Optimization by Factorial Design of a Capillary Electrophoresis Method for the Chiral Resolution and Determination of Zopiclone and Its Synthesis Precursor

Application of Experimental Design Methodologies in the Enantioseparation of Pharmaceuticals by Capillary Electrophoresis: A Review

Chirality is one of the major issues in pharmaceutical research and industry. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is an interesting alternative to the more frequently used chromatographic techniques in the enantioseparation of pharmaceuticals, and is used for the determination of enantiomeric ratio, enantiomeric purity, and in pharmacokinetic studies. Traditionally, optimization of CE methods is performed using a univariate one factor at a time (OFAT) approach; however, this strategy does not allow for the evaluation of interactions between experimental factors, which may result in ineffective method development and optimization. In the last two decades, Design of Experiments (DoE) has been frequently employed to better understand the multidimensional effects and interactions of the input factors on the output responses of analytical CE methods. DoE can be divided into two types: screening and optimization designs. Furthermore, using Quality by Design (QbD) methodology to develop CE-based enantioselective techniques is becoming increasingly popular. The review presents the current use of DoE methodologies in CE-based enantioresolution method development and provides an overview of DoE applications in the optimization and validation of CE enantioselective procedures in the last 25 years. Moreover, a critical perspective on how different DoE strategies can aid in the optimization of enantioseparation procedures is presented.

First derivative spectrofluorimetric determination of zopiclone and its degradation product, 2-amino-5-chloropyridine, in pharmaceutical formulations with preliminary tool in biological fluids for clinical evidence of zopiclone intake

A simple, fast, sensitive and stability-indicating derivative spectrofluorimetric method is presented for the assay of zopiclone (ZOP), a drug with hypnotic effect, and its main degradation product and major contaminant, 2-amino-5-chloropyridine (ACP). The method is based on measuring the inherent fluorescence intensity of both drugs at λex=300nm in methanol, then differentiation using D1 (first derivative technique). The developed method was found to be rectilinear over a range of 0.2-4μg/mL of ZOP and 4-100ng/mL of ACP. The limits of detection were 0.05μg/mL of ZOP and 0.2ng/mL of ACP with the limit of quantitation of 0.17μg/mL of ZOP and 0.7ng/mL of ACP. The outcoming results of the proposed method were compared to those obtained by a reference method showing no significant statistical difference between them concerning precision and accuracy. Additionally, the developed method was applied for detecting ACP in spiked human urine and plasma specimens as a tool of clinical evidence of zopiclone intake that can be easily implemented in forensic laboratories. The proposed method was validated as per ICH guidelines.

Quantitative determination of zopiclone and its impurity by four different spectrophotometric methods

Four simple, sensitive and selective spectrophotometric methods are presented for determination of Zopiclone (ZPC) and its impurity, one of its degradation products, namely; 2-amino-5-chloropyridine (ACP). Method A is a dual wavelength spectrophotometry; where two wavelengths (252 and 301 nm for ZPC, and 238 and 261 nm for ACP) were selected for each component in such a way that difference in absorbance is zero for the second one. Method B is isoabsorptive ratio method by combining the isoabsorptive point (259.8 nm) in the ratio spectrum using ACP as a divisor and the ratio difference for a single step determination of both components. Method C is third derivative (D(3)) spectrophotometric method which allows determination of both ZPC at 283.6 nm and ACP at 251.6 nm without interference of each other. Method D is based on measuring the peak amplitude of the first derivative of the ratio spectra (DD(1)) at 263.2 nm for ZPC and 252 nm for ACP. The suggested methods were validated according to ICH guidelines and can be applied for routine analysis in quality control laboratories. Statistical analysis of the results obtained from the proposed methods and those obtained from the reported method has been carried out revealing high accuracy and good precision.

Fundamental aspects of chiral electromigration techniques and application in pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

Capillary electromigration techniques are often considered ideal methods for the analysis of chiral compounds due to the high resolution power and flexibility of the technique. Therefore, especially capillary electrophoresis using a chiral selector in the background electrolyte, also termed electrokinetic chromatography, has found widespread acceptance in analytical enantioseparations of drug compounds in pharmaceuticals and biological media. Moreover, mechanistic studies on analyte complexation by the chiral selectors have continuously been conducted in an effort to rationalize enantioseparation phenomena. These studies combined capillary electrophoresis with spectroscopic techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance and/or molecular modeling. The present review focuses on recent examples of mechanistic aspects of capillary electromigration enantioseparations and summarizes recent applications of chiral pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis published between January 2009 and August 2010.