Determination of l-carnitine using enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes based on macrocyclic antibiotics

In order to determine the enantiopurity of l-carnitine three enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes were proposed for the assay of l-carnitine. The electrodes were designed using macrocyclic glycopeptide antibiotics—vancomycin and teicoplanin. Acetonitrile was added to the teicoplanine to design a modified teicoplanine based electrode. The linear concentration ranges for the proposed enantioselective membrane electrodes were 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻² mol l⁻¹ for electrodes based on vancomycin and teicoplanin and 10⁻⁵ to 10⁻² mol l⁻¹ for electrode based on teicoplanin modified with acetonitrile. The slopes of the electrodes were 56.5 mV per pl-carnitine; 54.5 mV per pl-carnitine and 58.3 mV per pl-carnitine for vancomycin-, teicoplanin- and teicoplanin modified with acetonitrile-based electrodes, respectively. The enantioselectivity was determined over d-carnitine. The proposed electrodes could be employed reliably for the assay of l-carnitine raw material and its pharmaceutical formulation, Carnilean^® capsules. The surfaces of the electrodes are stable and easily renewable by polishing on alumina paper.     

Macrocyclic antibiotics as chiral selectors in the design of enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes for the determination of S-flurbiprofen

Construction of three novel enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes based on carbon paste impregnated with different macrocyclic antibiotics vancomycin and teicoplanin as chiral selectors are described. The solutions for the construction of electrodes were prepared in phosphate buffer pH 4 for the vancomycin-based electrode (VCM), pH 6 and pH 6/40% acetonitrile solutions for teicoplanin-based electrodes, TCP I and II, respectively. The proposed electrodes were applied in the assay of S-flurbiprofen raw material and its pharmaceutical formulation by use of direct potentiometry, VCM electrode exhibiting the best enantioselectivity. The surfaces of the electrodes are easily renewable by simply polishing on an alumina paper.     

Enantioanalysis of l-2-hydroxyglutaric acid in urine samples using enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes based on maltodextrins

Quantitative assay of l-2-hydroxyglutaric acid (l-2-HGA) is important for the diagnosis of l-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria. Three enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes (EPMEs) based on maltodextrins with different dextrose equivalent (DE) (DE: 4.0-7.0 (I), 13.0-17.0 (II), 16.5-19.5 (III)), were designed for the enantioanalysis of l-2-HGA. The enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes can be used reliably for enantiopurity assay of l-2-HGA using the direct potentiometric method in the ranges of 10⁻⁹-10⁻⁵, 10⁻⁶-10⁻³ and 10⁻⁸-10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹ for the enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes based on maltodextrins I, II and III, respectively, with very low detection limits. A high reliability was obtained when the electrodes were used for the assay of l-2-HGA in urine samples.     

Enantioselective potentiometric membrane electrodes based on C60 fullerene and its derivatives for the assay of l-Histidine

Novel enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes (EPMEs) based on carbon paste impregnated with C₆₀ fullerene (I), (1,2-methanofullerene C60)-61-carboxylic acid (II), diethyl(1,2-methanofullerene C60)-61-61-dicarboxylate (III) and tert-butyl(1,2-methanofullerene C60)-61-carboxylic acid (IV) are reported. Response characteristics showed that the proposed electrodes could be reliably used in the assay of l-Histidine (l-His), with the best enantioselectivity and time-stability exhibited by fullerene derivatives. The surfaces of the electrodes are stable and easily renewable by simply polishing on an alumina paper. All proposed electrodes proved to be successful for the determination of the enantiopurity of histidine as raw material and of its pharmaceutical formulation.     

Determination of L- and D-enantiomers of methotrexate using amperometric biosensors

In order to determine the enantiopurity of methotrexate (Mtx), seven biosensors were proposed for the assay of l-Mtx and three biosensors for the assay of d-Mtx. The biosensors were designed using physical and chemical immobilization of glutamate oxidase and/or l-amino acid oxidase (l-AAOD) and/or horseradish peroxidase (HRP) for the assay of l-methotherexate, and d-amino acid oxidase (d-AAOD) and HRP for the assay of d-Mtx. Electrode characteristics were obtained and compared for the different carbon paste based biosensors. The linear concentration ranges for the proposed biosensors were in the ranges of fmol l⁻¹ to pmol l⁻¹, magnitude order with limits of detection in the fmol l⁻¹ to nmol l⁻¹ concentration range. All biosensors were successful for the determination of the enantiopurity of Mtx as raw material, and in its pharmaceutical formulations (tablets and injections).     

Utilization of maltodextrin based enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes for the enantioselective assay of S-perindopril

Enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes (EPMEs) based on carbon paste impregnated with different maltodextrins {dextrose equivalent (DE) 4.0-7.0 (I), 13.0-17.0 (II) and 16.5-19.5 (III)} as chiral selectors for the assay of S-perindopril is described. The proposed electrodes could be reliably employed in the assay of S-perindopril raw material and from its pharmaceutical formulation, Coversyl^® tablets. The electrode based on maltodextrin (I) showed the best enantioselectivity and time-stability. The surfaces of the electrodes are easily renewable by simply polishing on an alumina paper.     

Chemo-enzymatic preparation of chiral 3-aminopyrrolidine derivatives

A new simple method for the enantioselective enzymatic hydrolysis of N-protected D-asparagine esters suitable for the use on the preparative scale is presented. Due to major obstacles observed under conventional reaction conditions—racemization of the retained ester and a strong enzyme inactivation—a comparatively low pH together with an organic co-solvent had to be employed. Under these conditions, nearly all tested proteases demonstrated good activity and excellent enantioselectivity giving access to the corresponding d-esters and L-asparagines in high optical purities (>95% ee) and good chemical yields (>40%). From the unnatural d-asparagine derivative, sequential cyclization, selective deprotection and reduction yielded efficiently benzyl protected (R)-3-aminopyrrolidine, a homo-chiral building block utilized in numerous drug candidates.     

Enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes based on cyclodextrins: application for the determination of R-baclofen in its pharmaceutical formulation

Two enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes based on α- and γ-cyclodextrins were proposed for the assay of R-baclofen. The slopes of the electrodes were 59.50 and 51.00 mV/pR-baclofen for α- and γ-cyclodextrin-based electrodes, respectively. The detection limits of the proposed electrodes were 7 × 10⁻⁹ mol l⁻¹ for α-cyclodextrin-based electrode and 1.44 × 10⁻¹⁰ mol l⁻¹ for γ-cyclodextrin-based electrode. The enantioselectivity was determined over S-baclofen. The proposed electrodes can be employed for the assay of R-baclofen raw materials and its pharmaceutical formulation, Norton-Baclofen^® tablets. The surfaces of the electrodes are stable and easily renewable by polishing on alumina paper.     

Amperometric simultaneous sensing system for d-glucose and l-lactate based on enzyme-modified bilayer electrodes

An amperometric biosensor system which uses screen-printed electrodes to simultaneously detect d-glucose and l-lactate has been developed and applied for simple and rapid determination of d-glucose and l-lactate levels in lactic fermenting beverages. The system was constructed from three-dimensionally layered electrodes. Taking into consideration the effects of easily oxidized substances contained in the samples, ferricyanide ions, which are electrochemically oxidized at a lower voltage, were chosen as a mediator. A linear relationship between steady-state current and concentration was found over a range of 1-100 mM (d-glucose) and 1-50 mM (l-lactate); the variation coefficients were 1.43% (n = 10) and 3.50% (n = 10) for the d-glucose and l-lactate sensors, respectively. When applied to lactic fermenting beverages, there was good agreement between the results obtained by the proposed sensing system and those obtained by the HPLC method. Using the proposed method, assays were completed within 5 min.     

A convenient synthesis of l-ribose from d-fructose

An efficient method for the stereoselective synthesis of l-ribose was accomplished starting from commercially inexpensive d-fructose. The intermediates in the process can serve as versatile precursors for the preparation of l-nucleoside analogues.     

One-pot inversion of d-mannono-1,4-lactone for the practical synthesis of l-ribose

l-Ribose was synthesized in a concise manner from d-mannono-1,4-lactone using one-pot inversion conditions. Treatment of d-mannono-1,4-lactone with piperidine, followed by mesylation-induced S_N2-type O-alkylation, afforded the desired one-pot inversion in an optimum yield, and the following straightforward transformations provided l-ribose in good yields.     

Enantioseparation of amino acids by micellar capillary electrophoresis using binary chiral selectors and determination of D-glutamic acid and D-aspartic acid in rice wine

A new chiral capillary electrophoresis (CE) analytical method for the determination of six pairs of amino acid enantiomer-derivatized precapillary with 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl chloride (FMOC) was developed. CE separation parameters such as the pH of background electrolyte, the boric acid concentration, the addition of D-fructose and isopropanol, and the effect of new binary chiral selectors on the electropherograms were investigated. Precapillary and in-capillary derivatization was compared as well. The results showed that enantiomeric separations were obtained with enantio-resolution (Rs) ranged from 2.61 to 9.99 for the FMOC-derivatized amino acid enantiomers except alanine with Rs 1.06. Precapillary derivatization method provides overall better Rs for nearly all the targets except FMOC-aspartate with efficiency up to 1.309?×?10⁶ plates and limit of detection (LOD) down to 2.5?μM. This method was successfully applied to analyze the concentration of the D/L-glutamic acid and D/L-aspartate in seven rice wine samples.     

New building blocks for peptide and depsipeptide synthesis: hexafluoroacetone protected l-homoisoserine and d,l-homoisocysteine derivatives

Efficient syntheses of l-homoisoserine and d,l-homoisocysteine derivatives starting from l-malic and d,l-thiomalic acid using hexafluoroacetone as protecting and activating agent are described. The new compounds are interesting building blocks for the preparation of non-natural peptides and depsipeptides as well as for the construction of new GABA derivatives.     

A novel potentiometric biosensor for selective L-cysteine determination using L-cysteine-desulfhydrase producing Trichosporon jirovecii yeast cells coupled with sulfide electrode

Trichosporon jirovecii yeast cells are used for the first time as a source of l-cysteine desulfhydrase enzyme (EC 4.4.1.1) and incorporated in a biosensor for determining l-cysteine. The cells are grown under cadmium stress conditions to increase the expression level of the enzyme. The intact cells are immobilized on the membrane of a solid-state Ag₂S electrode to provide a simple l-cysteine responsive biosensor. Upon immersion of the sensor in l-cysteine containing solutions, l-cysteine undergoes enzymatic hydrolysis into pyruvate, ammonia and sulfide ion. The rate of sulfide ion formation is potentiometrically measured as a function of l-cysteine concentration. Under optimized conditions (phosphate buffer pH 7, temperature 37 ± 1 °C and actual weight of immobilized yeast cells 100 mg), a linear relationship between l-cysteine concentration and the initial rate of sulfide liberation (dE/dt) is obtained. The sensor response covers the concentration range of 0.2-150 mg L⁻¹ (1.7-1250 μmol L⁻¹) l-cysteine. Validation of the assay method according to the quality control/quality assurance standards (precision, accuracy, between-day variability, within-day reproducibility, range of measurements and lower limit of detection) reveals remarkable performance characteristics of the proposed biosensor. The sensor is satisfactorily utilized for determination of l-cysteine in some pharmaceutical formulations. The lower limit of detection is ∼1 μmol L⁻¹ and the accuracy and precision of the method are 97.5% and ±1.1%, respectively. Structurally similar sulfur containing compounds such as glutathione, cystine, methionine, and d-cysteine do no interfere.     

A d,l-proline catalyzed diastereoselective trimolecular condensation: an approach to the one-pot synthesis of perhydrofuro[3,2-b]pyran-5-ones

d,l-Proline was found to catalyze efficiently the one-pot trimolecular condensation of indoles, a sugar hydroxyaldehyde, and Meldrum’s acid followed by intramolecular cyclization with evolution of carbon dioxide and elimination of acetone to afford 7-(1H-3-indolyl)-2,3-dimethoxyperhydrofuro[3,2-b]pyran-5-ones. The reaction proceeded cleanly at ambient temperature to afford the products in good yields with high diastereoselectivity.     

Kinetics of thermo-oxidative and thermal degradation of poly(d,l-lactide) (PDLLA) at processing temperature

Poly(d,l-lactide) (PDLLA) degraded at processing temperature under air and nitrogen. A random chain scission model was established and used to determine the activation energy E_a, and FT-IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR were used to elucidate the degradation behavior under different atmospheres. Results showed that there were two to three stages. The 1st stage was dominated by the oligomers containing carboxylic acid groups and hydroxyl groups, during which oxygen and nitrogen had little effect on the degradation, thus they share similar E_a. When the oligomers were consumed over or evaporated, the 2nd stage began, and oxygen had a promoting effect on the thermo-oxidation process, resulting in the great decrease in E_a. The third stage of PDLLA was observed when it degraded under nitrogen over 200 °C, which was caused by the appearance of carboxylic acid substance.     

Chiral salen Mn(III) complex-based enantioselective potentiometric sensor for l-mandelic acid

A new enantioselective potentiometric sensor containing chiral salen Mn(III) as the chiral selector was designed for the assay of l-mandelic acid (l-MA). Optimized membrane electrodes displayed linear dynamic range from 1 × 10⁻⁵ to 1 × 10⁻¹ mol L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 7.2 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹ and a Nernstian response of −58.1 ± 0.5 mV decade⁻¹ towards l-MA within pH range 7.0-10.2. The potentiometric enantioselectivity coefficient () of this sensor was −4.0, indicating that the chiral salen Mn(III) complex-based electrode exhibited fairly good discrimination toward l-MA over counter isomer d-MA. The mechanism of chiral recognition for l-MA is discussed by using HF/STO-3G calculation method simulation.     

Selection of synthetic receptors capable of sensing the difference in binding of d-Ala-d-Ala or d-Ala-d-Lac ligands by screening of a combinatorial CTV-based library

Screening of a combinatorial CTV-based artificial, synthetic receptor library 1 {1-13, 1-13, 1-13} for binding of a variety d-Ala-d-Ala and d-Ala-d-Lac containing ligands (6-11) was carried out in phosphate buffer (0.1 N, pH=7.0). After screening and Edman sequencing, synthetic receptors were found containing amino acid sequences, which are either characteristic for binding dye labeled d-Ala-d-Ala or d-Ala-d-Lac containing ligands. For example, receptors capable of binding d-Ala-d-Ala containing ligands 6, 7, 9 and 11 contained—almost in all cases—at least one basic amino acid residue—predominantly Lys—in their arms. This was really a striking difference with the arms of the receptors capable of binding d-Ala-d-Lac containing ligands 8 and 10, which usually contained a significant number of polar amino acids (Gln and Ser), especially in ligand 8, but hardly any basic amino acids. Use of different (fluorescent) dye labels showed that the label has a profound, albeit not decisive, influence on the binding by the receptor. A hit from the screening of the CTV-library with FITC-peptidoglycan (6) was selected for resynthesis and validation.     

Concise and practical synthesis of (2S,3R,4R,5R) and (2S,3R,4R,5S)-1,6-dideoxy-1,6-iminosugars

The syntheses of (2S,3R,4R,5R) and (2S,3R,4R,5S)-1,6-dideoxy-1,6 iminosugars 1a and 1b, respectively, from d-glucose are described. The key transformations in this reaction sequence include regio-selective epoxide ring opening with N-benzylamine followed by intramolecular reductive amination of amino-aldehyde.