Determination of the lipophilicity of some anti-hypoxia drugs: Comparison of TLC and HPLC methods

Summary The lipophilicity of 14 anti-hypoxia drugs has been determined by reversed phase thin-layer (RPTLC) and reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (RPHPLC) in eluent systems containing different concentrations of acetonitrile and potassium dihydrogen phosphate. There was significant correlation between lipophilicity and the specific hydrophobic surface area of the drugs in RPTLC, indicating that the drugs behave as an homologous series of compounds. In RPTLC the concentration of buffer has a negligible effect on the retention of the drugs whereas in RPHPLC the buffer concentration influenced the retention. This discrepancy can be explained by the lower sensitivity of RPTLC. There was strong correlation between lipophilicity values determined by both methods, proving that both are suitable for the determination of molecular lipophilicity.