Chromatographic methods for monitoring the optical isomers of unusual aromatic amino acids

Chiral derivatizations applied for the separation of unusual amino acid enantiomers by liquid chromatography and related techniques

Amino acids are essential for life, and have many functions in metabolism. One particularly important function is to serve as the building blocks of peptides and proteins, giving rise complex three dimensional structures through disulfide bonds or crosslinked amino acids. Peptides are frequently cyclic and contain proteinogenic as well as nonproteinogenic amino acids in many instances. Since most of the proteinogenic α-amino acids contain at least one stereogenic center (with the exception of glycine), the stereoisomers of all these amino acids and the peptides in which they are to be found may possess differences in biological activity in living systems. The impetus for advances in chiral separation has been highest in the past 25 years and this still continues to be an area of high focus. The important analytical task of the separation of isomers is achieved mainly by chromatographic and electrophoretic methods. This paper reviews indirect separation approaches, i.e. derivatization reactions aimed at creating the basis for the chromatographic resolution of biologically and pharmaceutically important enantiomers of unusual amino acids and related compounds, with emphasis on the literature published from 1980s. The main aspects of the chiral derivatization of amino acids are discussed, i.e. derivatization on the amino group, transforming the molecules into covalently bonded diastereomeric derivatives through the use of homochiral derivatizing agents. The diastereomers formed (amides, urethanes, urea and thiourea derivatives, etc.) can be separated on achiral stationary phases. The applications are considered, and in some cases different derivatizing agents for the resolution of complex mixtures of proteinogenic d,l-amino acids, non-proteinogenic amino acids and peptides/amino acids from peptide syntheses or microorganisms are compared.

Enantioseparation of phenylalanine analogs on a quinine-based anion-exchanger chiral stationary phase: Structure and temperature effects

Application of a cinchona alkaloid-based chiral anion-exchanger stationary phase for the direct high-performance liquid chromatographic enantioseparation of N-protected unusual phenylalanine analogs is reported. The N-benzyloxycarbonyl, N-3,5-dinitrobenzyloxycarbonyl, N-benzoyl and N-3,5-dinitrobenzoyl derivatives were well separable with high resolution. To achieve optimal separation of the enantiomers, the chromatographic conditions and temperature were varied. Linear van't Hoff plots were observed in the studied temperature range, 278-343 K, and the apparent changes in enthalpy, delta(deltaH degrees), entropy, delta(delta S degrees), and Gibbs free energy, delta(delta G degrees), were calculated. The values of the thermodynamic parameters depended on the nature of the N-acyl groups, on the structures of the compounds, and especially on the nature of the substituent on C3 of phenylalanine.

Indirect high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of stereoisomers of beta-alkyl-substituted amino acids by the application of (S)-N-(4-nitrophenoxycarbonyl)phenylalanine methoxyethyl ester as chiral derivatizing agent

The indirect high-performance liquid chromatographic enantioresolution of beta-alkyl-substituted analogues of tyrosine, phenylalanine, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid and tryptophan is reported. (S)-N-(4-Nitrophenoxycarbonyl)phenylalanine methoxyethyl ester, a recently developed chiral derivatizing agent, was used for pre-column derivatization of the investigated analytes. The diastereoisomers formed were analysed under reversed-phase conditions. The effects of parameters such as the amount and type of the organic modifier and the type of the stationary phase on the resolution and retention of the derivatives were investigated. Chromatographic conditions were found for the separation of all four stereoisomers of each analyte.

Chiral separation of beta-methyl-amino acids by ligand exchange using capillary electrophoresis and HPLC

This paper deals with the chiral separation of optical isomers of beta-methyl-amino acids by CE and HPLC using the principle of ligand-exchange. Capillary zone electrophoresis was carried out using Cu(II) complexes of L-4-hydroxyproline (L-4-Hypro), N-(2-hydroxypropyl)-L-4-hydroxyproline (HP-L-4-Hypro) and N-(2-hydroxyoctyl)-L-4-hydroxyproline (HO-L-4-Hypro) as chiral selectors, added to the electrolyte. The HPLC separations were performed on a chiral stationary ligand-exchange chromatography phase containing L-4-Hypro chemically bonded to silica gel. With both techniques nearly all compounds investigated are baseline resolved using different background electrolytes and mobile phases, respectively.