Role of biological matrices during the analysis of chiral drugs by liquid chromatography

Detection of Metoprolol in Human Biofluids and Pharmaceuticals via Ion-Transfer Voltammetry at the Nanoscopic Liquid/Liquid Interface Array

Metoprolol (MTP) is one of the most widely used antihypertensive drugs yet banned to use in sport competition. Therefore, there has been an increasing demand for developing simple, rapid, and sensitive methods suited to the identification and quantification of MTP in human biofluids. In this work, ultrathin silica nanochannel membrane (SNM) with perforated channels was employed to support nanoscale liquid/liquid interface (nano-ITIES) array for investigation of the ion-transfer voltammetric behavior of MTP and for its detection in multiple human biofluids and pharmaceutical formulation. Several potential interfering substances, including small molecules, d-glucose, urea, ascorbic acid, glycine, magnesium chloride, sodium sulfate and large molecules, bovine serum albumin (BSA), were chosen as models of biological interferences to examine their influence on the ion-transfer current signal of MTP. The results confirmed that the steady-state current wave barely changed in the presence of small molecules. Although BSA displayed an apparent blockade on the transfer of MTP, the accurate determination of MTP in multiple human biofluids (i.e., urine, serum and whole blood) and pharmaceutical formulation were still feasible, thanks to the molecular sieving and antifouling abilities of SNM. A limit of detection (LOD) within the physiological level of MTP during therapy could be achieved for all cases, i.e., 0.5 and 1.1 μM for 100 times diluted urine and serum, respectively, and 2.2 μM for 1000 times diluted blood samples. These results demonstrated that the nano-ITIES array behaved as a simplified and integrated detection platform for ionizable drug analysis in complex media.

Preparation of a β-Cyclodextrin-Based Open-Tubular Capillary Electrochromatography Column and Application for Enantioseparations of Ten Basic Drugs

An open-tubular capillary electrochromatography column was prepared by chemically immobilized β-cyclodextrin modified gold nanoparticles onto new surface with the prederivatization of (3-mercaptopropyl)-trimethoxysilane. The synthesized nanoparticles and the prepared column were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet visible spectroscopy. When the column was employed as the chiral stationary phase, no enantioselectivity was observed for ten model basic drugs. So β-cyclodextrin was added to the background electrolyte as chiral additive to expect a possible synergistic effect occurring and resulting in a better separation. Fortunately, significant improvement in enantioselectivity was obtained for ten pairs of drug enantiomers. Then, the effects of β-cyclodextrin concentration and background electrolyte pH on the chiral separation were investigated. With the developed separation mode, all the enantiomers (except for venlafaxine) were baseline separated in resolutions of 4.49, 1.68, 1.88, 1.57, 2.52, 2.33, 3.24, 1.63 and 3.90 for zopiclone, chlorphenamine maleate, brompheniramine maleate, dioxopromethazine hydrochloride, carvedilol, homatropine hydrobromide, homatropine methylbromide, venlafaxine, sibutramine hydrochloride and terbutaline sulfate, respectively. Further, the possible separation mechanism involved was discussed.

In vivo measurement of extravasation of silver nanoparticles into liver extracellular space by push-pull-based continuous monitoring system

With the increasing prevalence of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in various products, whether such AgNPs will introduce new injury mechanisms from new pathologies remains to be determined. From the toxicokinetic viewpoint, it is vital to have in-depth knowledge of their in vivo transport kinetics and extravasation phenomenon. By combining push-pull perfusion sampling, in-tube solid phase extraction, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, we used an in vivo push-pull-based continuous monitoring system to investigate in vivo transport kinetics of extracellular AgNPs in living rat liver with a detection limit and temporal resolution of 0.64μgL(-1) and 10min, respectively. Before administration into living rats, the pre-incubation in DMEM with 10% FBS for 8h was adopted as the optimized exposure condition for the used AgNPs. After repeated-dose treatments, we observed a higher concentration of AgNPs in the liver extracellular space, suggesting that AgNP clearance by the reticuloendothelial system (RES) may be blocked by a prior administration of AgNPs. Future studies on AgNP distribution in different liver compartments (blood stream, extracellular space and Kupffer cells/hepatocytes) are necessary for defining the risks and benefits of AgNP applications.

Determination of salbutamol by direct chiral reversed-phase HPLC using teicoplanin as stationary phase and its application to natural water analysis

A direct chiral LC-UV method was optimized for the determination of salbutamol (SAL) β2 -agonist in environmental water. Two commercially available columns were evaluated: teicoplanin Chirobiotic-T™ (150 × 2.1 mm i.d., 5 µm) and vancomycin Chirobiotic-V™ (150 × 2.1 mm i.d., 5 µm). Finally, teicoplanin chiral stationary phase was selected for SAL enantiomer resolution. In order to preserve its integrity and maintain the column performance for longer time, the use of additives such as triethylamine (TEA) in the mobile phase was avoided. Experimental design was applied to simultaneously evaluate the influence of several parameters involved in enantiomer separation and to establish the conditions for acceptable resolution and performance in short analysis time. Optimum mobile phase was methanol-20 mM ammonium acetate buffer at pH 4.5 (98:2, v/v). A solid-phase extraction procedure for sample pre-concentration and clean-up allowed the determination of chiral SAL residues in natural water samples spiked at low concentrations in the range 1.0-20 ng mL(-1) . Reproducible recoveries, between 77 and 98%, were obtained and matrix effect was negligible. Injection of sample solutions at low elution strength permitted the SAL enantioresolution in the natural water complex matrix with satisfactory sensitivity and precision.

Multifunctional Macrocyclic Receptors as Templates for Aromatic Amino Acids: A Rare Example of a Highly Selective Multi-Input Multi-Output Chemo-"Logic Gate"

Proton-bound [M⋅H⋅G]⁺ diastereomeric complexes between some chiral aromatic amino acids or dipeptides (G) and a chiral multifunctional macrocyclic receptor (M=Chirabite-A) undergo, in the gas phase, highly selective substitution and addition reactions by amines, such as 2-aminobutane and piperidine. All the [M⋅H⋅G]⁺ complexes follow time-dependent monoexponential decays. In some cases, the kinetic curves exhibit a plateau revealing the presence of unreactive [M⋅H⋅G]⁺ structures. In them, the amino acid is accommodated in the macrocycle cavity in the zwitterionic form by sharing its acidic hydrogen atoms with the pyridine nitrogen atoms of the host. The same interactions are structurally inaccessible to G=dipeptides or monofunctional amines, which then can be readily released from [M⋅H⋅G]⁺ . When the amino acid interacts with the amidocarbonyl oxygen atoms pointing outside the macrocycle cavity, it saves the canonical structure and can be readily displaced by the amine. The Chirabite-A may act as an efficient template for aromatic amino acids by releasing them or not depending upon the amino acid configuration and the basicity of the amine. These unique properties confer to the gas-phase diastereomeric [M⋅H⋅G]⁺ complexes the features of multi-input multi-output chemo-"logic gates".

Pharmacologically active compounds in the environment and their chirality

Pharmacologically active compounds including both legally used pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs are potent environmental contaminants. Extensive research has been undertaken over the recent years to understand their environmental fate and toxicity. The one very important phenomenon that has been overlooked by environmental researchers studying the fate of pharmacologically active compounds in the environment is their chirality. Chiral drugs can exist in the form of enantiomers, which have similar physicochemical properties but differ in their biological properties such as distribution, metabolism and excretion, as these processes (due to stereospecific interactions of enantiomers with biological systems) usually favour one enantiomer over the other. Additionally, due to different pharmacological activity, enantiomers of chiral drugs can differ in toxicity. Furthermore, degradation of chiral drugs during wastewater treatment and in the environment can be stereoselective and can lead to chiral products of varied toxicity. The distribution of different enantiomers of the same chiral drug in the aquatic environment and biota can also be stereoselective. Biological processes can lead to stereoselective enrichment or depletion of the enantiomeric composition of chiral drugs. As a result the very same drug might reveal different activity and toxicity and this will depend on its origin and exposure to several factors governing its fate in the environment. In this critical review a discussion of the importance of chirality of pharmacologically active compounds in the environmental context is undertaken and suggestions for directions in further research are made. Several groups of chiral drugs of major environmental relevance are discussed and their pharmacological action and disposition in the body is also outlined as it is a key factor in developing a full understanding of their environmental occurrence, fate and toxicity. This review will be of interest to environmental scientists, especially those interested in issues associated with environmental contamination with pharmacologically active compounds and chiral pollutants. As the review will outline current state of knowledge on chiral drugs, it will be of value to anyone interested in the phenomenon of chirality, chiral drugs, their stereoselective disposition in the body and environmental fate (212 references).

Enantioselective quantification of chiral drugs in human plasma with LC–MS/MS

Today, approximately 60% of synthetic drugs are chiral and 88% of these chiral synthetic drugs are used therapeutically as racemates. However, for many racemic drugs, their stereospecific plasma pharmacokinetics in humans are not known due to the limitations of the analytical methods. Nowadays, liquid chromatography (LC)–tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) methods based on various chiral stationary phases (CSPs), with a high degree of specificity and sensitivity, have been widely used in enantioselective determination of chiral drugs and/or their metabolites in human plasma. The technologies and issues when coupling chiral chromatography with MS/MS detection in bioanalytical methods will be reviewed herein. The introduction and applications of various CPSs, including polysaccharide-, macrocyclic glycopeptide-, protein- and cyclodextrin-based phases, are described here. This review also includes a discussion of interface and matrix effects in enantioselective LC–MS/MS methods.

Two-dimensional reverse phase-reverse phase chromatography: A simple and robust platform for sensitive quantitative analysis of peptides by LC/MS. Hardware design

We have revised current two-dimensional RP-RP approaches and developed a new robust 2-D RP-RP platform. This platform was implemented on an Agilent 1100 2-D liquid chromatography system and is based on high pressure switching between two high-resolution RP columns. An independent binary gradient was implemented for each dimension. The powerful combination of dual analytical columns with independent gradient elution achieves high analyte purity, effectively eliminates matrix effects, and maximizes MS sensitivity in Q1 SIM comparable to the sensitivity enhancements of MS/MS-based methods. Implementation of dual simultaneous gradient profiles (overlapped gradients) reduces 2-D method run-time to the scale of 1-D method run-times. This robust and sensitive approach is particularly suitable for hydrophobic peptides and small proteins and can be used as a routine standard technique for enhanced on-line peptide purification coupled with mass spectrometric detection.

Determination of eflornithine enantiomers in plasma, by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography with evaporative light-scattering detection

A bioanalytical method for determination of eflornithine (DFMO) in 1000 microL human plasma has been developed and validated. DFMO and the internal standard (IS) were analysed by liquid chromatography with evaporative light-scattering detection (ELSD). Separation was performed on a Chirobiotic TAG (250 mm x 4.6 mm) column with ethanol (99.5%):0.01 mol/L acetic acid-triethylamine buffer at the rate of 25:75% (v/v) with flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. For d-DFMO in plasma the inter-assay precision was 6.5% at 75 micromol/L, 6.6% at 375 micromol/L and 5.8% at 750 micromol/L. For l-DFMO in plasma the inter-assay precision was 10.4% at 75 micromol/L, 6.5% at 375 micromol/L and 5.0% at 750 micromol/L. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was determined to 25 micromol/L where the precision was 4.3% and 5.7%, respectively.

Enantioselective HPLC-UV method for determination of eslicarbazepine acetate (BIA 2-093) and its metabolites in human plasma

Eslicarbazepine acetate (BIA 2-093) is a novel central nervous system drug undergoing clinical phase III trials for epilepsy and phase II trials for bipolar disorder. A simple and reliable chiral reversed-phase HPLC-UV method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of eslicarbazepine acetate, oxcarbazepine, S-licarbazepine and R-licarbazepine in human plasma. The analytes and internal standard were extracted from plasma by a solid-phase extraction using Waters Oasis HLB cartridges. Chromatographic separation was achieved by isocratic elution with water-methanol (88:12, v/v), at a flow rate of 0.7 mL/min, on a LichroCART 250-4 ChiraDex (beta-cyclodextrin, 5 microm) column at 30 degrees C. All compounds were detected at 225 nm. Calibration curves were linear over the range 0.4-8 microg/mL for eslicarbazepine acetate and oxcarbazepine, and 0.4-80 microg/mL for each licarbazepine enantiomer. The overall intra- and interday precision and accuracy did not exceed 15%. Mean relative recoveries varied from 94.00 to 102.23% and the limit of quantification of the assay was 0.4 microg/mL for all compounds. This method seems to be a useful tool for clinical research and therapeutic drug monitoring of eslicarbazepine acetate and its metabolites S-licarbazepine, R-licarbazepine and oxcarbazepine.

Solving multicomponent chiral separation challenges using a new SFC tandem column screening tool

A tool for improved tandem column chiral supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) method development screening was prepared by modification of a commercial analytical SFC instrument with two different software-controllable, six position high-pressure column selection valves, each controlling a bank of five different columns and a pass through line. The resulting instrument, which has the ability to screen 10 different individual columns and 25 different tandem column arrangements, is a useful tool for facilitating the screening of tandem column SFC arrangements for separation of complex mixtures of stereoisomers or other multicomponent mixtures. Strategies for optimal use of the instrument are discussed, and several examples of the use of the instrument in developing tandem SFC methods for resolution of multicomponent mixtures are presented.

Rapid analysis of porphyrins at low ng/l and μg/l levels in human urine by a gradient liquid chromatography method using octadecylsilica monolithic columns

Rapid gradient RP-HPLC method with fluorimetric detection for trace analysis of diagnostically significant porphyrins in human urine was developed for clinical and diagnostic purposes. Results show that optimized high-pressure gradient elution and monolithic column Chromolith SpeedRod RP18e enabled separation of seven urine porphyrins including baseline separation of I and III positional isomers of uro- and coproporphyrins within 3.2 min. Problems associated with high metal cation complexing ability of the analytes and common stainless steel based instrumentation were substantially reduced by use of 0.1 mol/l ammonium citrate buffer (pH 5.47) and methanol as a mobile phase components. Good reproducibilities of retention times (within +/- 0.36% RSD) and peak areas (from +/- 0.6 to +/- 2.5% RSD) at 5-20 microg/l level of the analytes were achieved. Determined LOQ (10 x S/N) values of diagnostically important porphyrins using fluorimetric detection (ex.405 nm/em.620 nm) were 82 pmol/l (65 ng/l, 1.30 pg/injection) for uroporphyrin I, 44 pmol/l (33 ng/l, 0.66 pg/injection) for uroporphyrin III, 50 pmol/l (40 ng/l, 0.80 pg/injection) for coproporphyrin I and 47 pmol/l (39 ng/l, 0.78 pg/injection) for coproporphyrin III. Attained LOQ concentration level is approximately 20-120 times lower than concentration of porphyrins in a urine of healthy person. Calculated LOD's (3 x S/N) were at a low ng/l levels, what enabled quantification of carry-over effect to be from 2.0% to 0.2% in each of three consecutive blank runs and from 2.5% to 7% in total after injection of mixed standard of porphyrins with 5-20 microg/l concentrations. Recovery of porphyrins at low microg/l concentration levels was from 93% to 97.5%. Devised method increases productivity of clinical laboratory from 2 to 10 times in dependence of duration of currently used method.