Effect of ionization and the nature of the mobile phase in quantitative structure-retention relationship studies

The octanol-water distribution constant, commonly called partition coefficient, Po/w, is a parameter often retained as a measure of the hydrophobicity of a molecule. log Po/w, for a given molecule, can be conveniently evaluated constructing correlation lines between standard retention factor logarithms (log k) in reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) and standard log Po/w values. Many compounds of pharmaceutical interest can be quite hydrophobic and have, simultaneously, basic nitrogen atoms or acidic sulfur containing groups in their structure. This renders them ionizable. The hydrophobicity of the molecular drug form (Po/w value) is completely different from its ionic form (log Po/w(+ or -) value). The actual hydrophobicity of such ionizable molecule depends on the pH. It can be represented by an apparent Papp value that takes into account the amount of compound in its molecular and ionic state combining the Po/w and Po/w(+ or -) values. In this work, log k in RPLC for ionizable as well as non-ionizable pharmaceutical compounds with different therapeutic properties (10 beta-blockers, seven tricyclic antidepressants (TA), eight steroids and 12 sulfonamides) were correlated with log Po/w. Similar correlations were done between log k and the corrected log Papp values at pH 3. Aqueous-organic mobile phases containing acetonitrile (conventional RPLC) and micellar-organic mobile phases (micellar liquid chromatography, MLC), prepared with the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate and the organic solvents acetonitrile, propanol or pentanol, were also used to elute the compounds. All mobile phases were buffered at pH 3. Using conventional retention RPLC data, the correlation of log k with log Po/w, was satisfactory for steroids because they cannot ionize. For ionizable beta-blockers and TAs, the use of log Papp values improved the quality of the correlations, but yielded similar results for sulfonamides. In MLC, since an electrostatic interaction is added to hydrophobic forces, poorer correlations were obtained in all cases. The retention data obtained in RPLC also seems to correlate better with the biological activity of the drugs.     

Investigation of vesicle electrokinetic chromatography as an in vitro assay for the estimation of intestinal permeability of pharmaceutical drug candidates

As the pharmaceutical industry continues the daunting search for novel drug candidates, there remains a need for rapid screening methods not only for biological activity, but for physiochemical properties as well. It is invaluable that adequate model systems for absorption and/or bioavailability be developed early in the drug evaluation process to avoid the loss of promising compounds late in development. The focus of this paper is the use of vesicle EKC (VEKC) as a high-throughput, easy, cost-effective, and predictive model for the passive transcellular diffusion of drug candidates in the intestinal epithelium. Vesicles are large aggregates of molecules containing a spherical bilayer structure encapsulating an internal cavity of solvent. It is this bilayer structure that makes vesicles attractive as model membranes. In this study, vesicles were synthesized from both phospholipids and surfactant aggregates, and then employed as pseudostationary phases in EKC (VEKC). The interaction of drug molecules with vesicles in EKC was then used as the basis for an in vitro assay to evaluate passive diffusion. The VEKC technique showed a statistical correlation between the retention of drug candidates using surfactant and phospholipid vesicles and passive diffusion data (log Pow and colon adenocarcinoma). VEKC analysis offers high-throughput capabilities due to the short run times, low sample, and solvent volumes necessary, as well as instrument automation. However, due to the complexity of drug absorption in the intestine, difficulty arises when a single in vitro model is used to predict in vivo absorption characteristics. Therefore, the retention of drug candidates using VEKC in conjunction with other permeability prediction methods can provide a primary screen for a large number of drug candidates early in the drug discovery process with minimal resources.     

Determination of octanol-water partition coefficients for carbonate esters and other small organic molecules by microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography

Microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) was assessed as a tool for determination of octanol-water partition coefficients using 34 solutes encompassing 8 carbonate esters. It was confirmed that microemulsions containing 1.44-2.88% w/w SDS, 6.49% w/w 1-butanol, and 0.82% w/w n-heptane constitute a good model of octanol-water partitioning in the pH range of 1.4-7.4. Use of the migration index concept led to improved repeatability of the MEEKC method compared to the use of retention factors. Using a dynamical coating, a high electroosmotic flow at pH 1.4 and 4.75 was achieved expanding the practical pH working range of the MEEKC system. The correlation obtained between the migration index and log P was unaffected by pH indicating that the properties of the microemulsion droplets and, thus, partitioning are independent of pH. No evidence for congeneric behavior was found for the sample set comprising solutes with different hydrogen bonding properties suggesting that simple reference compounds can be used as calibrators. Lipophilicity estimates for the series of carbonate esters were obtained. The increase in lipophilicity with chain length was smaller than expected from the Hansch substituent constant, pi.     

Investigation of the chiral surfactant N-dodecoxycarbonylvaline in electrokinetic chromatography: improvements in elution range and pH stability via mixed micelles and vesicles, and the hydrophobicity determination of basic pharmaceutical drugs

The chiral surfactant dodecoxycarbonylvaline (DDCV) has proven to be an effective pseudostationary phase for the separation of many enantiomeric pharmaceutical compounds. In this study the elution range and the prediction of octanol-water partitioning for the DDCV micellar system was examined. Through incorporation of DDCV in mixed micelles and unilamellar vesicles, enhancement of the elution range was observed. The mixed micelles contained a second anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), while the vesicles were composed of DDCV and the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). Enantioselectivity, as well as other chromatographic and electrophoretic parameters, were compared between the mixed micelles, vesicles, and DDCV micelles. The hydrophobicity of the DDCV system was also evaluated as a predictor of n-octanol-water partition coefficients for 15 beta amino alcohols. The correlation between the logarithm of the retention factor (log k) and log P(ow) for seven hydrophobic beta-blockers and eight beta-agonists were r2 = 0.964 and r2 = 0.814, respectively.     

Characterization of surfactant and phospholipid vesicles for use as pseudostationary phases in electrokinetic chromatography

The physical, electrophoretic and chromatographic properties (mean diameter, electroosmotic flow, electrophoretic mobility, elution range, efficiency, retention, and hydrophobic, shape, and chemical selectivity) of three surfactant vesicles and one phospholipid vesicle were investigated and compared to a conventional micellar pseudostationary phase comprised of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Chemical selectivity (solute-pseudostationary phase interactions) was discussed from the perspective of linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) analysis. Two of the surfactant vesicles were formulated from nonstoichiometric aqueous mixtures of oppositely charged, single-tailed surfactants, either cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium octyl sulfate (SOS) in a 3:7 mole ratio or octyltrimethylammonium bromide (OTAB) and SDS in a 7:3 mole ratio. The remaining surfactant vesicle was comprised solely of bis(2-ethylhexyl)sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT) in 10% v/v methanol, and the phospholipid vesicle consisted of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) and phosphatidyl serine (PS) in 8:2 mole ratio. The mean diameters of the vesicles were 76.3 nm (AOT), 86.9 nm (CTAB/SOS), 90.1 nm (OTAB/SDS), and 108 nm (POPC/PS). Whereas the coefficient of electroosmotic flow (10(-4) cm2 V(-1) s(-1)) varied considerably (1.72 (OTAB/SDS), 3.77 (CTAB/SOS), 4.05 (AOT), 5.26 (POPC/PS), 5.31 (SDS)), the electrophoretic mobility was fairly consistent (-3.33 to -3.87 x 10(-4) cm2 V(-1) s(-1)), except for the OTAB/SDS vesicles (-1.68). This resulted in elution ranges that were slightly to significantly larger than that observed for SDS (3.12): 3.85 (POPC/PS), 8.6 (CTAB/SOS), 10.1 (AOT), 15.2 (OTAB/SDS). Significant differences were also noted in the efficiency (using propiophenone) and hydrophobic selectivity; the plate counts were lower with the OTAB/SDS and POPC/PS vesicles than the other pseudostationary phases (< or = 75,000/m vs. > 105,000/m), and the methylene selectivity was considerably higher with the CTAB/SOS and OTAB/SDS vesicles compared to the others (ca. 3.10 vs. < or = 2.6). In terms of shape selectivity, only the CTAB/SOS vesicles were able to separate all three positional isomers of nitrotoluene with near-baseline resolution. Finally, through LSER analysis, it was determined that the cohesiveness and hydrogen bond acidity of these pseudostationary phases have the greatest effect on solute retention and selectivity.     

Salinity Controlled Vesicle Formation and Growth in Aqueous Mixture of Aerosol OT/Triton X‐100

Mixed vesicles can be formed spontaneously from aqueous mixture of the double‐tailed anionic surfactant sodium bis(2‐ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) and the nonionic surfactant octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol (Triton X‐100) under the inducement of salt, the formation mechanism of which should be attributed to the compression of salt on the electric bilayers of the head groups. The stability and the polydispersity of the vesicles are superior to single‐component AOT vesicles, which can be proved by the TEM image and visual observation. The vesicle region was presented in a pseudo‐ternary diagram of AOT/TX‐100/brine. The size of the vesicle was measured using dynamic light scattering. It is found that the vesicle size increases with the salinity but decreases with the content of TX‐100 in the mixture at the same salinity. Especially, the vesicle size is independent of the surfactant concentration at fixed salinity.     

Comparison of the retention characteristics of different pseudostationary phases for microemulsion and micellar electrokinetic chromatography of betamethasone and derivatives

Five electrokinetic chromatography systems were compared concerning retention behavior and lipophilicity. Comparison was based on capacity (retention) factors of some steroidal drugs, and on log P(OW) values derived by the aid of reference substances. In all systems the aqueous buffer consisted of phosphate (20 mM, pH 7.5). Two systems had micelles, three systems microdroplets as negatively charged pseudostationary phases. The micelles were formed by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium cholate, respectively. One microemulsion consisted (as usual) from octane as oil, butanol as cosurfactant and SDS as charged tenside. Two microemulsions were made from biosurfactants (phosphatidylcholine, isopropylmyristate) to better simulate biopartitioning of the drugs. Even for noncharged analytes a change in migration sequence and thus in log P(OW) was observed for the systems consisting of the biosurfactants, compared to the others. For the former systems, log P(OW) derived from the capacity factors agree for all analytes with those obtained from calculation by computer software based on the structure of the drugs, and with experimental data directly obtained from octanol/water partitioning.     

Comparison between two anionic reverse micelle interfaces: the role of water-surfactant interactions in interfacial properties

The water/sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (NaDEHP) reverse micelle (RM) system is revisited by using, for the first time, molecular probes to investigate interface properties. The solvatochromic behavior of 1-methyl-8-oxyquinolinium betaine (QB) and 6-propionyl-2-(N,N-dimethyl)aminonaphthalene (PRODAN) in the water/NaDEHP/toluene system is studied, and the results are compared with those obtained in water/sodium 1,4-bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT)/toluene RM media. The results demonstrate that the micropolarity, microviscosity, interfacial water structure, molecular probe partition, and intramolecular electron-transfer processes are dramatically altered for NaDEHP RM interfaces in comparison to the AOT systems. Because of organic nonpolar solvent penetration into the interface, NaDEHP RM media offer an interface with lower micropolarity and microviscosity than AOT media. Also, the interfacial water in the NaDEHP system shows enhanced water-water hydrogen-bond interaction in comparison with bulk water. The AOT RM interface represents a unique environment for PRODAN to undergo dual emission.     

Quantitative structure-retention and retention-activity relationships of beta-blocking agents by micellar liquid chromatography

Sixteen beta-blocking agents (acebutolol, alprenolol, atenolol, bisoprolol, carteolol, celiprolol, esmolol, labetalol, metoprolol, nadolol, oxprenolol, pindolol, practolol, propranolol, sotalol and timolol) showing a large range of hydrophobicity (octanol-water partition coefficients, log P between -0.026 and 2.81) were subjected to micellar liquid chromatography with sodium dodecyl sulfate as micelle forming agent, and n-propanol as organic modifier. The correlation between log P and the retention factor extrapolated to a mobile phase free of micelles and organic modifier was investigated. The use of an interpolated retention factor or the retention factor for specific individual experimental mobile phases was however advantageous since the retention factors of all beta-blocking agents were measurable in the selected mobile phases. Good correlations with log P and with in vitro biological parameters (cellular permeability coefficients in Caco-2 monolayers and apparent permeability coefficients in rat intestinal segments) were found.     

A method for rapidly predicting drug tissue distribution using surfactant vesicle electrokinetic chromatography

Lung tissue distribution of an inhaled drug is important for its potency in the airways and with minimum systemic effects within its dose range. As the lung has the smallest diffusion distance of all the organs in the body and negligible diffusion delays, the characteristics of drug distribution in the lung will mainly depend on drug binding to both tissue and plasma protein. This research aims to develop and evaluate surfactant vesicle electrokinetic chromatography (SEKC) methods for high throughput profile prediction of tissue distribution for inhaled drugs. Several electrokinetic chromatography methods reported in the literature, as well as immobilised artificial membrane chromatography, were compared and evaluated in respect to chromatographic characteristics and statistical correlations. Among these methods, the docusate sodium salt (AOT) SEKC system showed good reproducibility, short run time, and the highest selectivity for alkylphenone test compounds. It also showed a significant statistical correlation between the retention of inhaled drugs and their in vivo volume of distribution at steady-state (V(ss)) in whole human body neglecting the plasma protein-binding differences. Stronger correlations were observed between the AOT SEKC retention of a series of basic drugs and their rat lung tissue-to-plasma water partitioning coefficient (K(pu)), which is affected only by drug binding to the tissue constituent. Further, on comparing correlations between AOT SEKC retention and K(pu) at various rat tissues, it was observed that the strongest correlation was with lung tissue distribution, while the weakest was with brain tissue distribution.     

Gelation of "catanionic" vesicles by hydrophobically modified polyelectrolytes

The gelation of mixed cationic/anionic surfactant vesicles of sodium dodecyl sulfate/didodecyldimethylammonium bromide and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate/cetyltrimethylammonium tosylate by hydrophobically modified sodium polyacrylate is studied rheologically. When the vesicles are cationically charged, mixtures with this anionic polyelectrolyte form precipitates. When the vesicles are anionically charged, however, these mixtures display a progression from a Maxwell fluid to a critical gel to a solidlike gel with increasing vesicle and/or polyelectrolyte concentration. Consideration of the viscous behavior with increasing vesicle and polymer volume fraction indicates that the gel network is formed by the bridging of the hydrophobically modified polymer between vesicles. The similarity between the gelation results for the two anionic systems suggests the results can be generalized to other similarly charged mixtures.     

Compositional effects on electrophoretic and chromatographic figures of merit in electrokinetic chromatography with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide/sodium octyl sulfate vesicles as the pseudostationary phase. Part 1: effect of the phase ratio

The effect of the phase ratio on the electrophoretic and chromatographic properties of unilamellar vesicles comprised of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium octyl sulfate (SOS) was investigated in EKC. The surfactant concentration of the vesicles was 0.9, 1.2, 1.5, and 1.8% w/v, with a mole ratio of 1:3.66 (CTAB/SOS). Results were compared to those obtained using SDS micelles at concentrations of 1.0% (w/v, 35 mM) and 1.5% (52 mM). The CTAB/SOS vesicles (0.9-1.8% w/v) provided a significantly larger elution range (5.7 < or = t(ves)/t(0) < or = 8.7) and greater hydrophobic (methylene) selectivity (2.8 < or = alpha(CH2) < or = 3.1) than SDS micelles (3.1 < or = t(mc)/t(0) < or = 3.3; alpha(CH2) = 2.2). Whereas the larger elution range can be attributed to the 25% reduction in EOF due to the interaction of unaggregated CTAB cations and the negatively charged capillary wall, the higher methylene selectivity is likely due to the lower concentration of water expected in the CTAB/SOS vesicle bilayer compared to the Palisades layer of SDS micelles. For a given phase ratio, CTAB/SOS vesicles are somewhat less retentive than SDS micelles, although retention factors comparable to those observed in 1.0-1.5% SDS can be obtained with 1.5-1.8% CTAB/SOS. A linear relationship was observed between phase ratio and retention factor, confirming the validity of the phase ratio model for these vesicles. Unique polar group selectivities and positional isomer shape selectivities were obtained with CTAB/SOS vesicles, with both types of selectivities being nearly independent of the phase ratio. For four sets of positional isomers, the elution order was always para < ortho < meta. Finally, the thermodynamics of solute retention was qualitatively similar to that reported for other surfactant aggregates (micelles and microemulsions); the enthalpic contribution to retention was consistently favorable for all compounds, whereas the entropic contribution was favorable only to hydrophobic solutes.     

Spontaneous vesicle formation in aqueous solution of zwitterionic and anionic surfactant mixture

Vesicles form spontaneously in the aqueous mixtures of dodecyl sulfonate betaine (DSB) and sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (Aerosol OT (AOT)) at certain mixing ratios, which has been demonstrated by microcalorimeter, negative-staining transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) and quasi-elastic light scattering (QELS) methods. The addition of NaCl will expand the range of vesicle formation, and monodispersed vesicles are obtained in the solution from the salinity of 0.03 to 0.09 M at the mixing molar ratio of 7/3 (DSB/AOT, mol/mol), with the polydispersity of the system lower than 0.1. To learn more about the structural change in the mixture, ultrasonic was employed finally. Meanwhile analysis was made from the viewpoint of molecular geometry structure.     

Structure and physico-chemical properties in mixed aqueous solution of sodium alkvicarboxylate-alkyltrimethylammonium bromide

The physico-chemical properties of organized assemblies (micelle or vesicle ) from sodium alkylcarboxylate - alkyltrimethyl -ammonium bromide mixture have been investigated systematically. In different mixed cationic-anionic surfactant systems, micelles and vesicles can coexist or be transformed into each other on different conditions. The experimental results are explained prelimilarily from the viewpoint of molecular packing geometry. The solubilization of organic compound in the mixed surfactant system was also studied in detail.     

Determination of liquid-liquid partition coefficients by separation methods

By essence, all kinds of chromatographic methods use the partitioning of solutes between a stationary and a mobile phase to separate them. Not surprisingly, separation methods are useful to determine accurately the liquid-liquid distribution constants, commonly called partition coefficient. After briefly recalling the thermodynamics of the partitioning of solutes between two liquid phases, the review lists the different methods of measurement in which chromatography is involved. The shake-flask method is described. The ease of the HPLC method is pointed out with its drawback: the correlation is very sensitive to congeneric effect. Microemulsion electrokinetic capillary electrophoresis has become a fast and reliable method commonly used in industry. Counter-current chromatography (CCC) is a liquid chromatography method that uses a liquid stationary phase. Since the CCC solute retention volumes are only depending on their partition coefficients, it is the method of choice for partition coefficient determination with any liquid system. It is shown that Ko/w, the octanol-water partition coefficients, are obtained by CCC within the -1 < log Ko/w < 4 range, without any correlation or standardization using octanol as the stationary phase. Examples of applications of the knowledge of liquid-liquid partition coefficient in the vast world of solvent extraction and hydrophobicity estimation are presented.     

Cyclic voltammetry and viscosity measurements of aggregated assemblies of anionic surfactants with nonionic surfactants and triblock copolymers

Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and viscosity measurements have been employed to study the aggregation behavior of mixed micellar systems of anionic surfactant (dioctyl sulfosuccinate sodium salt, AOT) with conventional nonionic surfactants such as Brij 35/TritonX-100/Tween 20/Tween 80/Myrj 45 and two triblock copolymers (L64 and F68). Critical micelle concentration (cmc) values have been determined for various micellar systems from CV measurements using 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) as an electroactive probe at 25 °C. Diffusion coefficient (D) has been evaluated from Randles–Sevcik equation which showed an overall decrease for most of the binary systems. The negative values of interaction parameters (β) obtained from regular solution theory suggest the synergistic behavior in all the binary systems except AOT + Tween 80 mixtures. The mixed systems of AOT with triblock copolymers showed stronger synergistic interactions than that of mixed systems of AOT with nonionic surfactants. A comparative evaluation of mixed systems of anionic surfactants AOT and sodium dodecyl sulfate with Myrj 45 and AOT + L64 and F68 has been made on the basis of different micellar parameters and structural properties of surfactants. Viscosity measurements also show similar type of interactions in the mixed micelles.