Direct high-performance liquid chromatography enantioseparation of terazosin on an immobilised polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phase under polar organic and reversed-phase conditions

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) enantioseparation of terazosin (TER) was accomplished on the immobilised-type Chiralpak IC chiral stationary phase (CSP) under both polar organic and reversed-phase modes. A simple analytical method was validated using a mixture of methanol–water–DEA 95:5:0.1 (v/v/v) as a mobile phase. Under reversed-phase conditions good linearities were obtained over the concentration range 8.76–26.28 μg mL⁻¹ for both enantiomers. The limits of detection and quantification were 10 and 30 ng mL⁻¹, respectively. The intra- and inter-day assay precision was less than 1.66% (RSD%). The optimised conditions also allowed to resolve chiral and achiral impurities from the enantiomers of TER. The proposed HPLC method supports pharmacological studies on the biological effects of the both forms of TER and analytical investigations of potential drug formulations based on a single enantiomer. At the semipreparative scale, 5.3 mg of racemic sample were resolved with elution times less than 12 min using a mobile phase consisting of methanol–DEA 100:0.1 (v/v) and both enantiomers were isolated with a purity of ≥99% enantiomeric excess (ee). The absolute configuration of TER enantiomers was assigned by comparison of the measured specific rotations with those reported in the literature.     

Amplification of the enantiomeric excess of a compound in kinetic resolution by a racemic reagent

The possibility of amplifying the small ee of a enantioimpure substance using a racemic reagent in kinetic resolution is discussed. A kinetic treatment of this problem along with some experimental proofs of the concept is presented. Simulation on kinetic resolution of small ee substrate by a racemic reagent showed an important enantioenrichment in the substrate ee, sometimes reaching close to absolute ee. Experiments of kinetic resolution of an amine of a small ee by a racemic acylating reagent gave a substantial amplification in ee of the amine. The possible transformation of an undetectable low ee in substrate to a detectable higher ee by using a suitable racemic reagent is also briefly discussed with help of calculations. The usefulness of asymmetric amplification by a racemic reagent is considered in the context of the biomolecular homochirality on earth.     

Direct chiral resolution and its application to the determination of fungicide benalaxyl in soil and water by high-performance liquid chromatography

A simple chiral high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with ultraviolet (UV) and circular dichroism (CD) detection was developed and validated for measuring benalaxyl enantiomers using (R,R) Whelk-O 1 column. The effects of mobile phase composition and column temperature on the entioseparation were investigated. A CD detector was used to determine the elution order of the enantiomers. Excellent resolution was easily obtained using n-hexane-polar organic alcohols mobile phase. The chiral recognition mechanism was also discussed. Based on the developed chiral HPLC method, enantioselective analysis methods for this fungicide in environment matrix (soil and water) were developed and validated. Good linearities were obtained over the concentration range of 0.25-25 mg L⁻¹ for both enantiomers. Liquid-liquid extraction and solid phase extraction (SPE) were used for the enrichment and cleanup of soil and water samples. Recoveries for the two enantiomers were 79-91% at 0.02, 0.04 and 0.2 mg kg⁻¹ levels from soil, and 89-101% at 0.0025, 0.01 and 0.05 mg L⁻¹ levels from water. Run-to-run and day-to-day assay precisions were below 10% for both enantiomers at concentrations of 0.5, 1 and 5 mg L⁻¹. Individual detection limits of the two enantiomers were both 2 ng. Limits of detection (LOD) were 0.004 mg kg⁻¹ in soil and 0.001 mg L⁻¹ in water.     

Enantiomeric fraction determination of chiral drugs in environmental samples using chiral liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry

When it was recognized that chiral drug residues have stereospecific toxicity towards environmental organisms the attention given to enantiomeric fraction determination of chiral drugs in the environment increased. Among various analytical techniques, chiral liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) has been widely used due to its simplicity, wide applicability and high sensitivity. In this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview and comparison of the types of chiral stationary phases, elution modes and MS detection techniques employed and address the advances and limitations. The impact of the mobile phase composition on enantioseparation and MS detection are discussed based on the different methods developed. In addition, diverse applications for the enantiomeric fraction determination of chiral drugs in environmental matrices using chiral LC and MS are discussed in depth.     

Use of immobilized amyloglucosidase as chiral selector in chromatography. Control of enantioselective retention and resolution in liquid chromatography

Summary Several mobile phase parameters were investigated for controlling enantioselective retention and resolution on a chiral stationary phase made in-house. The chiral selector was the enzyme amyloglucosidase, which was immobilized onto a silica support via reductive amination. The influences of the mobile phase pH, concentration and type of uncharged organic modifier, ionic strength and column temperature on enantios-electivity were studied. The analysis time for resolving enantiomers could be adjusted with only a minor decrease in enantioselectivity by using a high ionic strength mobile phase buffer. This indicated a retention mechanism involving ion-exchange interactions. It was further confirmed by the decreasing enantioselectivity of amines when using a mobile phase pH below the isoelectric point of the native protein. Interesting effects were observed when the organic modifier concentration was increased and also when the column temperature was raised. Both retention and enantioselectivity increased with increasing concentration of 2-propanol in the mobile phase. Examples are given where both enantioselectivity and retention increased with increasing column temperature. Thermodynamic studies were performed to calculate the entropy and enthalpy constants. The results showed that, depending on mobile phase composition, the enantioselective retention may be caused by differences in entropy or enthalpy.     

Exploring solvent versatility in immobilized cellulose-based chiral stationary phase for the enantioselective liquid chromatographic resolution of racemates

Chiralpak IB, a new chiral stationary phase (CSP) containing cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarabamate) immobilized onto silica gel, is investigated for the direct enantioselective separation of a set of racemic N-alkylated barbiturates and analogs of thalidomide alkylated in position 3 of the piperidin-2,6-dione ring using different nonstandard solvents such as dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate, THF, methyl tert-butyl ether as an eluent and diluent, respectively, in HPLC. The separation, resolution, and elution order of the investigated compounds were compared on both immobilized and coated cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) CSPs (Chiralpak IB and Chiralcel OD, respectively) using a mixture of n-hexane/2-propanol (90:10 v/v) as mobile phase with different flow-rates and fixed UV detection at 254 nm. The effect of the immobilization of the cellulose tris-(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) CSP on silica (Chiralpak IB) on the chiral recognition ability was noted as the coated phase (Chiralcel OD) possesses a higher resolving power in some cases than the immobilized one (Chiralpak IB). However, a few racemates, which were not or poorly resolved on the immobilized Chiralpak IB or the coated Chiralcel OD when using standard solvents were most efficiently resolved on the immobilized Chiralpak IB upon using nonstandard solvents. Furthermore, the immobilized phase withstands the nonstandard (prohibited) HPLC solvents mentioned previously when used as eluents or as a dissolving agent for the analyte itself. An example of inversion or apparent inversion of elution order on Chiralpak IB is reported. The direct analysis of a spiked plasma sample extracted using DCM on Chiralpak IB is also shown.     

Application and comparison of immobilized and coated amylose tris-(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) chiral stationary phases for the enantioselective separation of beta-blockers enantiomers by liquid chromatography

A direct liquid chromatographic enantioselective separation of a set of β-blocker enantiomers on the new immobilized and conventional coated amylose tris-(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) chiral stationary phases (Chiralpak IA and Chiralpak AD, respectively) was studied using methanol as mobile phase and ethanolamine as an organic modifier (100:0.1, v/v). The separation, retention and elution order of the enantiomers on both columns under the same conditions were compared. The effect of the immobilization of the amylose tris-(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) chiral stationary phase on silica (Chiralpak IA) on the chiral recognition ability was noted when compared to the coated phase (Chiralpak AD) which possesses a higher resolving power than the immobilized one (Chiralpak IA). A few racemates, which were not or poorly resolved on the immobilized Chiralpak IA were most efficiently resolved on the coated Chiralpak AD. However, the immobilized phase withstand solvents like dichloromethane when used as an eluent or as a dissolving agent for the analyte. The versatility of the immobilized Chiralpak IA in monitoring reactions performed in dichloromethane using direct analysis techniques without further purification, workup or removal of dichloromethane was studied on a representative example consisting of the lipase-catalyzed irreversible transesterification of a β-blocker using either vinylacetate or isopropenyl acetate as acyl donor in dichloromethane as organic solvent.     

On‐line two‐dimensional LC: A rapid and efficient method for the determination of enantiomeric excess in reaction mixtures

A novel LC‐based method for the determination of enantiomeric excess (ee) in a sample mixture has been developed by employing on‐line 2D LC. The orthogonal separation system is composed of an NH₂ column as the first dimension to elute the target chiral compound from the crude mixture and a chiral column as the second dimension to determine the ee of the target chiral product. A series of crude mixtures from asymmetric reactions have been directly analyzed without prepurification. Good reproducibility (intra‐ and interday precisions were all under 1.33%) and good accuracy (deviations from ee values determined by 1D HPLC were all <1.03%) have been obtained. Compared with the traditional method for the determination of ee, on‐line 2D HPLC can be used in real time and holds great potential in the time‐saving determination of ee in asymmetric synthesis.     

Simultaneous determination of ten antiepileptic drugs in human plasma by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry with positive/negative ion‐switching electrospray ionization and its application in therapeutic drug monitoring

A simple, rapid, and high‐throughput liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous quantitation of ten antiepileptic drugs in human plasma has been developed and validated. The method required only 10 μL of plasma. After simple protein precipitation using acetonitrile, the analytes and internal standard diphenhydramine were separated on a Zorbax SB‐C₁₈ column (50 × 4.6 mm, 2.7 μm) using acetonitrile/water as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.9 mL/min. The total run time was 6 min for each sample. The validation results of specificity, matrix effects, recovery, linearity, precision, and accuracy were satisfactory. The lower limit of quantification was 0.04 μg/mL for carbamazepine, 0.02 μg/mL for lamotrigine, 0.01 μg/mL for oxcarbazepine, 0.4 μg/mL for 10‐hydroxycarbazepine, 0.1 μg/mL for carbamazepine‐10,11‐epoxide, 0.15 μg/mL for levetiracetam, 0.06 μg/mL for phenytoin, 0.3 μg/mL for valproic acid, 0.03 μg/mL for topiramate, and 0.15 μg/mL for phenobarbital. The intraday precision and interday precision were less than 7.6%, with the accuracy ranging between –8.1 and 7.9%. The method was successfully applied to therapeutic drug monitoring of 1237 patients with epilepsy after administration of standard antiepileptic drugs. The method has been proved to meet the high‐throughput requirements in therapeutic drug monitoring.     

Simultaneous determination of four antiepileptic drugs in human plasma samples using an ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method and its application in therapeutic drug monitoring

Therapeutic drug monitoring of antiepileptic drugs is widely practiced to achieve optimal efficacy and avoid adverse side effects. We describe an ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC/MS/MS) method developed for the monitoring of four frequently prescribed antiepileptic drugs – lamotrigine, levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine and topiramate. The main pharmacologically active metabolite of oxcarbazepine (mono‐hydroxy‐derivative metabolite, MHD) was also quantified. After addition of internal standards and a simple stage of protein precipitation, plasmatic samples were analyzed on a C₁₈ column. All antiepileptic drugs were separated and quantified in 6 min, without interference. A good linearity was observed all over the calibration range (r² > 0.99), up to 20 μg/mL (40 μg/mL for MHD). The limit of quantification was 0.20 μg/mL (0.40 μg/mL for MHD) with precision and accuracy ranging from 1.0 to 2.1% and from 96.7 to 110.8%, respectively. Intra‐ and inter‐day precision and accuracy values were within 15%. No significant matrix effect was observed for all analytes. Clinical application was successfully evaluated in 259 samples from patients treated for epilepsy or bipolar disorders. In conclusion, a rapid, specific and sensitive UHPLC/MS/MS method was developed and validated for simultaneous quantification of antiepileptic drugs, suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring in neurology and psychiatry.     

Liquid chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry for the determination of baclofen and its metabolites in plasma: Application to therapeutic drug monitoring

Baclofen is used to manage alcohol dependence. This study describes a simple method using liquid chromatography coupled to high‐resolution mass spectrometry (LC‐HR‐MS) developed in plasma samples. This method was optimized to allow quantification of baclofen and determination of metabolic ratio of its metabolites, an oxidative deaminated metabolite of baclofen (M1) and its glucuronide form (M2). The LC‐HR‐MS method on Exactive® apparatus is a newly developed method with all the advantages of high resolution in full‐scan mode for the quantification of baclofen and detection of its metabolites in plasma. The present assay provides a protein precipitation method starting with 100 μL plasma giving a wide polynomial dynamic range (R ² > 0.999) between 10 and 2000 ng/mL and a lower limit of quantitation of 3 ng/mL for baclofen. Intra‐ and inter‐day precisions were <8.1% and accuracies were between 91.2 and 103.3% for baclofen. No matrix effect was observed. The assay was successfully applied to 36 patients following baclofen administration. Plasma concentrations of baclofen were determined between 12.2 and 1399.9 ng/mL and metabolic ratios were estimated between 0.4 and 81.8% for M1 metabolite and on the order of 0.3% for M2 in two samples.     

Comparison of triple quadrupole mass spectrometry and Orbitrap high‐resolution mass spectrometry in ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography for the determination of veterinary drugs in sewage: benefits and drawbacks

This paper presents a comparison of triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and Orbitrap high‐resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) combined to ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography for the determination of glucocorticoids and polyether ionophores in sewage, in order to show the major benefits and drawbacks for each mass spectrometry analyser. Overall, HRMS measurements have enhanced performance in terms of confirmatory capabilities than MS/MS measurements. Moreover, similar limits of quantification, limits of detection, linear range and repeatability for glucocorticoids with both the MS/MS and HRMS methods were compared, but in the case of polyether ionophores, slightly better limits of detection and limits of quantification were obtained with the HRMS method because of the high sensitivity obtained when diagnostic ions are used for quantification instead of selected reaction monitoring transitions for these compounds. The two methods have been applied to the analysis of several influent and effluent sewage samples from sewage treatment plants located in the Tarragona region (Catalonia, Spain), showing an excellent correlation between the two methods. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.