Recent advances in capillary electrophoretic migration techniques for pharmaceutical analysis (2013-2015): CE and CEC

Analytical quality by design-based development of a capillary electrophoresis method for Omeprazole impurity profiling

Omeprazole (OME) is a proton pump inhibitor used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease associated conditions. The current study presents an Analytical Quality by Design-based approach for the development of a CE method for OME impurity profiling. The scouting experiments suggested the selection of solvent modified Micellar ElectroKinetic Chromatography operative mode using a pseudostationary phase composed of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles and n-butanol as organic modifier in borate buffer. A symmetric three-level screening matrix 37//16 was used to evaluate the effect of Critical Method Parameters, including Background Electrolyte composition and instrumental settings, on Critical Method Attributes (critical resolution values, OME peak width and analysis time). The analytical procedure was optimized using Response Surface Methodology through a Central Composite Orthogonal Design. Risk of failure maps made it possible to define the Method Operable Design Region, within which the following optimized conditions were selected: 72 mM borate buffer pH 10.0, 96 mM SDS, 1.45 %v/v n-butanol, capillary temperature 21 °C, applied voltage 25 kV. The method was validated according to ICH guidelines and robustness was evaluated using a Plackett-Burman design. The developed procedure enables the simultaneous determination of OME and seven related impurities, and has been successfully applied to the analysis of pharmaceutical formulations.

Antimalarial analysis of pharmaceutical formulations and biological samples by capillary electrophoresis: the state of the art and applications

Malaria is a serious public health problem, being an endemic disease in 84 countries, mainly in Africa. This review explores the application of capillary electrophoresis (CE) techniques for analyzing antimalarial drugs, highlighting methods from 2000 to 2023 for the analysis of pharmaceutical formulations and human biological samples. The versatility, selectivity, high efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and high analytical frequency of CE techniques have become attractive choices for pharmaceutical analysis, focusing on quality control and impurity analysis applications. The evolution of achiral and chiral electromigration methods has been described based on the features of each mode of separation: capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), micellar electrokinetic chromatography, microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography, and capillary electrochromatography. As expected, CZE is reported in most articles owing to its compatibility with drug properties and separation mode. However, it is necessary to perform other separation modes for a few drugs that are present in neutral form. After exhaustive research using different databases and statistical analyses, 27 articles using CE techniques for antimalarial drug analysis were found and are mentioned in this review.

Capillary electrophoresis in the analysis of therapeutic peptides-A review

Therapeutic peptides are a growing class of innovative drugs with high efficiency and a low risk of adverse effects. These biomolecules fall within the molecular mass range between that of small molecules and proteins. However, their inherent instability and potential for degradation underscore the importance of reliable and effective analytical methods for pharmaceutical quality control, therapeutic drug monitoring, and compliance testing. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) has long time been the "gold standard" conventional method for peptide analysis, but capillary electrophoresis (CE) is increasingly being recognized as a complementary and, in some cases, superior, highly efficient, green, and cost-effective alternative technique. CE can separate peptides composed of different amino acids owing to differences in their net charge and size, determining their migration behavior in an electric field. This review provides a comprehensive overview of therapeutic peptides that have been used in the clinical environment for the last 25 years. It describes the properties, classification, current trends in development, and clinical use of therapeutic peptides. From the analytical point of view, it discusses the challenges associated with the analysis of therapeutic peptides in pharmaceutical and biological matrices, as well as the evaluation of CE as a whole and the comparison with LC methods. The article also highlights the use of microchip electrophoresis, nonaqueous CE, and nonconventional hydrodynamically closed CE systems and their applications. Overall, the article emphasizes the importance of developing new CE-based analytical methods to ensure the high quality, safety, and efficacy of therapeutic peptides in clinical practice.

Quality by design-guided development of a capillary electrophoresis method for the simultaneous chiral purity determination and impurity profiling of tamsulosin

Analytical Quality by Design principles using the design of experiments were applied for the development of a capillary electrophoresis method for the determination of enantiomeric purity and chemically related impurities of tamsulosin. From initial scouting experiments, a dual cyclodextrin (CD) system composed of sulfated β-CD and carboxymethyl-α-CD was selected as the chiral selector. A fractional factorial resolution V+ design was used for the identification of the critical process parameters, while a face-centered central composite design and Monte Carlo simulations were employed for final optimization and defining the design space of the method. The experimental conditions of the working point were: 30 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 3.0, containing 40 mg/mL sulfated β-CD and 7 mg/mL carboxymethyl-α-CD, capillary temperature 18°C, applied voltage -23 kV. Following the assessment of robustness by applying a Plackett-Burman design, the method was validated according to the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use guideline Q2(R1). The method allowed the quantification of the chiral impurity and three other related impurities at the 0.1 % level with acceptable accuracy and precision.

A comprehensive review of capillary electrophoresis-based techniques for erythropoietin isoforms analysis

Different CE techniques have been used to analyze erythropoietin. These techniques have been shown to be effective in differentiating and quantifying erythropoietin isoforms, including natural and recombinant origins. This review provides a comprehensive overview of various capillary electrophoresis-based techniques used for the analysis of erythropoietin isoforms. The importance of erythropoietin in clinical practice and the necessity for the accurate analysis of its isoforms are first discussed. Various techniques that have been used for erythropoietin isoform analysis are then described. The main body of the review focuses on the different capillary electrophoresis-based methods that have been developed for erythropoietin isoform analysis, including capillary zone electrophoresis and capillary isoelectric focusing. The advantages and drawbacks of each method as well as their applications are discussed. Suggestions into the future directions of the area are also described.

Recent advances in chiral selectors immobilization and chiral mobile phase additives in liquid chromatographic enantio-separations: A review

For decades now, the separation of chiral enantiomers of drugs has been gaining the interest and attention of researchers. In 1991, the first guidelines for development of chiral drugs were firstly released by the US-FDA. Since then, the development in chromatographic enantioseparation tools has been fast and variable, aiming at creating a suitable environment where the physically and chemically identical enantiomers can be separated. Among those tools, the immobilization of chiral selectors (CS) on different stationary phases and the chiral mobile phase additives (CMPA) which have been progressed and studied extensively. This review article highlights the major advances in immobilization of CS together with their different recognition mechanisms as well as CMPA as a cheaper and successful alternative for chiral stationary phases. Moreover, the role of molecular modeling tool as a pre-step in the choice of CS for evaluating possible interactions with different ligands has been pointed up. Illustrations of reported methods and updates for immobilized CS and CMPA have been included.

Analytical Quality by Design-Compliant Development of a Cyclodextrin-Modified Micellar ElectroKinetic Chromatography Method for the Determination of Trimecaine and Its Impurities

In 2022, the International Council for Harmonisation released draft guidelines Q2(R2) and Q14, intending to specify the development and validation activities that should be carried out during the lifespan of an analytical technique addressed to assess the quality of medicinal products. In the present study, these recommendations were implemented in Capillary Electrophoresis method development for the quality control of a drug product containing trimecaine, by applying Analytical Quality by Design. According to the Analytical Target Profile, the procedure should be able to simultaneously quantify trimecaine and its four impurities, with specified analytical performances. The selected operative mode was Micellar ElectroKinetic Chromatography employing sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles supplemented with dimethyl-β-cyclodextrin, in a phosphate-borate buffer. The Knowledge Space was investigated through a screening matrix encompassing the composition of the background electrolyte and the instrumental settings. The Critical Method Attributes were identified as analysis time, efficiency, and critical resolution values. Response Surface Methodology and Monte Carlo Simulations allowed the definition of the Method Operable Design Region: 21-26 mM phosphate-borate buffer pH 9.50-9.77; 65.0 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate; 0.25-1.29% v/v n-butanol; 21-26 mM dimethyl-β-cyclodextrin; temperature, 22 °C; voltage, 23-29 kV. The method was validated and applied to ampoules drug products.

Quantitation of tryptophan and kynurenine in human plasma using 4-vinylphenylboronic acid column by capillary electrochromatography coupled with mass spectrometry

Tryptophan (TRP) is an essential amino acid catabolized mainly through the kynurenine pathway, and part of it is catabolized in the brain. The abnormal depletion of TRP and production of kynurenine (KYN) by two enzymes, tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), have been linked to various neurological diseases. The ratio of TRP/KYN in plasma is a valuable measure for IDO/TDO activity and the prognosis of disease conditions. The 4-vinylphenylboronic acid (4-VPBA) was evaluated as a novel stationary phase for OT-CEC-MS/MS. TRP, KYN, and 3-hydroxykynurenine were separated using optimum conditions of 15 mM (NH4 )2 CO3 at pH 8 as a background electrolyte and 25 kV separation voltage on a 90 cm column. The usefulness of the 4-VPBA column for simple, fast, repeatable, and sensitive CEC-ESI-MS/MS application was demonstrated for the quantitation of TRP and KYN in the plasma of healthy human subjects and neuroinflammation subjects. The plasma sample was extracted on a zirconia-based ion-exchange cartridge for simultaneous protein precipitation and phospholipid removal. The method of standard addition, in combination with the internal standards approach, was used to prepare the calibration curve to overcome matrix matching and eliminate procedural errors. The developed quantitation method was validated according to FDA guidelines for sensitivity, accuracy, precision, and extraction recovery. The measured plasma level of TRP and KYN in healthy humans is aligned with the human metabolome database for the same two metabolites.

Quality by design-guided development of a capillary electrophoresis method for the chiral purity determination of silodosin

Silodosin is a single isomer selective α₁-adrenoreceptor antagonist used for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. In order to control the enantiomeric purity of the drug a capillary electrophoresis method was developed that is applicable to the analysis of drug substance as well as pharmaceutical formulations. Method development followed a quality by design strategy. After selection of carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin as suitable chiral selector and the starting conditions in the scouting phase, a two-level full factorial design was applied to identify the critical process parameters. The final method optimization was performed using a face-centered central composite design resulting in the conditions 100 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 2.9, containing 40 mg/mL car-boxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin, a capillary temperature of 17 °C and an applied voltage of 28 kV. Robustness testing employing a Plackett-Burman design revealed the importance of careful pH adjustment in order to achieve suitable peak shape and resolution. The method was validated according to the guideline Q2(R1) of the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use and applied to the analysis of a commercial capsule formulation.

New Trends in the Quality Control of Enantiomeric Drugs: Quality by Design-Compliant Development of Chiral Capillary Electrophoresis Methods

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a potent method for analyzing chiral substances and is commonly used in the enantioseparation and chiral purity control of pharmaceuticals from different matrices. The adoption of Quality by Design (QbD) concepts in analytical method development, optimization and validation is a widespread trend observed in various analytical approaches including chiral CE. The application of Analytical QbD (AQbD) leads to the development of analytical methods based on sound science combined with risk management, and to a well understood process clarifying the influence of method parameters on the analytical output. The Design of Experiments (DoE) method employing chemometric tools is an essential part of QbD-based method development, allowing for the simultaneous evaluation of experimental parameters as well as their interaction. In 2022 the International Council for Harmonization (ICH) released two draft guidelines (ICH Q14 and ICH Q2(R2)) that are intended to encourage more robust analytical procedures. The ICH Q14 guideline intends to harmonize the scientific approaches for analytical procedures’ development, while the Q2(R2) document covers the validation principles for the use of analytical procedures including the recent applications that require multivariate statistical analyses. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the new prospects for chiral CE method development applied for the enantiomeric purity control of pharmaceuticals using AQbD principles. The review also provides an overview of recent research (2012–2022) on the applicability of CE methods in chiral drug impurity profiling.

Enhanced Sample Throughput Capillary Zone Electrophoresis with UV Detection in Hydrodynamically Closed System for Determination of Ibuprofen

A simple analytical approach based on capillary zone electrophoresis with ultraviolet detection and repeated sample injection strategy (applied in a hydrodynamically closed separation system for the first time) was developed for the determination of ibuprofen (IBU) in commercially available pharmaceutical preparations. The proposed method was characterized by significantly increased sample throughput and favorable validation parameters, highly demanded in routine quality control laboratories. The limit of detection was predicted at the concentration level of 0.31 µg/mL. Intra-day precision expressed as the relative standard deviation of IBU concentration ranged from 1.9 to 5.6%, and corresponding intra-day accuracy expressed as the relative error was in the interval of 87.1–106.5%. Inter-day precision was in the range of 2.6–15.0%, and inter-day accuracy was 94.9–102.7%. The developed method was able to quantify IBU in complex pharmaceutical matrices represented by commercially available tablets and oral suspension. The determined contents of IBU in the tested dosage forms were in good agreement with the manufacturer’s declaration. The analytical performance of the developed method was evaluated according to the innovative RGB Additive Color Model strategy. It was demonstrated that the proposed method is characterized by very good analytical performance parameters, safety and eco-friendliness, and practical effectiveness.

Recent developments in capillary and microchip electroseparations of peptides (2019-mid 2021)

The review provides a comprehensive overview of developments and applications of high performance capillary and microchip electroseparation methods (zone electrophoresis, isotachophoresis, isoelectric focusing, affinity electrophoresis, electrokinetic chromatography, and electrochromatography) for analysis, microscale isolation, and physicochemical characterization of peptides from 2019 up to approximately the middle of 2021. Advances in the investigation of electromigration properties of peptides and in the methodology of their analysis, such as sample preparation, sorption suppression, EOF control, and detection, are presented. New developments in the individual CE and CEC methods are demonstrated and several types of their applications are shown. They include qualitative and quantitative analysis, determination in complex biomatrices, monitoring of chemical and enzymatic reactions and physicochemical changes, amino acid, sequence, and chiral analyses, and peptide mapping of proteins. In addition, micropreparative separations and determination of significant physicochemical parameters of peptides by CE and CEC methods are described.

Determination of 13-cis-Retinoic Acid and Its Metabolites in Plasma by Micellar Electrokinetic Chromatography Using Cyclodextrin-Assisted Sweeping for Sample Preconcentration

The online preconcentration technique, cyclodextrin-assisted sweeping (CD-sweeping), coupled with micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) was established to determine 13-cis-retinoic acid (13-cis-RA), all-trans-retinoic acid (all-trans-RA) and 4-oxo-13-cis-retinoic acid (4-oxo-13-cis-RA) in human plasma. A CD-sweeping buffer (45 mM borate (pH 9.2), containing 80 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 22 mM hydroxypropyl β-CD (HP-β-CD) was introduced into the capillary and, then, the sample dissolved in 70 mM borate (pH 9.2): methanol = 9:1 (v/v) was injected into capillary by pressure. The separation voltage was 23 kV. Compared to the conventional cyclodextrin-micellar electrokinetic chromatography (CD-MEKC) method, the new technique achieved 224-257-fold sensitivity enrichment of analytes. The limits of detection of 13-cis-RA, all-trans-RA were 1 ng/mL, whereas that of 4-oxo-13-cis-RA was 25 ng/mL in plasma. The linear ranges of 13-cis-RA, all-trans-RA were between 15 and 1000 ng/mL, whereas that of 4-oxo-13-cis-RA was between 75 and 1500 ng/mL. The coefficient of correlation between the concentration of analytes and peak area ratio of analytes and internal standard (2, 4-dihydroxy-benzophenone) for intra-day (n = 3) and inter-day (n = 5) analyses were both greater than 0.999. The optimized experimental conditions were successfully applied to determine 13-cis-retinoic acid and its metabolites in plasma samples from a patient during the administration of 13-cis-RA for treating acne.

Recent biopharmaceutical applications of capillary electrophoresis methods on recombinant DNA technology-based products

Biopharmaceuticals (recombinant technology-based products, vaccines, whole blood and blood components, gene therapy, cells, tissues, etc.,) are described as biological medical products produced from various living sources such as human, microbial, animal, and so on by manufacturing, extraction, or semi-synthesis. They are complex molecules having high molecular weights. For their safety and efficacy, their structural, clinical, physicochemical, and chemical features must be carefully controlled, and they must be well characterized by analytical techniques before the approval of the final product. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) having versatile modes can provide valuable safety and efficacy information, such as amino acid sequence, size variants (low and high molecular weight variants), charged variants (acidic and basic impurities), aggregates, N-linked glycosylation, and O-linked glycosylation. There are numerous applications of CE in the literature. In this review, the most significant and recent studies on the analysis of recombinant DNA technology-based products using different CE modes in the last ten years have been overviewed. It was seen that the researches mostly focus on the analysis of mAbs and IgG. In addition, in recent years, researchers have started to prefer CE combined mass spectrometry (MS) techniques to provide a more detailed characterization for protein and peptide fragments.

A comparative study of CE-SDS, SDS-PAGE, and Simple Western-Precision, repeatability, and apparent molecular mass shifts by glycosylation

SDS gel electrophoresis is a commonly used approach for monitoring purity and apparent molecular mass (Mr) of proteins, especially in the field of quality control of biopharmaceutical proteins. The technological installation of CE-SDS as the replacement of the slab gel technique (SDS-PAGE) is still in progress, leading to a continuous improvement of CE-SDS instruments. Various CE-SDS instruments, namely Maurice (CE-SDS/CE-SDS PLUS) and Wes by ProteinSimple as well as the microchip gel electrophoresis system LabChip® GXII Touch™ HT by PerkinElmer were tested for precision and repeatability compared to SDS-PAGE (Bio-Rad). For assessing these quality control parameters, standard model proteins with minor post-translational modifications were used. Overall, it can be concluded that the CE-SDS-based methods are similar to SDS-PAGE with respect to these parameters. Quality characteristics of test systems gain more significance by testing proteins that do not behave like model proteins. Therefore, glycosylated proteins were analyzed to comparatively investigate the influence of glycosylation on Mr determination in the different instruments. In some cases, high deviations were found both among the methods and with regard to reference values. This article provides possible explanations for these findings.

Application of capillary electrophoresis-nano-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry for the determination of N-nitrosodimethylamine in pharmaceuticals

After a presence of highly hepatotoxic and potentially carcinogenic N-nitrosodimethylamine was detected in certain lots of sartan, ranitidine, metformin, and other pharmaceuticals, local regulatory authorities issued recalls of suspected products, and concerns of the pharmacotherapy safety were widely discussed. Since then, testing of a representative sample of each produced lot of these pharmaceuticals is required as a part of quality control processes. Hence, an interface-free CE-nanoESI system coupled with MS detection was employed for the development of a simple and economical method for quantitative detection of this contaminant in the valsartan drug substances and finished formulations used as model matrices. In this arrangement, a fused-silica capillary was used as both a separation column and a nanoESI emitter providing high ionization efficiency and sensitivity. The optimized procedure was found to have sufficient selectivity, linearity, accuracy, and precision. The established LOD and LOQ values were 0.3 and 1.0 ng/mL, respectively. The practical applicability of the method was tested by analyses of commercially available Valsacor^® tablets. The results obtained prove that the developed procedure represents a promising alternative to currently available GC- and LC-based methods. Furthermore, after an adjustment of the separation conditions, the CE-nanoESI/MS system can be conceptually used for the determination of NDMA in other suspected pharmaceuticals.

Advances of capillary electrophoresis enantioseparations in pharmaceutical analysis (2017-2020)

Capillary electrophoresis is a powerful technique for the analysis of polar chiral compounds and has been widely accepted for analytical enantioseparations of drug compounds in pharmaceuticals and biological media. In addition, many mechanistic studies have been conducted in an attempt to rationalize enantioseparations in combination with spectroscopic and computational techniques. The present review will focus on recent examples of mechanistic aspects and summarize recent applications of stereoselective pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis published between January 2017 and November 2020. Various separation modes including electrokinetic chromatography in combination with several detection modes including laser-induced fluorescence, mass spectrometry and contactless conductivity detection will be discussed. A general trend also observed in other analytical techniques is the application of quality by design principles in method development and optimization.

Negatively charged cyclodextrins: Synthesis and applications in chiral analysis-A review

The negatively charged cyclodextrins (CDs) play an important role in chiral analysis due to the additional electrostatic effect beyond the host-guest inclusion, especially in enantioanalysis of positively charged and electrically neutral analytes. This review presents recent advances in application of anionic CDs for enantioanalysis during the past five years. Firstly, the synthesis approaches of random substitution and single isomers of anionic CDs are briefly discussed. The main part focuses on the chiral analysis using anionic CDs in various analytical techniques, including capillary electrophoresis, high-performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrochromatography, counter current chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, etc. Particular attention is given to the capillary electrophoresis application since charged CDs could be used as a carrier of enantiomers by virtue of their self-mobility and offer an easy adjustment of the enantiomer migration order. Finally, future opportunities are also discussed in the conclusion of this review.

Capillary electrophoresis as a versatile tool for quality control and epidermis permeation studies of transdermal formulations

Capillary electrophoresis has been investigated to evaluate the performances of new transdermal formulations containing antiemetics. After optimization of the background electrolyte (sodium phosphate buffer (pH 2.5; 60 mM) containing 12% of ethanol (v/v)), domperidone, diphenhydramine, haloperidol, metoclopramide and promethazine were base-line resolved in 10 min. After hydrodynamic injection of the sample (0.5 psi for 7 s), the method was fully validated through the build of the accuracy profile. Trueness values ranged from -1.85 and 5.43% and relative standard deviation of intra-day and inter-day precision was lower than 6.20%. This method was found convenient for quality control of extemporaneous ready-to-use transdermal formulations with recoveries ranging from 91.2-107.8%. However, using hydrodynamic injection, limits of quantitation in the 0.3-2.6 μg.mL^-1 range, were not low enough to evaluate the permeation rate of antimetics through epidermis. Field amplified sample injection was used to improve both sensitivity and quantitation thresholds. Several parameters (nature and concentration of the protonation agent, composition of the injected solvent, applied voltage and duration of the injection) have been optimized using a multivariate approach. In the optimized conditions, signal-to-noise ratios were improved by a 600- to 2000-fold factor, regarding the antiemetic. However, the presence of salts in the simulated body fluid solution, used as receptor medium to perform permeation kinetic study, was improper to allow the stacking effect. Therefore, a liquid-liquid extraction has been developed and applied on simulated body fluid solution. Finally, this new method has been shown strongly useful to evaluate the permeation kinetic of metoclopramide through pig epidermis.

Characterization and stabilization in process development and product formulation for super large proteinaceous particles

Super large proteinaceous particles (SLPPs) such as virus, virus like particles, and extracellular vesicles have successful and promising applications in vaccination, gene therapy, and cancer treatment. The unstable nature, the complex particulate structure and composition are challenges for their manufacturing and applications. Rational design of the processing should be built on the basis of fully understanding the characteristics of these bio-particles. This review highlights useful analytical techniques for characterization and stabilization of SLPPs in the process development and product formulations, including high performance size exclusion chromatography, multi-angle laser light scattering, asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation, nanoparticle tracking analysis, CZE, differential scanning calorimetry, differential scanning fluorescence, isothermal titration calorimetry , and dual polarization interferometry. These advanced analytical techniques will be helpful in obtaining deep insight into the mechanism related to denaturation of SLPPs, and more importantly, in seeking solutions to preserve their biological functions against deactivation or denaturation. Combination of different physicochemical techniques, and correlation with in vitro or in vivo biological activity analyses, are considered to be the future trend of development in order to guarantee a high quality, safety, and efficacy of SLPPs.

A capillary electrophoresis method for the determination of the linagliptin enantiomeric impurity

Linagliptin is a highly specific, long-acting inhibitor that is used as an orally administrable agent for type-2 diabetes treatment. Because only the R-enantiomer is of clinical use, we developed a capillary electrophoresis method for the determination of the enantiomeric impurity of this compound. Carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin was selected as the chiral selector for the separation of linagliptin enantiomers. Design of experiments and desirability functions were used for the analytical optimization, which was focused on understanding and improving the electrophoretic process. The effects of significant parameters (background electrolyte concentration and pH, cyclodextrin concentration, temperature, and voltage) were thoroughly investigated. The complete separation of linagliptin and its enantiomeric impurity with baseline resolution was achieved within 10 min on an uncoated fused-silica capillary (50 μm inner diameter, 365 μm outer diameter, 64.5/56 cm in total/ effective length) maintained at 25°C, under an applied voltage of 28.0 kV. The background electrolyte contained 70 mM sodium acetate and 4.7 mM carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin, and the pH was adjusted to 6.10. The method was validated, and a limit of quantitation of 0.05% for the impurity was estimated.

Capillary electrophoretic methods for quality control analyses of pharmaceuticals: A review

Capillary electrophoresis represents a promising technique in the field of pharmaceutical analysis. The presented review provides a summary of capillary electrophoretic methods suitable for routine quality control analyses of small molecule drugs published since 2015. In total, more than 80 discussed methods are sorted into three main sections according to the applied electroseparation modes (capillary zone electrophoresis, electrokinetic chromatography, and micellar, microemulsion, and liposome-electrokinetic chromatography) and further subsections according to the applied detection techniques (UV, capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection, and mass spectrometry). Key parameters of the procedures are summarized in four concise tables. The presented applications cover analyses of active pharmaceutical ingredients and their related substances such as degradation products or enantiomeric impurities. The contribution of reported results to the current knowledge of separation science and general aspects of the practical applications of capillary electrophoretic methods are also discussed.

Advantages and Pitfalls of Capillary Electrophoresis of Pharmaceutical Compounds and Their Enantiomers in Complex Samples: Comparison of Hydrodynamically Opened and Closed Systems

Several research disciplines require fast, reliable and highly automated determination of pharmaceutically active compounds and their enantiomers in complex biological matrices. To address some of the challenges of Capillary Electrophoresis (CE), such as low concentration sensitivity and performance degradation linked to the adsorption and interference of matrix components, CE in a hydrodynamically closed system was evaluated using the model compounds Pindolol and Propranolol. Some established validation parameters such as repeatability of injection efficiency, resolution and sensitivity were used to assess its performance, and it was found to be broadly identical to that of hydrodynamically opened systems. While some reduction in separation efficiency was observed, this was mainly due to dispersion caused by injection and it had no impact on the ability to resolve enantiomers of model compounds even when spiked into complex biological matrix such as blood serum. An approximately 18- to 23-fold increase in concentration sensitivity due to the employment of wide bore capillaries was observed. This brings the sensitivity of CE to a level similar to that of liquid chromatography techniques. In addition to this benefit and unlike in hydrodynamically opened systems, suppression of electroosmotic flow, which is essential for hydrodynamically closed systems practically eliminates the matrix effects that are linked to protein adsorption.

Derivatization-free determination of aminoglycosides by CZE-UV in pharmaceutical formulations

Aminoglycosides are a relevant class of antibiotics widely used by medics and veterinaries. There are a variety of reasons that make their determination relevant, such as quality control, environment and food contamination assessment, drug-release studies, among others. The lack of a chromophore makes aminoglycoside spectrophotometric detection particularly challenging, often requiring derivatization. In this work, an indirect detection method, making use of imidazole as a probe, applying CZE was successfully tested. It did not require derivatization, which simplified the sample preparation. Suitable figures of merit were obtained; recoveries between 95 and 105%, adequate repeatability and precision, correlation coefficients (r) above 0.998, and limits of detection (LODs) of 3.2 and 11 mg/L for gentamicin and paromomycin, respectively. As a proof-of-concept, it was also applied in a simple controlled release experiment that was well fitted using the Hill equation.

Determination and Identification of Antibiotic Drugs and Bacterial Strains in Biological Samples

Antibiotics were initially natural substances. However, nowadays, they also include synthetic drugs, which show their activity against bacteria, killing or inhibiting their growth and division. Thanks to these properties, many antibiotics have quickly found practical application in the fight against infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, syphilis, gastrointestinal infections, pneumonia, bronchitis, meningitis and septicemia. Antibiotic resistance is currently a detrimental problem; therefore, in addition to the improvement of antibiotic therapy, attention should also be paid to active metabolites in the body, which may play an important role in exacerbating the existing problem. Taking into account the clinical, cognitive and diagnostic purposes of drug monitoring, it is important to select an appropriate analytical method that meets all the requirements. The detection and identification of the microorganism responsible for the infection is also an essential factor in the implementation of appropriate antibiotic therapy. In recent years, clinical microbiology laboratories have experienced revolutionary changes in the way microorganisms are identified. The MALDI-TOF MS technique may be interesting, especially in some areas where a quick analysis is required, as is the case with clinical microbiology. This method is not targeted, which means that no prior knowledge of the infectious agent is required, since identification is based on a database match.

Chiral separation of four phenothiazines by nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis and quality by design-based method development for quantification of dextromepromazine as chiral impurity of levomepromazine

The separation of the enantiomers of mepromazine, promethazine, thioridazine and alimemazine was studied by nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis in the presence of cyclodextrins using 1 M acetic acid and 50 mM ammonium acetate in methanol as background electrolyte. Heptakis(2,3-di-O-acetyl-6-O-sulfo)-β-cyclodextrin, heptakis(2,3-di-O-methyl-6-O-sulfo)-β-cyclodextrin (HDMS-β-CD) and octakis(2,3-di-O-methyl-6-O-sulfo)-γ-cyclodextrin were the most effective chiral selectors for mepromazine, promethazine and alimemazine. Subsequently, a method for the determination of dextromepromazine as chiral impurity of levomepromazine was developed employing quality by design principles. Using HDMS-β-CD as selector, a fractional factorial resolution V+ design was employed for evaluating the knowledge space, while a central composite face centered design provided further method optimization and the basis for the computation of the design space by Monte Carlo simulations. The final experimental conditions included a 30/40.2 cm fused-silica capillary with 75 µm inner diameter and a background electrolyte composed of 0.75 M acetic acid and 55 mM ammonium acetate in methanol containing 27.5 mg/mL HDMS-β-CD. The applied voltage was 22 kV and the capillary temperature was 15°C. Following method robustness testing via a Plackett-Burman design, the method was validated for dextromepromazine in the range of 0.01 to 3.0 % relative to a concentration of 0.74 mg/mL levomepromazine and applied to the analysis of reference standards of the European Pharmacopoeia and commercial tablets. The assay also allowed the detection of levomepromazine sulfoxide although the quantitation of the compound was hampered by the poor peak shape of the late migrating diastereomer.

Optimization of a sensitive and robust strategy for micellar electrokinetic chromatographic analysis of sofosbuvir in combination with its co-formulated hepatitis C antiviral drugs

Based on our previous work with "pseudostationary-ion exchanger sweeping", we use this strategy to develop a sensitive, reliable and robust method for the analysis of the newly-FDA approved hepatitis C antiviral drugs namely; sofosbuvir (SOV), daclatasvir (DAC), ledipasvir (LED) and velpatasvir (VEP) in their pure forms and co-formulated pharmaceutical dosage forms using micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) as a separation method. For the first time, a successful separation of all the investigated compounds was achieved in less than 8 min using a basic background electrolyte (BGE) composed of 25 mmol L^-1 SDS + 20% (v/v) ACN (acetonitrile) in 10 mmol L^-1 disodium tetraborate buffer (final apparent pH is 9.90). A special focus was given to optimize the composition of the sample matrix to maintain the solubility of the analytes within the sample zone while gaining additional benefits regarding analyte zone focusing. It was found that replacing phosphoric acid (as a sample matrix) with a zwitterionic/isoelectric buffering compound (L-glutamic acid) has a substantial positive impact on the obtained enrichment efficiency. The interplay of other enrichment principles such as the retention factor gradient effect (RFGE) is also discussed. A full validation study is performed based on the pharmacopeial and ICH guidelines. The obtained limits of detection and quantitation are as low as 0.63 and 1.3 μg mL^-1; respectively for SOV and DAC and 1.3 and 2.5 μg mL^-1; respectively for LED and VEP using UV-DAD as a detection method. The selectivity of the developed method for determination of the studied compounds in their pharmaceutical dosage forms or in the presence of ribavirin (RIB) or elbasvir (ELB), which are other prescribed medications in the treatment regimen of patients with hepatitis C virus infection, is demonstrated. It is shown that with acidic sample matrix and basic BGE, an efficient and precise approach was designed in which analyte adsorption on the capillary wall was minimized while keeping repeatable peak height, peak area and migration time together with the highest possible enrichment efficiency.

Online mass spectrometry of CE (SDS)-separated proteins by two-dimensional capillary electrophoresis

Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) is the fundamental technique for protein separation by size. Applying this technology in capillary format, gaining high separation efficiency in a more automated way, is a key technology for size separation of proteins in the biopharmaceutical industry. However, unequivocal identification by online mass spectrometry (MS) is impossible so far, due to strong interference in the electrospray process by SDS and other components of the SDS-MW separation gel buffer. Here, a heart-cut two-dimensional electrophoretic separation system applying an electrically isolated valve with an internal loop of 20 nL is presented. The peak of interest in the CE (SDS) separation is transferred to the CZE-MS, where electrospray-interfering substances of the SDS-MW gel are separated prior to online electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. An online SDS removal strategy for decomplexing the protein-SDS complex is implemented in the second dimension, consisting of the co-injection of organic solvent and cationic surfactant. This online CE (SDS)-CZE-MS system allows MS characterization of proteoforms separated in generic CE (SDS), gaining additional separation in the CZE and detailed MS information. In general, the system can be applied to all kinds of proteins separated by CE (SDS). Here, we present results of the CE (SDS)-CZE-MS system on the analysis of several biopharmaceutically relevant antibody impurities and fragments. Additionally, the versatile application spectrum of the system is demonstrated by the analysis of extracted proteins from soybean flour. The online hyphenation of CE (SDS) resolving power and MS identification capabilities will be a powerful tool for protein and mAb characterization. Graphical abstract Two-dimensional capillary electrophoresis system hyphenated with mass spectrometry for the characterization of CE (SDS)-separated proteins. As first dimension, a generic and high MS-interfering CE (SDS) separation is performed for size separation. After heart-cut transfer of the unknown CE (SDS) protein peak, via a four-port nanoliter valve to a volatile electrolyte system as second dimension, interference-free mass spectrometric data of separated mAb fragments and soybean proteins are obtained.

Development of a CE-MS method for the study of riociguat and metabolite M1 in pharmaceutical analysis

Riociguat is a novel antihypertensive drug for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension. We present electrophoretic characterization, i.e. migration behavior of riociguat and metabolite M1 as support for optimized CZE/MS assay. Fundamental separation parameters, such as peak width, symmetry, and resolution are studied in a series of ammonium formate buffers within pH range 2.60-5.61. The narrow region of peak symmetry lies close to pH 4.0 for both analytes. Accordingly, the value of resolution maximizes in a background electrolyte adjusted to pH 4.10. Basic calibration parameters estimated from CZE experiments with absorption photometric and mass spectrometric detection of riociguat and metabolite M1 were evaluated. More than three orders lower LOD was achieved with high resolution mass spectrometric detection. The observed difference in the sensitivity of both detection techniques gives priority to the utilization of CZE/MS in practice. The values of dissociation constants of riociguat and metabolite M1, pK_BH , were determined from CZE measurements in lithium formate and lithium acetate background electrolytes with constant ionic strength. The value of pK_BH = 4.30 ± 0.02 for riociguat corresponds well to the value already presented in the literature. According to our observation, metabolite M1 behaves like a slightly stronger base with estimated pK_BH = 4.40 ± 0.02.

Chiral separation of lansoprazole and rabeprazole by capillary electrophoresis using dual cyclodextrin systems

Novel capillary electrophoresis methods using CDs as chiral selectors were developed and validated for the chiral separation of lansoprazole and rabeprazole, two proton pump inhibitors. Fourteen different neutral and anionic CDs were screened at pH 4 and 7 in the preliminary analysis. Sulfobutyl-ether-β-CD with a degree of substitution of 6.5 and 10 at neutral pH proved to be the most suitable chiral selector for both compounds. Various dual CD systems were also compared, and the possible mechanisms of enantiomer separation were investigated. A dual selector system containing sulfobutyl-ether-β-CD degree of substitution 6.5 and native γ-CD proved to be the most adequate system for the separations. Method optimization was carried out using an experimental design approach, performing an initial fractional factorial screening design, followed by a central composite design to establish the optimal analytical conditions. The optimized methods (25 mM phosphate buffer, pH 7, 10 mM sulfobutyl-ether-β-CD/20 mM γ-CD, +20 kV voltage; 17°C temperature; 50 mbar/3 s injection, detection at 210 nm for lansoprazole; 25 mM phosphate buffer, pH 7, 15 mM sulfobutyl-ether-β-CD/30 mM γ-CD, +20 kV voltage; 18°C temperature; 50 mbar/3 s injection, detection at 210 nm for rabeprazole) provided baseline separation for lansoprazole (R_s = 2.91) and rabeprazole (R_s = 2.53) enantiomers with favorable migration order (in both cases the S-enantiomers migrates first). The optimized methods were validated according to current guidelines and proved to be reliable, linear, precise, and accurate for the determination of 0.15% distomer as chiral impurity in dexlansoprazole and dexrabeprazole samples.

Dual-channel Microchip Electrophoresis with Amperometric Detection System for Rapid Analysis of Cefoperazone and Sulbactam

A dual-channel microchip electrophoresis (ME) with in-channel amperometric detection was developed for cefoperazone and sulbactam determination simultaneously. In this study, a microelectrode detector was made of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) modified indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated poly-ethylene terephthalate (PET) film. The parameters including detection potential applied on working electrode, buffer concentration and pH value were optimized to improve the detection sensitivity and separation efficiency of cefoperazone and sulbactam. Under the optimal conditions, sensitive detection of cefoperazone and sulbactam was obtained with limits of detection (LODs) (S/N = 3) of 0.52 and 0.75 μg/mL, respectively. The plasma sample, which was from a patient with a brain injury taking Sulperazone, was successfully detected with a simple sample pretreatment process by dual-channel ME amperometric detection. This rapid and sensitive method possesses practical potential in clinical applications, and could provide a guidance for clinical rational drug use.

Some thoughts about enantioseparations in capillary electrophoresis

In this overview the goal of the authors was to analyze from the historical perspective the reasons of success and failure of chiral capillary electrophoresis. In addition, the current trends are analyzed, unique advantages of capillary electrophoresis are highlighted and some future directions are discussed.