Chromatographic and non-chromatographic assay of L-carnitine family components

Graphene-based biomimetic materials targeting urine metabolite as potential cancer biomarker: application over different conductive materials for potentiometric transduction

This works presents a novel surface Smart Polymer Antibody Material (SPAM) for Carnitine (CRT, a potential biomarker of ovarian cancer), tested for the first time as ionophore in potentiometric electrodes of unconventional configuration. The SPAM material consisted of a 3D polymeric network created by surface imprinting on graphene layers. The polymer was obtained by radical polymerization of (vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium chloride and 4-styrenesulfonic acid (signaling the binding sites), and vinyl pivalate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (surroundings). Non-imprinted material (NIM) was prepared as control, by excluding the template from the procedure. These materials were then used to produce several plasticized PVC membranes, testing the relevance of including the SPAM as ionophore, and the need for a charged lipophilic additive. The membranes were casted over solid conductive supports of graphite or ITO/FTO. The effect of pH upon the potentiometric response was evaluated for different pHs (2-9) with different buffer compositions. Overall, the best performance was achieved for membranes with SPAM ionophore, having a cationic lipophilic additive and tested in HEPES (4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid) buffer, pH 5.1. Better slopes were achieved when the membrane was casted on conductive glass (-57.4mV/decade), while the best detection limits were obtained for graphite-based conductive supports (3.6×10-5mol/L). Good selectivity was observed against BSA, ascorbic acid, glucose, creatinine and urea, tested for concentrations up to their normal physiologic levels in urine. The application of the devices to the analysis of spiked samples showed recoveries ranging from 91% (± 6.8%) to 118% (± 11.2%). Overall, the combination of the SPAM sensory material with a suitable selective membrane composition and electrode design has lead to a promising tool for point-of-care applications.

Achiral liquid chromatography with circular dichroism detection for the determination of carnitine enantiomers in dietary supplements and pharmaceutical formulations

A simple and enantioselective method for the separation and determination of carnitine enantiomers in dietary supplements and pharmaceutical formulation samples is proposed. This method is based on achiral liquid chromatographic separation of carnitine enantiomers from interferences and direct circular dichroism (CD) detection. The calibration curve of the anisotropy factor (g) versus the enantiomeric excess was linear, with a correlation coefficient (R(2)) of 0.996. The precision evaluated by UV peak area and CD peak area was suitable (RSD <5% in all cases). The usefulness of the proposed method was demonstrated by analysing natural dietary supplements and pharmaceutical formulation samples. This method has the advantages of being rapid and precise, without using an expensive chiral column. The method was suitable for the simultaneous determination of both enantiomers and for assessing the chemical purity of carnitine.

Determination of l-carnitine in food supplement formulations using ion-pair chromatography with indirect conductimetric detection

A novel method for the determination of L-carnitine in food supplement formulations was developed and validated, using ion-pair chromatography with indirect conductimetric detection. The chromatographic method was based on a non-polar (C18) column and an aqueous octanesulfonate (0.64 mM) eluent, acidified with trifluoroacetic acid (5.2 mM). The retention time was 5.4 min and the asymmetry factor 0.65. A linear calibration curve from 10 to 1000 microg/ml (r= 0.99998), with a detection limit of 2.7 microg/ml (25 microl injection volume), a repeatability %RSD of 0.8 (40 microg/ml, n = 5) and reproducibility %RSD of 2.6 were achieved. The proposed method was applied for the determination of carnitine in oral solutions and capsules. No interference from excipients was found and the only pretreatment step required was the appropriate dilution with the mobile phase. Recovery from spiked samples was ranged from 97.7 to 99.7% with a precision (%RSD, n = 3) of 0.01-2.1%.

Simultaneous determination of L- and D-carnitine using a sequential injection analysis/amperometric biosensors system

A sequential injection analysis (SIA) system is described for the simultaneous determination of L-and D-carnitine using amperometric biosensors as detectors. The SIA system was used, because of its high precision, accuracy and low sample and buffer consumption. The biosensors were designed using physical and chemical immobilization of L-amino acid oxidase and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) for the assay of L- carnitine, and D-amino acid oxidase and HRP for the assay of D-carnitine. The linear concentration ranges are in the pmol/l to nmol/l magnitude order, with very low limits of detection. The biosensors/SIA system was used reliably for on-line process control of the enantiopurity of carnitine with a frequency of 34 samples per hour.

Enantioselective analytical methods in pharmacokinetics with specific reference to genetic polymorphic metabolism

The new trend towards developing enantiospecific drugs has increased the interest in enantiospecific pharmacokinetics of chiral drugs, mainly in the case where only one of the two enantiomers is responsible for the pharmacological activity. Enantiospecific bioassays are also useful in investigating the pharmacokinetic behaviour of the two enantiomers when a given drug is marketed as racemate. The stability of the stereogenic centre in vitro and in vivo, as far as unidirectional and bidirectional inversions are concerned, is another reason for requiring stereospecific assay and bioassay. These assays are often complicated in order to achieve quantification, mainly for in vivo measurements, which are often in the low pg/ml range. This paper considers the enantiospecific bioassays, the methods and approaches used, the need for chemical derivatization, and the difficulties involved. It includes a specific discussion for the genetic polymorphic metabolism involving stereogenic centres.

Direct chromatographic resolution of carnitine and O-acylcarnitine enantiomers on a teicoplanin-bonded chiral stationary phase

R-(-)-Carnitine (vitamin B(T)) plays an important role in human energy metabolism, by facilitating the transport of long-chained fatty acids across the mitochondrial membranes. Its (S)-enantiomer acts as a competitive inhibitor of carnitine acetyltransferase, causing depletion of the body R-(-)-carnitine stock. Consequently, the separation of carnitine enantiomers is very important both to study their biological activities and to control the enantiomeric purity of pharmaceutical formulations. In the present paper we describe an easy, fast and convenient procedure for the separation of the enantiomers of carnitine and O-acylcarnitines by enantioselective HPLC on a laboratory-made chiral column containing covalently bonded teicoplanin as selector. High enantioselectivity factors (alpha values ranging from 1.31 to 3.02) and short-time analyses characterize the analytical procedure; in addition, analytes are easily detected by evaporative light scattering with no need for preliminary derivatization. The effects of pH and ionic strength of the mobile phase and of the nature of the organic modifier on the enantioselective separations were also investigated.

L-Carnitine moiety assay: an up-to-date reappraisal covering the commonest methods for various applications

L-Carnitine and its esters are typical endogenous substances. Their homeostatic equilibria are effectively controlled by various mechanisms which include rate-limiting enteral absorption, a multicomponent endogenous pool which is regulated according to a mammillary metabolism, an asymmetric body distribution and a saturable tubular reabsorption process leading to renal thresholds. In formal pharmacokinetic and metabolic investigations, the whole L-carnitine pool should be investigated, owing to the rapid interchange process between the various components of the pool. Free L-carnitine, as well as its acyl esters, must therefore be considered from an analytical viewpoint. L-Carnitine, acetyl-L-carnitine and total L-carnitine (the latter as an expression of the whole pool) can easily be assayed by enzyme or radioenzyme methods. Propionyl-L-carnitine and other esters containing fatty acids with more than three carbon atoms can be assayed using various HPLC approaches. Tandem mass spectrometry is another excellent approach to the assay of carnitine and its short-chain, medium-chain and long-chain esters. As L-carnitine contains a chiral carbon atom, the enantioselectivity of the assays is also considered in this review. Metabolites produced by enteral bacteria, namely tri-, di- and mono-methylamine, gamma-butyrobetaine, along with other systemic metabolites, namely trimethylamine N-oxide and N-nitroso dimethylamine, are very important in quantitative and toxicokinetic terms and require specific assay methods. This review covers the commonest methods of assaying carnitine and its esters, their impurities and pre-systemic and systemic metabolites and gives analytical details and information on their applications in pharmaceutics, biochemistry, pharmacokinetics and toxicokinetics.

Automated chemoenzymatic synthesis of no-carrier-added [carbonyl-11C]propionyl L-carnitine for pharmacokinetic studies

Propionyl-L-carnitine (PLC) is under development as a therapeutic for the treatment of peripheral artery disease, coronary heart disease and chronic heart failure. Three methods were examined for labelling PLC in its propionyl group with positron-emitting carbon-11 (t12 = 20.3 min), one chemical and two chemoenzymatic. The former was based on the preparation of [11C]propionyl chloride as labelling agent via 11C-carboxylation of ethylmagnesium bromide with cyclotron-produced [11C]carbon dioxide and subsequent chlorination. Reaction of carrier-added [11C]propionyl chloride with L-carnitine in trifluoroacetic acid gave [11C]PLC in 12% radiochemical yield (decay-corrected) from cyclotron-produced [11C]carbon dioxide. However, the radiosynthesis was unsuccessful at the no-carrier-added (NCA) level of specific radioactivity. [11C]Propionate, as a radioactive precursor for chemoenzymatic routes, was prepared via carboxylation of ethylmagnesium bromide with [11C]carbon dioxide and hydrolysis. NCA [11C]PLC was prepared in 68 min in 14% radiochemical yield (decay-corrected) from [11C]propionate via sequential conversions catalysed by acetate kinase, phosphotransacetylase and carnitine acetyltransferase. A superior chemoenzymatic synthesis of NCA [11C]PLC was developed, based on the use of a novel supported Grignard reagent for the synthesis of [11C]propionate and conversions by S-acetyl-CoA synthetase and carnitine acetyltransferase. This gave an overall radiochemical yield of 30-48% (decay-corrected). This synthesis was automated for radiation safety and provides pure NCA [11C]PLC in high radioactivities ready for intravenous administration within 25 min from radionuclide production. The [11C]PLC is suitable for pharmacokinetic studies in human subjects with PET and the elucidation of the fate of the propionyl group of PLC in vivo.

Propionyl-L-carnitine: labelling in the N-methyl position with carbon-11 and pharmacokinetic studies in rats

The prospective therapeutic, propionyl-L-carnitine, was labelled in the N-methyl position with the positron-emitter, carbon-11 (t1/2 = 20.4 min), with a view to studying its pharmacokinetics in humans using PET. Labelling was achieved by methylating nor-propionyl-L-carnitine hydrochloride with no-carrier-added [11C]iodomethane (produced from cyclotron-produced [11C]carbon dioxide) in ethanol in the presence of 1,2,2,6,6-pentamethylpiperidine. HPLC of the reaction mixture on a strong cation exchange column provided high purity [N-methyl-11C]propionyl-L-carnitine in 62% radiochemical yield (decay-corrected from [11C]iodomethane), ready for intravenous administration within 35 min from the end of radionuclide production. [N-methyl-11C]Propionyl-L-carnitine, given intravenously to rats, cleared rapidly from plasma. A slow uptake of radioactivity into myocardium and striated muscle was observed. In plasma, unchanged tracer represented 84% of the radioactivity at 2.5 min and 2.5% of the radioactivity at 60 min. In heart, unchanged tracer represented 18% of radioactivity at 2.5 min and 2.4% at 15 min. The remainder of radioactivity detected in plasma and heart was identified as [N-methyl-11C]L-carnitine and [N-methyl-11C]acetyl-L-carnitine.

High-performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis of L- and D-carnitine by precolumn diastereomeric derivatization

A new method for the simultaneous assay of D- and L-enantiomers of carnitine is described. The method is based on precolumn derivatization with (+)-1-(9-fluorenyl)ethyl chloroformate [(+)FLEC] producing a diastereomeric derivative which can be detected both by UV absorbance and fluorescence detection. Also acyl esters of carnitine can be processed with this method, after alkaline hydrolysis. The D-enantiomer of carnitine and acylcarnitine can be detected at a concentration as low as 0.2% in the raw material and in pharmaceuticals. Assays can be carried out using an autoinjector either by HPLC or capillary electrophoresis (CE) because the derivative proved to be very stable. Its application is proposed for the routine assay of the enantiomeric excess of L-carnitine and their acyl esters in pharmaceutical products.

Pharmacokinetics of IV and oral acetyl-L-carnitine in a multiple dose regimen in patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer type

Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC), a physiological component of the L-carnitine family, has been proposed for treating Alzheimer's disease in pharmacological doses. As this condition requires prolonged therapy, its kinetics has been examined after a multiple dose regimen, involving different routes of administration, in 11 patients suffering from Senile Dementia of Alzheimer Type. The study design comprised a 3-day basal observation period, sham treatment with repeated blood sampling; treatment with 30 mg.kg-1 i.v. [corrected] for 10 days (plasma kinetics was studied on the 7th day), and 50 days of 1.5 g/day [corrected] p.o. given in three daily doses. Total acid soluble L-carnitine, L-carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitine in plasma and CSF were evaluated using an enantioselective radioenzyme assay. Short chain L-carnitine esters were calculated as the difference between total and free-L-carnitine. The plasma concentrations of individual components of the L-carnitine family did not change during the three days of the basal period, nor were they affected during the sham therapy period. Following the i.v. bolus injections, the plasma concentrations showed a biphasic curve, with average t1/2 of 0.073 h and 1.73 h, respectively. At the end of oral treatment, plasma acetyl-L-carnitine and L-carnitine short chain esters were significantly higher than during the run-in phase. The CSF concentrations paralleled those in plasma, suggesting that ALC easily crosses the blood-brain barrier. It is concluded that i.v. and oral administration of multiple doses of ALC can increase its plasma and CSF concentration in patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Enzymes in stereoselective pharmacokinetics of endogenous substances

The use of enzymes to assay individual components of the L-carnitine family in pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, and biological fluids with various forms of detection is reviewed. The most useful enzyme in the assay of compounds of the L-carnitine family is carnitine acetyl transferase (CAT), which catalyses the reversible interconversion of L-carnitine and its short-chain acyl esters. CAT can be used in one or more coupled reactions combined with U.V., or radiolabelled detection, or combined with HPLC, allowing, enantioselective, structurally specific, and, in the case of radiolabelled tracing, highly sensitive assays to be carried out. When compared with chromatographic separation of enantiomers or diastereoisomers, enantioselective enzyme mediated assays may be cheaper, more sensitive, and simpler, but they do not allow the nonpreferred isomer to be assayed. Consequently, they are appropriate for the specific assay of endogenous enantiomeric substrates of the enzyme concerned, in biological samples. The analysis of the other enantiomer in raw materials or in pharmaceuticals must be more properly approached by enantioselective chromatographic methods.

Analysis of acylcarnitines as their N-demethylated ester derivatives by gas chromatography-chemical ionization mass spectrometry

A novel approach to the analysis of acylcarnitines has been developed. It involves a direct esterification using propyl chloroformate in aqueous propanol followed by ion-pair extraction with potassium iodide into chloroform and subsequent on-column N-demethylation of the resulting acylcarnitine propyl ester iodides. The products, acyl N-demethylcarnitine propyl esters, are volatile and are easily analyzed by gas chromatography-chemical ionization mass spectrometry. For medium-chain-length (C4-C12) acylcarnitine standards, detection limits are demonstrated to be well below 1 ng starting material using selected ion monitoring. Well-separated gas chromatographic peaks and structure-specific mass spectra are obtained with samples of synthetic and biological origin. Seven acylcarnitines have been characterized in the urine of a patient suffering from medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency.