Quantitative Structure–Retention Relationships as Useful Tool to Characterize Chromatographic Systems and Their Potential to Simulate Biological Processes

Quantitative structure–retention relationships (QSRR) date back to the 1970s and are associated with the evolution of modern Chromatography, while in conjunction with quantitative structure–property relationships (QSPR), they make part of the QSAR discipline. The present review offers a survey of QSRR from a medicinal chemistry point of view, highlighting the merits of this approach in exploiting the friendly chromatographic techniques for the establishment of the physico chemical profiling of drug and drug candidates. It starts with a short overview on QSRR methodology concerning molecular representation, statistical tools and model validation. It continues focusing on the major recent achievements of QSRR with regard to the characterization of chromatographic systems and thereupon to the improvement of stationary phases and to experimental design, while emphasizing their application in drug design. The inter-relation of retention with lipophilicity, a property of paramount interest in drug action and the merit of biomimetic chromatography and of MEEKC systems to simulate essential pharmacokinetic properties are commented under the insights offered by QSRR, in conjunction with QSPR. Characteristic examples are discussed.