Preparative chromatographic separation of enantiomers

Chiral Metal-Organic Frameworks

In the past two decades, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) or porous coordination polymers (PCPs) assembled from metal ions or clusters and organic linkers via metal-ligand coordination bonds have captivated significant scientific interest on account of their high crystallinity, exceptional porosity, and tunable pore size, high modularity, and diverse functionality. The opportunity to achieve functional porous materials by design with promising properties, unattainable for solid-state materials in general, distinguishes MOFs from other classes of materials, in particular, traditional porous materials such as activated carbon, silica, and zeolites, thereby leading to complementary properties. Scientists have conducted intense research in the production of chiral MOF (CMOF) materials for specific applications including but not limited to chiral recognition, separation, and catalysis since the discovery of the first functional CMOF (i.e., d- or l-POST-1). At present, CMOFs have become interdisciplinary between chirality chemistry, coordination chemistry, and material chemistry, which involve in many subjects including chemistry, physics, optics, medicine, pharmacology, biology, crystal engineering, environmental science, etc. In this review, we will systematically summarize the recent progress of CMOFs regarding design strategies, synthetic approaches, and cutting-edge applications. In particular, we will highlight the successful implementation of CMOFs in asymmetric catalysis, enantioselective separation, enantioselective recognition, and sensing. We envision that this review will provide readers a good understanding of CMOF chemistry and, more importantly, facilitate research endeavors for the rational design of multifunctional CMOFs and their industrial implementation.

Chiral Separations in Preparative Scale: A Medicinal Chemistry Point of View

Enantiomeric separation is a key step in the development of a new chiral drug. Preparative liquid chromatography (LC) continues to be the technique of choice either during the drug discovery process, to achieve a few milligrams, or to a scale-up during the clinical trial, needing kilograms of material. However, in the last few years, instrumental and technical developments allowed an exponential increase of preparative enantioseparation using other techniques. Besides LC, supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and counter-current chromatography (CCC) have aroused interest for preparative chiral separation. This overview will highlight the importance to scale-up chiral separations in Medicinal Chemistry, especially in the early stages of the pipeline of drugs discovery and development. Few examples within different methodologies will be selected, emphasizing the trends in chiral preparative separation. The advantages and drawbacks will be critically discussed.

Purification, antioxidant activity and protein-precipitating capacity of punicalin from pomegranate husk

Punicalin is a kind of ellagitannin, existing in pomegranate husk, and has shown remarkable biological activities. A rapid and large-scale separation method of punicalin from pomegranate husk was established, using medium pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC). The optimal mobile phase consisted of 5% methanol and 0.1% (v/v) TFA in water, and the optimal loading amount and flow rate were 1.0 g and 80 ml/min, respectively. Under this condition, 339 mg of 95.9% punicalin could be obtained in 40 min. 59.7 mg of 78.0% gallic acid could be separated simultaneously. This method was practical for industrial utilisation of pomegranate husk. Afterwards, the antioxidant and protein-precipitating capacities of the purified punicalin, together with punicalagin, were evaluated. Results showed that punicalin had strong antioxidant activity, and it exhibited a low affinity for protein. This suggested that the antioxidant of punicalin would not be greatly masked by tannin-protein precipitation in application, and hence confirmed punicalin to be a promising antioxidant.

Separation and purification of ginsenoside Re from ginseng bud by selective adsorption of active carbon and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography

Ginsenoside Re (G-Re) is a major ingredient of the ginseng bud. A novel and rapid method to isolate and purify G-Re from ginseng buds was established. The procedure involves solvent extraction of ginseng bud powder, then pre-purification with an active carbon column and purification by preparative HPLC (prep-HPLC). Active carbon, which can selectively adsorb other kinds of ginsenosides except G-Re, was used as a new media to pre-purify G-Re in this study. In addition, we describe the development and optimisation of prep-HPLC parameters for G-Re purification. Compared to other types of high-purity G-Re preparation methods, this method is efficient, economical, waste-conscious and has the potential to maximise.

Combined cation-exchange and extraction chromatographic method of preconcentration and concomitant separation of bismuth(III) with high molecular mass liquid cation exchanger

A selective method has been developed for the extraction chromatographic separation of Bi(III) with Versatic 10 coated on silanized silica gel (SSG). Bi(III) has been quantitatively extracted from 0.1 M acetate buffer at the range of pH 5.0-5.5. The result showed that the solution pH, influent volume, flow-rate and solution temperature would affect the sorption of Bi(III). The sorbed Bi(III) was eluted with 0.1 M H(2)SO(4). The extractor system has got good values of exchange capacity (1.42 meq. of H(+) g(-1) of dry exchanger at 25 degrees C), break-through capacity (19.75 mg g(-1) at pH 5.5) and column efficiencies (300) with respect to Bi(III). The positive value of DeltaH (12.63 kJ mol(-1)) and DeltaS (0.271 kJ mol(-1) K(-1)) and negative value of DeltaG (-68.241 kJ mol(-1)) indicated that the sorption process was endothermic, entropy gaining and spontaneous in nature. P.F. has been optimized at 76.4+/-0.3 and the desorption constants K(desorption) (8x10(-3)) and K'(desorption) (1.4x10(-1)) have been determined. R(f) values and selectivity factors for diverse metal ions with respect to that of Bi(III) have been determined by ion-exchange paper chromatography. Bi(III) has been separated from synthetic mixtures containing its congeners and other metal ions associated with it in ores and alloy samples. The method was found effective for removal of Bi(III) from different water samples. A plausible mechanism for the extraction of Bi(III) has been suggested.

Separation and purification of sulforaphane from broccoli seeds by solid phase extraction and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography

A novel, rapid, and economical method to isolate and purify natural sulforaphane from broccoli seeds is described. The procedure involves solvent extraction of autolyzed seed meal, followed by separation by solid phase extraction (SPE) and purification by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The SPE method provides higher yield of sulforaphane from crude extracts compared to conventional liquid-liquid extraction. High purity and recovery of sulforaphane product can be obtained by preparative HPLC with a C 18 column and 30% methanol in water as the mobile phase. The purified compound was characterized by MS and (1)H and (13)C NMR. The techniques described here are useful tools in the preparative-scale isolation of sulforaphane in a fast, cost-effective, and waste-conscious manner.

Reassessing the melatonin pharmacophore—Enantiomeric resolution, pharmacological activity, structure analysis, and molecular modeling of a constrained chiral melatonin analogue

3-(Acetylaminomethyl)-2-(ethoxycarbonyl)-6-methoxy-1,3,4,5-tetrahydrobenzo[cd]indole (2) is a rigid melatonin analogue that as a racemate displays about the same affinity and intrinsic activity of melatonin (1) in in vitro experiments. We report here the resolution of the racemate by preparative medium pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC) and the X-ray determination of the R absolute configuration of the (-)-enantiomer. The two enantiomers were separately tested as MT1 and MT2 ligands, and the (+)-(S)-2 showed a potency comparable to that of melatonin and about three orders of magnitude greater than that of its enantiomer. The information obtained by crystallographic analysis and NMR studies about the conformational preference for 2 and by the pharmacological characterization of (R)-2 and (S)-2 was employed in a molecular modeling study, aimed at reassessing the melatonin receptor pharmacophore model for agonist compounds. Chiral enantioselective agonists reported in the literature were also included in the study.

Multimilligram enantioresolution of low-solubility xanthonolignoids on polysaccharide chiral stationary phases using a solid-phase injection system

Kielcorins are xanthonolignoids with protein kinase C inhibition and antitumor activities. Four racemates were enantioresolved at a multimilligram scale on tris-3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate amylose phase using polar organic conditions as mobile phase. The low-solubility of these compounds conditioned the injection amount and consequently the productivity. A solid-phase injection system was developed to increase the production rate of the semipreparative process. The effects of the racemates and the related enantiomers on the in vitro growth of human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 were compared. Differences in their growth inhibitory activity were observed.

Enhanced chromatographic resolution of amine enantiomers as carbobenzyloxy derivatives in high-performance liquid chromatography and supercritical fluid chromatography

The carbobenzyloxy (cbz) protecting group is evaluated for it's potential to enhance the resolution of chiral amine enantiomers using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). A series of cbz derivatives of commercially available racemates was prepared and analyzed by enantioselective chromatography using a variety of mobile phases and polysaccharide and Pirkle-type chiral stationary phases (CSPs). The cbz-derivatized product consistently demonstrated enhanced chiral resolution under HPLC and SFC conditions. Improved selectivity and resolution combined with an automated preparative HPLC or SFC system can lead to the rapid generation of highly purified enantiomers of desirable starting materials, intermediates or final products.

Enantioseparation of chiralN-imidazole derivatives by electrokinetic chromatography using highly sulfated cyclodextrins: Mechanism of enantioselective recognition

Baseline separation of ten new substituted [1-(imidazo-1-yl)-1-phenylmethyl)] benzothiazolinone and benzoxazolinone derivatives, with one chiral center, was achieved by CD-EKC using highly sulfated CDs (alpha, beta, gamma highly S-CDs) as chiral selectors. The influence of the type and concentration of the chiral selectors on the enantioseparations was investigated. The highly S-CDs exhibit a very high enantioselectivity power since they allow excellent enantiomeric resolutions compared to those obtained with the neutral CDs. The enantiomers were resolved with analysis times inferior to 2.5 min and resolution factors R(s) of 3.73, 3.90, 1.40, and 4.35 for compounds 1, 2, 3, and 5, respectively, using 25 mM phosphate buffer at pH 2.5 containing either highly S-alpha-CD, highly S-beta-CD, and highly S-gamma-CD (3 or 4% w/v) at 298 K, with an applied field of 0.30 kV/cm. The determination of the enantiomer migration order for the various analytes and the study of the analyte structure-enantioseparation relationships display the high contribution of the interactions between the analytes phenyl ring and the CDs to the enantiorecognition process. The thermodynamic study of the analyte-CD affinities permits us to improve our knowledge about the enantioseparation mechanism.

Enantiomeric resolution of new aromatase inhibitors by liquid chromatography on cellulose chiral stationary phases

Analytical HPLC methods using derivatized cellulose chiral stationary phases were developed for the direct enantioseparation of substituted [1-(imidazo-1-yl)-1-phenylmethyl)]-benzothiazolinone and benzoxazolinone derivatives with one chiral center. Those analogues of fadrozole constitute new potent nonsteroidal inhibitors of aromatase (P450 arom). The separations were made using normal phase methodology with a mobile phase consisting of n-hexane-alcohol (ethanol, 1-propanol, or 2-propanol) in various proportions, and a silica-based cellulose tris-3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate (Chiralcel OD-H), or tris-methylbenzoate (Chiralcel OJ). The effects of concentration of various aliphatic alcohols in the mobile phase were studied. A better separation was achieved on cellulose carbamate phase compared with the cellulose ester phase. The effects of structural features of the solutes along with the temperature of the column on the discrimination between the enantiomers were examined. Baseline separation (Rs > 1.5) was easily obtained in many cases.

Preparative enantiomeric separation of new aromatase inhibitors by HPLC on polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases: Determination of enantiomeric purity and assignment of absolute stereochemistry by X-ray structure analysis

The development of high-performance liquid chromatography methods on polysaccharide-based stationary phases (cellulose or amylose derivatives) has permitted preparative enantioseparations of various 6-[1(imidazol-1-yl)-1-phenylmethyl]-3-methyl-1,3-benzoxazol-2(3H)-one and 6-[1(imidazol-1-yl)-1-phenylmethyl]-3-methyl-1,3-benzothiazol-2(3H)-one, aromatase inhibitors, with satisfactory yields. Analytical enantioseparation methods using both UV and evaporative light-scattering detection (ELSD) were validated to determine the enantiomeric purity of these compounds. Using UV detection, linear calibration curves in the range from 4 x 10(-6) to 4.8 x 10(-4) M range were obtained; repeatability, limits of detection (LD), and quantification (LQ) were determined: LD varied, for the various solutes, from 1 to 80 microg/l and from 2.05 to 10.05 mg/l with UV detection and ELSD, respectively. Single-crystal X-ray analysis was successful in determining the absolute configuration of the individual enantiomers. The relationship between retention order and absolute configuration of the enantiomers was established.

Highly sensitive and rapid normal-phase chiral screen using high-performance liquid chromatography–atmospheric pressure ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS)

In the last years, there has been an increasing demand on the development of quantitative assays for determination of enantiopurity. Herein, we present a methodology based on a direct linking of an atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometer (MS-APCI) with a high-performance liquid chromatography HPLC (DAD) system, operated under normal-phase mode and without post-column addition of MS-compatible solvents, which provides the high specificity/selectivity (identification of isomers in complex mixtures) and accuracy (1-2% area level) required for daily chiral studies. As result of the success of our screen, the preparation of individual enantiomers or the racemic mixture in our Drug Discovery Research Laboratories at Lilly, Spain is usually not required. Therefore, additional non-valuable synthetic work is eliminated.

Physicochemical properties, binary and ternary phase diagrams of ketoprofen

Compared to simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography, fractional crystallization is a simple and economical method for enantioseparation. Therefore, the coupling of SMB chromatography and fractional crystallization is suggested for enantioseparation of racemic compounds. In this work, a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug, ketoprofen (Kp), was chosen to be studied. Kp was verified as a racemic compound by FTIR, PXRD, and thermodynamic calculations. To derive the condition where pure (S)-Kp could be crystallized from a solution, which was previously enantiomerically enriched, the binary melting phase diagram and the ternary solubility phase diagram in the mixed solvent of ethanol and water over a temperature range of 15-30 degrees C were obtained. From these phase diagrams the eutectic point was determined as 91.6% mole percent (S)-Kp from the binary phase diagram and 91% from the ternary phase diagram. The results may provide valuable experiment data for the possibility of coupling fractional crystallization with SMB for Kp separation.

Use of semipreparative supercritical fluid chromatography to obtain small quantities of the albendazole sulfoxide enantiomers

The semipreparative separation of the albendazole sulfoxide enantiomers using chiral supercritical fluid chromatography is presented in this work. For this purpose, a modular SFC chromatograph was adapted to work at semipreparative scale and a Chiralpak AD (250 x 10 mm) column was used. Different injection volumes were evaluated in order to obtain high purities and throughputs. Using the maximum load, it was possible to obtain 37 mg/h of the first eluted enantiomer with a purity of 99.9%, and 36.5 mg/h of the second eluted enantiomer with a purity of 95%.

Comparative enantioseparation of selected chiral drugs on four different polysaccharide-type chiral stationary phases using polar organic mobile phases

The enantiomers of randomly selected chiral drugs and drug analogs of various structural and pharmacological groups were resolved on four different polysaccharide-type chiral stationary phases (CSP) using pure methanol and acetonitrile as mobile phases. Polysaccharide phenylester type CSP, Chiralcel-OJ although resolving the enantiomers of some chiral drugs was less universal in the combination with methanol and acetonitrile as mobile phases. Among polysaccharide phenylcarabamates amylose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) (Chiralpak-AD) was superior over the corresponding cellulose derivative, cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) (Chiralcel-OD). However, another derivative of cellulose, namely, cellulose tris(3,5-dichlorophenylcarbamate) (CDCPC) exhibited higher chiral recognition ability compared to Chiralpak-AD material. This study confirms previous findings about the applicability of polysaccharide type CSPs in so called polar organic mode as well as shows high potential of CDCPC as a practically useful CSP for High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) enantioseparations.

Modeling of the separation of the enantiomers of 1-phenyl-1-propanol on cellulose tribenzoate

The competitive adsorption isotherms of rac-1-phenyl-1-propanol on cellulose tribenzoate were measured by competitive frontal analysis. The experimental data were fitted to four different isotherm models: Langmuir, Bilangmuir, Langmuir-Freundlich, and Tóth. The fittings of the experimental data to all four models were satisfactory. It was excellent in the case of the Langmuir-Freundlich and the Tóth models. Overloaded elution profiles calculated with the Tóth isotherm were in good agreement with the experimental profiles in all the different experimental conditions investigated. This work extends to the case of binary mixtures the equivalence between the general rate and the lumped pore diffusion models already demonstrated for pure compounds when the ratio between the Stanton and the Biot numbers exceeds 5. The adsorption energy distribution for the Tóth isotherm was also calculated.

Analysis of the band profiles of the enantiomers of phenylglycine in liquid chromatography on bonded teicoplanin columns using the stochastic theory of chromatography

The retention behaviour of the enantiomers of underivatized phenylglycine was studied on a Chirobiotic T column packed with amphoteric glycopeptide teicoplanin covalently bonded to the surface of silica gel. The retention and the selectivity of separation of the enantiomers increase with rising concentration of ethanol or of methanol in aqueous-organic mobile phases. The band profiles of the less retained L-phenylglycine are symmetrical, but the band profiles of the more strongly retained D-phenylglycine are tailing in all mobile phases tested. The band broadening does not diminish even at very low concentrations of phenylglycine, so that it cannot be attributed to possible column overload. The analysis of the band profile using the stochastic theory of chromatography suggests that the broadening can be attributed to at least two additional chiral centres of adsorption in the stationary phase contributing to the retention of the more strongly retained enantiomer in addition to the adsorption of the less retained one. This behaviour can be explained by the complex structure of the teicoplanin chiral stationary phase.

Simultaneous analysis of enantiomeric composition of amino acids and N-acetyl-amino acids by enantioselective chromatography

Among the three chiral columns, CHIROBIOTIC T, CHIRLPAK WH, and CHIRALCEL OD-R, tested for the separation of racemic amino acids and N-acetyl-amino acids, only CHIROBIOTIC T chiral column which is based on covalently bonded amphoteric glycopeptide, teicoplanin, as the stationary phase ligand could be successfully developed to enantiomerically separate racemic amino acids and N-acetyl amino acids simultaneously. This method can be used to determine the enantiomeric composition of amino acids and N-acetyl-amino acids in the catalysis of D-aminoacylase or L-aminoacylase and the conversion rate of N-acylamino acid racemases.

Effect of the mobile phase on the retention behaviour of optical isomers of carboxylic acids and amino acids in liquid chromatography on bonded Teicoplanin columns

Conditions for separation of enantiomers of underivatized amino acids phenyl glycine and tryptophan and of mandelic acid as test compounds were studied on a Chirobiotic T column packed with amphoteric glycopeptide Teicoplanin covalently bonded to the surface of silica gel. The effects of the mobile phase composition on the retention and selectivity under analytical conditions, on the profile of the adsorption isotherms of the enantiomers and on the overloaded separation were investigated. The concentration of ethanol or of methanol in aqueous-organic mobile phases and the pH of the mobile phase affect not only the retention and selectivity, the saturation capacity and the isotherm profile, but also the solubility of the acids, which should be taken into account in development of preparative separations. A compromise between the separation selectivity and the solubility should be made in selecting the mobile phase suitable to accomplish preparative separations at acceptable production rate and throughput of the operation.

Melatonin receptor agents: synthesis, resolution by HPLC on polysaccharides chiral stationary phases, absolute configuration, and pharmacology of the enantiomers of (+/-)-N-[[2[(7-fluoro-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalen-1-yl)ethyl]acetamide

In order to obtain milligram amounts of the enantiomers of tetrahydronaphthalenic derivative 5 to be tested for binding to the melatonin sites, preparative HPLC employed a mobile phase consisting of n-hexane-alcohol and a silica-based cellulose tris-methylbenzoate (Chiralcel OJ) using isocratic conditions and multiple repetitive injections. The preparative separation was optimized by adjusting the sample size from a scale-up of the analytical method. The enantiomeric elution order was reversed by the change from the carbamate type phase (Chiralcel OD-H) to the benzoate type phase (Chiralcel OJ) in analytical mode. The optical rotation and the circular dichroism spectra of the single enantiomers were determined after separation. The absolute stereochemistry of the two enantiomers of (+/-)-N-[2-(7-fluoro-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalen-1-yl)ethyl]acetamide 5 was established by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The purity obtained was sufficient for a first screen of their biochemical properties: the (-)-(S) enantiomer shows more affinity for melatonin receptors MT1, MT2 and is responsible of the selectivity towards MT2.

Preparative chiral liquid chromatography for enantiomeric separation of pheromones

Cellulose triacetate was investigated as a chiral stationary phase for preparatively separating the enantiomers of lineatin, frontalin, exo-brevicomin, endo-brevicomin, verbenone, (E)-conophthorin, and grandisol. Tens of milligrams of both enantiomers were efficiently prepared in high percentage enantiomeric excess from one injection of each compound except grandisol. We prepared grandisyl acetate, benzoate, and 4-bromobenzoate to determine if derivatization of the free alcohol might improve separation. Of these, grandisyl 4-bromobenzoate provided the best separation but was still not very well resolved. Preparative separation of enantiomers on cellulose triacetate is a viable alternative to stereoselective synthesis when semiochemicals of very high enantiomeric purity are required for biological testing.

Coupling of simulated moving bed chromatography and fractional crystallisation for efficient enantioseparation

An optimised coupling of liquid chromatography and fractional crystallisation is suggested for efficient enantioseparation. As a first stage, a chromatographic separation, preferably simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography, is applied to achieve an enantiomeric enrichment sufficient for a subsequent crystallisation. First results of the experimental and modelling work for the model system (+)-/(-)-mandelic acid in an aqueous solution are described. Chromatographic investigations involve the estimation of adsorption isotherms on a suitable chiral stationary phase and the simulation and optimisation of a corresponding SMB process. From the ternary phase diagram measured for the (+)-/(-)-enantiomer/ solvent system, the conditions required to crystallise a pure enantiomer from an asymmetric mixture can be derived. The productivity gains achievable from the combined process compared to the application of chromatography alone are discussed.

Chiral chromatographic separations based on ligand exchange

Taking ligand-exchange chromatographic systems as an example, the effect of the stoichiometry of the solute-chiral selector interaction on the efficiency, selectivity and solute peak profile is discussed. Recent achievements and practical applications of chiral ligand-exchange chromatography are also briefly reviewed.

Direct separation of the stereoisomers of methoxytetrahydronaphthalene derivatives, new agonist and antagonist ligands for melatonin receptors, by liquid chromatography on cellulose chiral stationary phases

Analytical HPLC methods using derivatized cellulose chiral stationary phases were developed for the direct separation of the stereoisomers of disubstituted tetralin derivatives with two chiral centers, new agonist and antagonist ligands for melatonin receptors. The separations were made using normal-phase methodology with a mobile phase consisting of n-hexane-alcohol (methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol or 2-propanol) in various proportions, and a silica-based cellulose tris-3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate (Chiralcel OD-H), or tris-methylbenzoate (Chiralcel OJ). The effects of concentration of various aliphatic alcohols in the mobile phase were studied. A better separation was achieved on cellulose carbamate phase compared with the cellulose ester phase. The effects of structural features of the solutes on the discrimination between the stereoisomers were examined. Baseline separation (Rs>1.5) was easily obtained in many cases.

Enantioselective chromatography as a powerful alternative for the preparation of drug enantiomers

The preparative separation of enantiomers by chromatography on chiral stationary phases (CSPs) has been recognized as being a useful alternative to the more conventional approaches such as enantioselective synthesis and enzymatically catalyzed transformations. The possible contribution of enantioselective chromatography with respect to the preparation of enantiomerically pure compounds is reviewed in the context of the competitive approaches and depending on the application scale, with a special emphasis on the recent progresses achieved in this particular field of separation.

Studies on synthesis, chromatographic resolution, and antiinflammatory activities of some 2-thioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidines and their condensed derivatives

In this study, the synthesis of some new 2-thioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidines and their condensed derivatives, thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidines, are described. The structures of the compounds were confirmed by 1R, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and mass spectroscopy. The direct high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of the compounds on derivatized cellulose chiral stationary phases such as cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) (OD), cellulose tris(4-methylphenylcarbamate) (OG), and cellulose tris(4-methylbenzoate) (OJ) was studied. All of the compounds were screened for their antiinflammatory activity and also investigated histopathologically. Compounds 3 and 1a were found to be the most promising antiinflammatory agents in this group.