Photochemical properties of selected flavonol dyes: Effects on their separation using capillary electrophoresis

Flavonols are naturally occurring dyes that can be extracted from plants. Because of their antioxidant properties, they are thought to have health benefits. In this study, the photochemical degradation properties of selected flavonols were investigated. Dilute solutions of dyes were exposed to light from a broadband visible light source, and the rate of photodegradation was determined by measuring the decrease in fluorescence of the dyes with respect to time. At pH 9.24, the first-order rate constants for 10?µg?mL^?1 solutions of myricetin, quercetin, kaempferol, and morin were 0.468, 0.162, 0.108, and 0.126?s^?1, respectively. Interestingly, the stability of these historical dyes was also found to be greatly affected by pH. Awareness of the photochemical properties and stability of flavonol dyes is very important for capillary electrophoresis (CE) separations. Photodegradation of the flavonol dyes under the alkaline conditions (pH 9.2) used in CE can have a profound effect on the reproducibility of repeated separations. Even a modest decrease in pH (pH 8.5) greatly improved the stability of these dyes and enabled the successful separation of these flavonol dyes with minimal degradation over time.     

Chiral separation of benzothiazole derivatives of amino acids using capillary zone electrophoresis

A method for the separation of enantiomers of leucine and phenylalanine benzothiazole derivatives as potential antimicrobial agents was developed using capillary zone electrophoresis with a dual cyclodextrin (CD) system. The best resolution of enantiomers was achieved in 100 mmol/L phosphate background electrolyte (pH 3.5) with the dual CD system consisting of 10 mmol/L of β‐CD with 10 mmol/L of 2‐hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin for leucine derivative and 10 mmol/L of 2‐hydroxypropyl‐γ‐cyclodextrin for phenylalanine derivative, respectively. Under the optimal conditions, the highest enantioresolution of 1.25 was achieved in a noncoated‐fused silica capillary at 17°C and 24 kV applied voltage.     

Chiral separation of deprenyl-N-oxide isomers by capillary electrophoresis using various cyclodextrin derivatives

Chiral separation of deprenyl-N-oxide isomers is presented using capillary electrophoresis in the presence of various cyclodextrin (CD) derivatives. This recently identified metabolite of R-(-)-deprenyl may possess desirable pharmacological activities. The effect of the cavity size and the substituents of the CD are examined on the enantiomer resolution of the compound having an asymmetric center on a heteroatom. The importance of hydrophilic or hydrogen bonding interaction, as well as the position of the interacting groups is demonstrated. Outstanding selectivity and resolution values are achieved using the chargeable carboxymethyl-beta-CD. 2-Hydroxypropyl-beta-CD is also suitable for the enantiomer separation of the analyte. Native beta-CD and carboxyethyl-beta-CD provide only poor enantioselectivity, whereas heptakis-(2,6-di-O-methyl)-beta-CD is capable of separating only the diastereomers. No chiral resolution can be observed in the presence of gamma-CD.     

Rapid separation of tetracycline derivatives and their main degradation products by capillary zone electrophoresis.

A mixture of five tetracycline (TC) derivatives: minocycline (MC), demeclocycline (DMCTC), doxycycline (DC), and sancycline (SC), as well as each TC derivative from its main degradation product were separated by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). The influence of the pH and the concentration and nature of the background electrolyte (BGE) on the separations was investigated. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA; 1 mM) was used as additive in a 25 mM phosphate buffer (pH 2.3) because this BGE enabled the rapid separation of the TC derivatives and of each TC derivative from its respective degradation product in less than 6 min. After optimization of the separation conditions, the analytical characteristics of the method were investigated. The parameters involved were linearity, precision (repeatability and reproducibility), and limits of detection (LODs). LODs obtained for the five TC derivatives studied were about 3 microg/mL. Finally, the CZE method developed was applied to study the stability of TC derivatives and to analyze the TC derivative content in three different pharmaceutical preparations.     

Experimental design for enantioselective separation of celiprolol by capillary electrophoresis using sulfated beta-cyclodextrin

A capillary zone electrophoresis method was developed for the enantioseparation of celiprolol enantiomers, using a sulfated beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) as a chiral selector. The use of a coated capillary was necessary to achieve stable and reproducible enantioseparations. A central composite design was applied to optimize the method and four parameters were selected for this study: the buffer pH, the buffer concentration, the sulfated beta-CD concentration and the temperature. Resolution between celiprolol enantiomers as well as analysis time and generated current were established as responses. For each response, a model was obtained by a second-degree mathematical expression. From the models, the most favorable conditions were determined by optimizing the resolution between celiprolol enantiomers and by setting the two other responses at threshold values. Response surfaces were also used to assess the robustness of the analytical method around the optimal region. Successful results were obtained with a 52 mM acetate buffer at pH 4.0 in the presence of 3.0 mM sulfated beta-CD at a temperature of 19.5 degrees C. Under these optimized conditions, baseline separation of the celiprolol enantiomers was achieved in less than 10 min. The method showed good validation data in terms of precision, accuracy and linearity, and was found to be suitable in determining celiprolol enantiomers in pharmaceutical preparations and in biological fluids.     

Correlation free-solution capillary electrophoresis migration times of small peptides with physicochemical properties

Summary A series of small peptides containing varying degree of charge and size was used to study the effects of physicochemical properties on migration in free-solution capillary electrophoresis (FSCE). A semiempirical relationship between migration time under acidic conditions and the square root of molecular weight divided by the quantity of the number of the positively ionizable groups has been established. The ionization of the carboxyl terminal group in the polypeptides is negligible under acidic conditions. The relationship developed from this work has been used for the prediction of migration parameters in free solution capillary electrophoresis.     

Enantiomeric separation of acidic compounds using single-isomer amino cyclodextrin derivatives in nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis

The enantiomeric separation of a series of acidic pharmaceuticals (mostly nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) has been investigated in NACE systems using single-isomer amino beta-CD derivatives. The first part of this study consisted of the selection of the basic experimental conditions to separate efficiently the enantiomers of acidic drugs. Several parameters, such as the nature of the ionic BGE components, were studied and a methanolic solution of ammonium acetate containing the cationic CD was selected as BGE. A D-optimal design with 20 experimental points was then applied and the nature and concentration of the CD were found to have a significant effect on the enantiomeric resolution for all studied compounds. Resolution (R(s)) values were always higher with 6-monodeoxy-6-mono(3-hydroxy)propylamino-beta-CD (PA-beta-CD) compared to those obtained with 6-monodeoxy-6-mono(2-hydroxy)propylamino-beta-CD (IPA-beta-CD). However, the latter led to shorter migration times. Generic NACE conditions were then selected by means of the multivariate approach in order to obtain the highest R(s) values in a minimum amount of time. Finally, dependence of separation selectivity, resolution, as well as mobility difference on chiral selector concentration was discussed and binding constants with PA-beta-CD were estimated for the two enantiomers of one of the model compounds, suprofen in these NACE systems.     

Non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis separation of fullerenes and C60 fullerene derivatives

As the interest in the use of fullerene compounds in biomedical and cosmetic applications increases, so too does the need to develop methods for their determination and quantitation in such complex matrices. In this work, we studied the behavior of C60 and C70 fullerenes in non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis, as well as two C60 fullerene derivatives not previously reported by any electrophoretic method, N-methyl-fulleropyrrolidine and (1,2-methanofullerene C60)-61-carboxylic acid. The separation was performed using fused-silica capillaries with an I.D. of 50?μm and tetraalkylammonium salts, namely tetra-n-decylammonium bromide (200?mM) and tetraethylammonium bromide (40?mM), in a solvent mixture containing 6?% methanol and 10?% acetic acid in acetonitrile/chlorobenzene (1:1?v/v) as the background electrolyte. Detection limits, based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1, were calculated, and values between 1 and 3.7?mg/L were obtained. Good run-to-run and day-to-day precisions on concentration were achieved with relative standard deviation lower than 15?%. For the first time, an electrophoretic technique has been applied for the analysis of C60 fullerene in a commercial cosmetic cream. A standard addition method was used for quantitation, and the result was compared with that obtained by analyzing the same cream by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry.     

On-line enhancement and separation of nanoparticles using capillary electrophoresis

We describe a rapid, simple, and highly efficient capillary electrophoresis (CE)-based method for the analysis of nanoparticles (NPs). In this study, we used the reversed electrode polarity stacking mode (REPSM) of CE to assess the feasibility of enhancing the detection of Au NPs and Au/Ag NPs, optimizing parameters such as the length of time for which the REPSM was applied, the concentrations of the buffer and the sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) surfactant, and the pH. Under the optimized on-line enhancement conditions [buffer: SDS (40 mM) and 3-cyclohexylamino-1-propanesulfonic acid (CAPS; 10 mM) at pH 10.0; applied voltage: 20 kV; REPSM applied for 24s], the detection limits of the Au NPs and Au/Ag NPs increased by ca. 30- and 140-fold, respectively. In addition, when the NPs were subjected to on-line enhancement and separation by CE using diode array detection (DAD), this approach allowed chemical characterization of the NP species. Our results suggest that such CE analyses will be useful for accelerating the rates of fabrication and characterization of future nanomaterials.     

Optimization using central composite design for antihistamines separation by nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical and electrochemiluminescence detections

The first detailed examination of non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical and electrochemiluminescence detections (NACE-EC/ECL), separation parameters and their interactions via central composite design was presented. This concept was demonstrated by examining the optimization separation conditions of seven antihistamines (chlorpheniramine, cyproheptadine, diphenhydramine, doxylamine, methapyrilene, terfenadine, and triprolidine) by NACE-EC/ECL. To evaluate the NACE separation quality, the chromatography resolution statistic function (CRS(-1) function) with regard to the resolution and migration time was established as the response variable. The influences of three experimental variables (buffer apparent pH value (pH*), buffer (TBAP) concentration, and separation voltage) on the response were investigated. A set of optimal conditions was obtained from central composite design: 9.2 mM TBAP in ACN (pH* 4.0) and voltage (12.7 kV), and under these optimum conditions, the seven antihistamines could be well separated in less than 10 min. The obtained electropherograms indicated that the dual EC/ECL detection system was indispensable since the six antihistamines (except for triprolidine) displayed both EC and ECL response, whereas triprolidine only displayed the EC response. This work is instructive for investigators in simplifying the NACE-EC/ECL development procedures for multi-component analysis.     

Enantioseparation of dihydrofurocoumarin derivatives by various separation modes of capillary electrophoresis

Chiral dihydrofurocoumarin compounds are currently the focus of industrial and pharmacological research. These derivatives have been shown to possess many physiological properties that could be medically beneficial. This work proposes four different chiral separation methods using capillary electrophoresis and micellar capillary electrophoresis (MCE). Several different cyclodextrin chiral selectors were examined to evaluate their effectiveness in the enantioseparation of dihydrofurocoumarins. In addition, the effects of the chiral selector concentration, the presence of an organic modifier, run buffer pH, and in two cases, the ratio between the chiral selector and an additional charged pseudophase were investigated. Overall, the best separations for this class of chiral compounds were achieved using sulfated beta-cyclodextrins at low pH in the reversed polarity mode.     

Principles of DNA separation with capillary electrophoresis

During the last decade, capillary electrophoresis (CE) of DNA has undergone rapid development. This improvement was especially important for DNA sequencing, where CE has now become a standard method facilitating to decipher several genomes within a very short time. Here, we give a review of the fundamentals of DNA separation in CE and the major factors influencing the performance.     

Enantiomer separation by capillary electrophoresis using DEAE-dextran and aminoglycosidic antibiotics

Summary Diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) dextran hydrochloride and three kinds of aminoglycosidic antibiotics; fradiomycin sulfate, kanamycin sulfate and streptomycin sulfate, were employed as chiral selectors in capillary electrophoresis, enantiomer separation. These selectors are cationic or basic because of amino functionality and therefore used for enantiomer separation of acidic compounds. To avoid adsorption of the basic or cationic selectors on the capillary inner surface, a coated capillary was employed. Among those tested, enantiomers of binaphthyl compounds and synthetic intermediates of diltiazem analogues were separated. Methanol addition was effective for the improvement of peak shape and resolution.     

Enantiomeric separation of furan derivatives and fused polycycles by cyclodextrin-modified micellar capillary electrophoresis

The enantiomeric separations of highly hydrophobic furan derivatives and polycycles were performed and optimized using CD-modified micellar CE. The most effective chiral selector for the enantiomeric separation of these analytes was hydroxypropyl-gamma-CD. The effects of CD and SDS concentration and organic modifier were examined in order to optimize the separation conditions. The ratio of CD to surfactant concentration affected the enantiomeric separation significantly, with increases in the derivatized CD concentration generally enhancing resolution. Addition of an organic solvent modifier to the run buffer served to increase the analytes' solubility and enhance the separation efficiency. A highly acidic pH was necessary to effectively suppress the EOF when operating in the reverse polarity mode.     

Chemometric method to optimize chiral separation of imidazole derivatives by capillary electrophoresis

A chemometric methodology was proposed to optimize the migration time, height equivalent to a theoretical plate and separation of a mixture of a series of imidazole compounds by capillary electrophoresis. The optimization process was based on a special polynomial from 9 or 18 preliminary experiments. This method connects a general simplex method to a computer. A simplex two or three optimization-capillary electrophoresis (STO-CE) method has been developed in our laboratory. The most efficient separation was achieved with acetonitrile-phosphate buffer, pH 4.70, (5.30+94.70 (v/v)) with a beta-cyclodextrin concentration in the background electrolyte equal to 5.80 mM and a capillary temperature of 35 degrees C. Similar results were obtained using simple step-wise scanning. The higher relative difference obtained for these values with these two methods (simplex and step-wise scanning) was 5% for the beta-cyclodextrin concentration factor.     

Enantiomeric and isomeric separation of herbicides using cyclodextrin-modified capillary zone electrophoresis

Cyclodextrin-modified capillary zone electrophoresis (CD-CZE) was applied successfully to the enantiomeric and isomeric separation of three herbicides (imazaquin, diclofop and imazamethabenz). Commercially available cyclodextrins were evaluated for separation of the enantiomers and isomers of the three herbicides having varied molecular structures. The enantiomers of imazaquin and diclofop, and the isomers of imazamethabenz could be resolved with a resolution of ≥1.5. The resolution was found to depend on pH of the run buffer, cyclodextrin type and cyclodextrin concentration. By employing mixed cyclodextrins in the running buffer, the three herbicides were simultaneously separated in a single run. In addition, rapid (less than 3 min) enantiomeric separation is demonstrated using imazaquin as a model herbicide. The reported capillary electrophoresis (CE) methods are simple, rapid, efficient and reproducible and our results demonstrate that CE provides a powerful analytical tool for enantiomeric and isomeric separation of herbicides.     

Chiral separation of local anaesthetics with capillary electrophoresis

Summary A chiral capillary electrophoresis system for the highresolution separation of the enantiomers of the local anaesthetics mepivacaine, ropivacaine, bupivacaine and prilocaine is described. Triethanolamine was added to the background electrolyte to obtain a negative electroosmotic flow and hence higher resolutions. The interactions of the local anaesthetics and their chemical analogues with the chiral selector, dimethyl--cyclodextrin, were studied. From a model describing chiral capillary electrophoresis, the association equilibrium constants were determined by curve-fitting. The separation of mepivacaine, ropivacaine and bupivacaine was due to the different mobilities of the free analytes in solution, whereas the separation of a pair of enantiomers of a single analyte was due to differences between the association equilibrium constantsK ₁ andK ₂. Branching of the alkyl chain, which was situated close to the cavity in the inclusion complex, had strong effects on the chiral separation of the enantiomers.     

Combinatorial enantiomeric separation of diverse compounds using capillary array electrophoresis

Combinatorial chiral separations were performed on a 96-capillary array electrophoresis system. A comprehensive enantioseparation protocol employing neutral and sulfated cyclodextrins as chiral selectors for common basic, neutral and acidic compounds was developed. By using only four judiciously chosen separation buffers, successful enantioseparations were achieved for 49 out of 54 test compounds spanning a large variety of pK and structures. Therefore, unknown compounds can be screened in this manner to identify the optimal enantioselective conditions in just one run.     

Determination of cyclodextrins and their derivatives by capillary electrophoresis with indirect UV and conductivity detection

A fast and simple capillary electrophoretic method suitable for the determination of native α-, β-, γ-cyclodextrins, their randomly substituted tert-butyl derivatives (average degree of substitution 3.8 – 4.4), heptakis (2,6-di-O-methyl)- and heptakis (2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-β-cyclodextrin was developed. Naphthyl-2-sulfonic acid (2-NSA), 3-iodobenzoic acid (3-IBA) and (1S)-1-phenylethylamine (PHEA) were tested as selective complex forming and UV absorbing background electrolyte additives. The composition of optimized background electrolyte for the separation of uncharged cyclodextrins and their derivatives was: 15 mM 3-iodobenzoic acid titrated with tris[hydroxymethyl]aminomethane to pH 8.0, 5% (v/v) of acetonitrile. A complete resolution of mono-2-O-, mono-3-O- and mono-6-O-carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin regioisomers was achieved in the optimized background electrolyte system: 40 mM PHEA titrated with 2-[N-morpholino]ethanesulfonic acid to pH 5.6. In addition to indirect UV detection a contactless conductometric detector was successfully utilized.