In this work we study the effects of an electric field on the gravity-driven spreading of two-dimensional droplets down an inclined plane. We consider both perfect and leaky dielectric liquids, as well as perfectly and partially wetting systems. In addition to the effects of electric fields, we examine the use of thermocapillary forces to suppress the growth of the capillary ridge near the droplet front. Lubrication theory is applied to generate a set of coupled partial differential equations for interfacial height and charge, which are then solved numerically with a finite-difference method. Electric fields increase the height of the capillary ridge in both perfect and leaky dielectric droplets due to electrostatic pressure gradients that drive liquid into the ridge. In leaky dielectrics, large interfacial charge gradients in the contact-line region create shear stresses that also enhance ridge growth and the formation of trailing minor ridges. The coalescence of these ridges can significantly affect the long-time thinning rate of leaky dielectric droplets. In partially wetting liquids, electric fields promote the splitting of smaller droplets from the primary droplet near the receding contact line due to the interplay between electrostatic forces and disjoining pressure. Cooling from below and heating from above generates thermocapillary forces that counteract the effects of electric fields and suppress the growth of the capillary ridge. The results of this work have important implications for manipulating the spreading of droplets down inclined surfaces.

Enantiomer Separations by Capillary Electrophoresis

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a versatile and flexible technique for analytical enantioseparations. This is due to the large variety of chiral selectors as well as the different operation modes including electrokinetic chromatography, micellar electrokinetic chromatography, and microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography. The chiral selector, which is added to the background electrolyte, represents a pseudostationary phase with its own electrophoretic mobility allowing a variety of different separation protocols. The present chapter briefly addresses the basic fundamentals of CE enantioseparations as well as the most frequently applied chiral selectors and separation modes. The practical example illustrates the separation of the enantiomers of a positively charged analyte using native and charged cyclodextrin derivatives as chiral selectors.

Recent advances in capillary electrophoretic migration techniques for pharmaceutical analysis

Since the introduction about 30 years ago, CE techniques have gained a significant impact in pharmaceutical analysis. The present review covers recent advances and applications of CE for the analysis of pharmaceuticals. Both small molecules and biomolecules such as proteins are considered. The applications range from the determination of drug-related substances to the analysis of counterions and the determination of physicochemical parameters. Furthermore, general considerations of CE methods in pharmaceutical analysis are described.

Enantioseparation of dansyl amino acids and dipeptides by chiral ligand exchange capillary electrophoresis based on Zn(II)-L-hydroxyproline complexes coordinating with γ-cyclodextrins

A chiral ligand exchange capillary electrophoresis (CLE-CE) method using Zn(II) as the central ion and L-4-hydroxyproline as the chiral ligand coordinating with γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) was developed for the enantioseparation of amino acids (AAs) and dipeptides. The effects of various separation parameters, including the pH of the running buffer, the ratio of Zn(II) to L-4-hydroxyproline, the concentration of complexes and cyclodextrins (CDs) were systematically investigated. After optimization, it has been found that eight pairs of labeled AAs and six pairs of labeled dipeptides could be baseline-separated with a running electrolyte of 100.0mM boric acid, 5.0mM ammonium acetate, 3.0mM Zn(II), 6.0mM L-hydroxyproline and 4.0mM γ-CD at pH 8.2. The quantitation of AAs and dipeptides was conducted and good linearity (r(2)≥0.997) and favorable repeatability (RSD≤3.6%) were obtained. Furthermore, the proposed method was applied in determining the enantiomeric purity of AAs and dipeptides. Meanwhile, the possible enantiorecognition mechanism based on the synergistic effect of chiral metal complexes and γ-CD was explored and discussed briefly.

High-performance enantiomer separation of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) by 3 μm reversed-phase chiral columns and application to the optical purity testing of naproxen drug substances and its formulations

The enantiomer separation of five nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, ketoprofen (KP) and naproxen (NX), which are included in The Japanese Pharmacopoeia 16th edition (JP16), was investigated by employing four kinds of 3 μm reversed-phase chiral columns (AD-3R, AS-3R, OD-3R and OJ-3R). Except for KP, the enantiomers of four NSAIDs were successfully separated by one of the four columns. Among five NSAIDs, only NX has been used as a single enantiomer (S-form, active form) in the clinical field (JP16); therefore, optical purity testing method of NX is required for its quality evaluation. Among four CSPs, the method was developed by using an AS-3R column, which showed good enantioselectivity for NX enantiomers. By optimizing the conditions, the resolution (Rs) of 2.55 was obtained for NX enantiomers within approximately 6 min. The minor enantiomer R-form eluted before the main active enantiomer S-form. Finally, the developed method was applied to the optical purity testing of NX active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and its formulations (tablet and capsule). Other than the minor enantiomer (R-form, inactive form, 0.21 - 0.78%), normal (not chiral) impurities at levels of 0.01-0.3% were simultaneously separated and determined by the method, showing an excellent separation capability of the method for those impurities including the minor enantiomer. The content uniformity test of the NX tablet according to JP16 was also successfully performed by the method with the AS-3R column. Normal phase separation with two chiral columns (AD-H and OD-H) and capillary electrophoretic (CE) separation were also investigated for five NSAIDs enantiomers to discuss the enantioselectivity.

Improved separation and detection of picolinic acid and quinolinic acid by capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry: application to analysis of human cerebrospinal fluid

"Quinolinic acid (QA)", a metabolite of the kynurenine pathway (KP), is implicated as a major neurological biomarker, which causes inflammatory disorders, whereas there is an increase evidence of the role of picolinic acid (PA) in neuroinflammation. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new clinical test for early diagnosis of neuroinflammatory disorders. A comparison is made between three different platforms such as high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS), nano LC-Chip/ESI-MS/MS, as well as the use of cationic (quaternary ammonium) and anionic (sulfonated) coated capillaries in capillary electrophoresis (CE)-ESI-MS/MS. The comparison revealed that CE-ESI-MS/MS method using a quaternary ammonium coated capillary is the best method for analysis of PA and QA. A simple stacking procedure by the inclusion of acetonitrile in the artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample was employed to improve the peak shape and sensitivity of KP metabolites in CE-ESI-MS/MS. The developed CE-ESI-MS/MS assay provided high resolution, high specificity and high sensitivity with a total analysis time including sample preparation of nearly 12 min. In addition, excellent intra-day and inter-day repeatability of migration times and peak areas of the metabolites were observed with respective relative standard deviation (RSD) of less than 2.0% and 2.5%. Somewhat broader variations in repeatability for a 3 independently prepared coated capillary (total 35 runs each) with % RSD up to 3.8% and 5.8% was observed for migration time and peak areas, respectively. Artificial CSF was used as a surrogate matrix to simultaneously generate calibration curves over a concentration range of 0.02-10 μM for PA and 0.4-40 μM for QA. The method was then successfully applied to analyze PA and QA in human CSF, demonstrating the potential of this CE-ESI-MS/MS method to accurately quantitate with high specificity and sensitivity.

Application of antibiotics as chiral selectors for capillary electrophoretic enantioseparation of pharmaceuticals: a review

Recent years have witnessed several new trends in chiral separation, for example, the enantiorecognition ability of several new antibiotics has been explored using capillary electrophoresis (CE) prior to HPLC; antibiotics have been employed as chiral selectors (CSs) in a nonaqueous CE (NACE) mode; and several new detection techniques (namely, capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection) have been used in combination with CE for quantification of enantiomers. On account of these emerging trends, this article aims to review the application of various classes of antibiotics for CE enantioseparation of pharmaceuticals. A detailed account of the basic factors affecting enantioseparation, certain limitations of antibiotics as CSs and strategies to mitigate them, and advantages of NACE while using antibiotics as CSs has also been presented.