Enantioselective analysis of venlafaxine and its active metabolites: A review on the separation methodologies

Venlafaxine (VFX) is a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor chiral drug used in therapy as an antidepressant in the form of a racemate consisting of R‐ and S‐VFX. The two enantiomers of VFX exhibit different pharmacological activities: R‐VFX inhibits both norepinephrine and serotonin synaptic reuptake, whereas S‐VFX inhibits only the serotonin one. R‐ and S‐VFX are metabolized in the liver to the respective R‐ and S‐O‐desmethylvenlafaxine (ODVFX), R‐ and S‐N‐desmethylvenlafaxine (NDVFX), and R‐ and S‐N,O‐didesmethylvenlafaxine (NODVFX). The pharmacological profile of ODVFX is close to that of VFX, whereas the other two chiral metabolites (NDVFX and NODVFX) have lower affinity for the receptor sites. The pharmacokinetics of the VFX enantiomers appear stereoselective, including the metabolism process. In the past 20 years, several studies describing the enantioselective analysis of R‐ and S‐VFX in pharmaceutical formulations and its chiral metabolites in biological matrices were published. These methods encompass liquid chromatography coupled with UV detection, mass spectrometry, or tandem mass spectrometry, and capillary electrophoresis. This paper reviews the published methods used for the determination of the individual enantiomers of VFX and its chiral metabolites in different matrices.     

Influence of the size and geometry of the anion binding pocket of sugar–urea anion receptors on chiral recognition

Three new chiral urea-type anion receptors were synthesized from aromatic diamines and 1-amino-1-deoxyglucose. The anion binding properties of these receptors were studied using chiral carboxylates derived from mandelic acid and three α-amino acids. We found that the size of the anion binding pocket played an important role in chiral recognition processes. The best results were obtained for 1,8-diaminoanthracene and α-amino acid anions.     

Two negative minima of the first normal stress difference in a cellulose‐based cholesteric liquid crystal: Helix uncoiling

The shear rate dependence of material functions such as shear viscosity (η) and the first normal stress difference (N₁) were given and interpreted earlier by Kiss and Porter. Their widely accepted work revealed the possibility of having a negative minimum of N₁ for polymeric liquid crystals. In this work, we disclose for the first time the evidence of two negative N₁ minima on a sheared cellulosic lyotropic system. The lower shear rate minimum is ascribed to the uncoiling of the cholesteric helix, as theoretically predicted earlier. Our findings contribute also to the understanding of the other minimum already reported in the literature and attributed to the nematic director tumbling mode. Moreover, the elastic change that the LC‐HPC sample undergoes during the helix unwinding of the cholesteric structure is also by means of oscillatory measurements. This study is a contribution for the understanding of the structure‐properties relationship linked with the complex rheological behavior of chiral nematic cellulose‐based systems and may help to improve their further processing. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55, 821–830     

Associating divisors with quadratic differentials on Klein surfaces

We extend the notion and basic properties of quadratic differential divisors to a Klein surface, using the corresponding form’s divisors from the double cover of the Klein surface.     

The new way to synthesize ethyl 1-butyryloxy-1-phenylmethane(P-phenyl)phosphinate and whole-cell biocatalysis by Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas fluorescens

Abstract

A new compound, ethyl 1-carboxy-1-hydroxy-1-phenylmethane(P-phenyl)phosphinate, was synthesized and the configuration of its diastereoisomers was described using NMR spectroscopy. Acylation with butyryl chloride gave an unexpected product, ethyl butyryloxy(phenyl)methane(P-phenyl)phosphinate, which was then hydrolyzed using two bacterial species as biocatalysts. Good results were achieved for biocatalytic hydrolysis performed by Escherichia coli cells, giving optically active products with 84% enantiomeric excess, and enantioselectivity of 25.8 for one pair of enantiomers. Better results were obtained when the biocatalytic reaction was carrying out for a longer period and the conversion degree reached 71%, the enantiomeric excess of unreacted substrate was >99% and enantioselectivity increased to 32.1. In all cases, isomers bearing α–carbon atom of S configuration were hydrolyzed preferentially.     

Mild,Rapid, and Inexpensive Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Allylic and Propargylic Esters

A variety of allylic and propargylic esters were rapidly prepared via microwave heating of their corresponding mixed anhydride derived from pivaloyl chloride. The reaction conditions were modified to account for the sterics of the alcohol and the electronics of the carboxylic acid.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthetic Communications® to view the free supplemental file.