Bioanalytical liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry methods on underivatized silica columns with aqueous/organic mobile phases

This review article summarizes the recent progress on bioanalytical LC-MS/MS methods using underivatized silica columns and aqueous/organic mobile phases. Various types of polar analytes were extracted by using protein precipitation (PP), liquid/liquid extraction (LLE) or solid-phase extraction (SPE) and were then analyzed using LC-MS/MS on the silica columns. Use of silica columns and aqueous/organic mobile phases could significantly enhance LC-MS/MS method sensitivity, due to the high organic content in the mobile phase. Thanks to the very low backpressure generated from the silica column with low aqueous/high organic mobile phases, LC-MS/MS methods at high flow rates are feasible, resulting in significant timesaving. Because organic solvents have weaker eluting strength than water, direct injection of the organic solvent extracts from the reversed-phase solid-phase extraction onto the silica column was possible. Gradient elution on the silica columns using aqueous/organic mobile phases was also demonstrated. Contrary to what is commonly perceived, the silica column demonstrated superior column stability. This technology can be a valuable supplement to the reversed-phase LC-MS/MS.     

Development and characterization of immobilized human organic anion transporter-based liquid chromatographic stationary phase: hOAT1 and hOAT2

This paper reports the development of liquid chromatographic columns containing immobilized organic anion transporters (hOAT1 and hOAT2). Cellular membrane fragments from MDCK cells expressing hOAT1 and S2 cells expressing hOAT2 were immobilized on the surface of the immobilized artificial membrane (IAM) liquid chromatographic stationary phase. The resulting stationary phases were characterized by frontal affinity chromatography, using the marker ligand [3H]-adefovir for the hOAT1 and [14C]-p-aminohippurate for the hOAT2 in the presence of multiple displacers. The determined binding affinities (Kd) for eight OAT1 ligands and eight OAT2 ligands were correlated with literature values and a statistically significant correlation was obtained for both the hOAT1 and hOAT2 columns: r2=0.688 (p<0.05) and r2=0.9967 (p<0.0001), respectively. The results indicate that the OAT1 and OAT2 have been successfully immobilized with retention of their binding activity. The use of these columns to identify ligands to the respective transporters will be presented.     

Separation of tocopherol and tocotrienol isomers using normal- and reverse-phase liquid chromatography

This optimization study for tocopherols and tocotrienols involved both normal- and reverse-phase liquid chromatography using various columns and mobile phases. Normal-phase systems showed elution of the homologs in order of increasing polarity with separation based on methyl substituents on the chromanol moiety. Reverse-phase systems showed class separation based on the saturation of the phytyl side chain; the more saturated tocopherols were retained on the column longer. When the Zorbax ODS was used with an isocratic ternary acetonitrile:methanol:methylene chloride (60:35:5) mixture, the optimized resolution was greater than 2.0 and separation was achieved in less than 13 min, but there was no separation of beta- and gamma-tocopherols. The normal-phase silica and amino columns provided separation of all available isomers with resolution greater than 1.1 and separation times of less than 5.5 and less than 10 min, respectively. Optimized isocratic binary solvent mixtures of hexane:2-propanol were used for silica (99:1) and amino (98:2) columns. Derivative spectra showed differences depending on substituents in the chromanol moiety but not the phytyl side chain. Second- and fourth-derivative spectra gave the best differentiation of the vitamin E isomers.     

Liquid chromatographic separation of darunavir enantiomers on coated and immobilized amylose tris(3, 5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) chiral stationary phases

Liquid chromatographic separation of darunavir enantiomers on covalently bonded and physically adsorbed polysaccharide chiral stationary phases was studied at different temperatures. The separations were accomplished under normal-phase conditions by using different combinations of hexane, organic modifiers (2-propanol, 1-propanol and ethanol), and diethylamine as mobile phase solvents. The effect of organic modifiers and the column temperature on retention, separation, and resolution was investigated. The observed differences were explained in terms of the coated and immobilized nature of the two columns. Van't Hoff plots (ln k' vs. 1/T, ln α vs. 1/T) and apparent thermodynamic parameters were derived to understand the effect of temperature on separation.     

Development of an immobilized GPR17 receptor stationary phase for binding determination using frontal affinity chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatographic stationary phase containing immobilized membranes from cells expressing the P2Y-like receptor GPR17 is described. Cellular membranes from 1321N1 cells transiently transfected with GPR17 vector [GPR17(+)] and from the same cell line transfected with the corresponding empty vector [GPR17(−)] were entrapped on immobilized artificial membrane (IAM) support and packed into 6.6-mm-i.d. glass columns to create GPR17(+)-IAM and GPR17(−)-IAM stationary phases. Frontal chromatography experiments on both GPR17(+)-IAM and GPR17(−)-IAM demonstrated the presence of a specific interaction with GPR17 only in the former that was maximized by increasing the membrane/IAM ratio. GPR17(+)-IAM was used in frontal affinity chromatography experiments to calculate the dissociation constants (K_d) of three ligands—the antagonist cangrelor (formerly AR-C69931MX, a P2Y₁₂/P2Y₁₃ antagonist), MRS2179 (a P2Y₁ receptor antagonist), and the agonist UDP—all of which have been reported to also interact with GPR17. Immobilized GPR17 retained its ability to specifically bind the three analytes, as demonstrated by the agreement of the calculated K_d values with previously reported data. Preliminary ranking experiments suggest the application of GPR17(+)-IAM in ranking affinity studies for the selection of new potential candidates.     

Structural changes of human serum albumin immobilized on chromatographic supports: a high-performance liquid chromatography and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy study

Chiral stationary phases obtained by immobilization of HSA on [C8] and [C18] reversed-phases and on poly(1-vinylimidazole)-coated silica were tested to resolve dl-tryptophan, N-benzoyl-dl-phenylalanine, RS-oxazepam and RS-warfarin racemic mixtures. Parameters of enantioselectivity measured in HPLC are correlated to structural and solvation states for adsorbed HSA, evaluated by FTIR spectroscopy. HSA immobilized on [PVI]-anion-exchangers is highly selective. HSA molecules are not self-associated, only unfolded for a small hydrophobic helix. The HSA-coated reversed-phases have a lower selectivity. Unfolding is larger but the indole-benzodiazepine chiral site is preserved and remains accessible.     

Rapid screening of blood-brain barrier penetration of drugs using the immobilized artificial membrane phosphatidylcholine column chromatography

The chromatographic capacity factors (kIAM) of 23 structurally diverse drugs were measured by the immobilized artificial membrane (IAM) phosphatidylcholine chromatography for the prediction of blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration. The kIAM was determined using the mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile:DPBS (20:80 v/v) and corrected for the molar volume of the solutes (kIAM/MWn). The correlation between kIAM/MWn and CNS penetration was highest when measured at pH 5.5 with the power function of n = 4. This in vitro prediction method was validated with 7 newly synthesized PDE-4 inhibitors. The relationship between in vivo plasma-to-brain concentration ratios and in vitro CNS penetration was excellent (r = 0.959). The developed in vitro prediction method may be used as a rapid screening tool for BBB penetration of drugs with passive transport mechanism, with high success, low cost, and reproducibility.     

Study on the HPLC‐based separation of some ezetimibe stereoisomers and the underlying stereorecognition process

The enantioseparation of ezetimibe stereoisomers by high‐performance liquid chromatography on different chiral stationary phases, ie, 3 polysaccharide‐based chiral columns, was studied. It was observed that cellulose‐based Chiralpak IC column exhibited the best resolving ability. After the optimization of mobile phase compositions in both normal and reversed phase modes, satisfactory separation could be obtained on Chiralpak IC column, especially in normal phase mode. The use of prohibited solvents as nonstandard mobile phase gave rise to better resolution than that of standard mobile phases (n‐hexane/alcohol system). In addition, the presence of ethanol in nonstandard mobile phase has played an important role in enhancing chromatographic efficiency and resolution between ezetimibe stereoisomers. Various attempts were made to comprehensively compare the chiral recognition capabilities of immobilized versus coated polysaccharide‐based chiral columns, amylose‐based versus cellulose‐based chiral stationary phases, reversed versus normal phase modes, and standard versus nonstandard mobile phases. Moreover, possible solute‐mobile phase‐stationary phase interactions were derived to explain how stationary and mobile phases affected the separation. Then the method validation with respect to selectivity, linearity, precision, accuracy, and robustness was carried out, which was demonstrated to be suitable and accurate for the quantitative determination of (RRS)‐ezetimibe impurity in ezetimibe bulk drug.     

Fractionation of membrane proteins on immobilized lectins by high-performance liquid affinity chromatography

Detergent-solubilized glycoproteins were fractionated on high-performance affinity columns employing A concanavalin and Pisum sativum agglutinin as ligands immobilized on microparticulate silica via a propyl spacer. The separations were characterized by high recovery (90-95%) and high specificity (enrichment factor 6- and 58-fold for the bound fractions on A concanavalin and P. sativum agglutinin columns, respectively, compared with the crude extract), as estimated by enzyme-linked lectin assay and chromatographic criteria. In addition, the short running times (30-40 min) make this method highly useful for a first characterization of complex glycoprotein samples and of individual molecules.     

Comparative study of coated and immobilized polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases and their applicability in the resolution of enantiomers

The enantioselective and chromatographic properties of Chiralpak AD and Chiralpak IA as well as those of Chiralcel OD and Chiralpak IB have been evaluated using a set of 48 compounds that differ in their physical and chemical properties. The impact of the different immobilisation methodologies of the chiral polysaccharide, i.e., coated or immobilized on retention and enantioselectivity was studied. The study on immobilized chiral stationary phases (CSPs) was expanded to also include mobile phases containing mixtures of alkanes and more non-conventional solvents such as ethyl acetate, ethers, acetone and dichloromethane. In this paper we report some of the general trends observed for the 48 racemic compounds with respect to retention, alpha and Rs. Further, the impact of the immobilisation methodology and the choice of the mobile phase on the elution order of the enantiomers is also discussed.     

Separation of neutral lipids and free fatty acids by high-performance liquid chromatography using low wavelength ultraviolet detection

Normal phase, isocratic high-performance liquid chromatography methods are described for the separation of neutral lipid and fatty acid classes using low wavelength detection. Prior to high-performance liquid chromatography, methods were developed and are described for the separation of phospholipids from neutral lipids and fatty acids using small (600 mg) silica Sep-PaksTM. Recoveries of cholesteryl esters, triglycerides, fatty acids, and phospholipids from the silica columns were greater than 95%. Two mobile phases are described for lipid class separation by high-performance liquid chromatography. The first mobile phase, hexane-2-propanol-acetic acid 100:0.5:01, resulted in incomplete separation of cholesteryl ester and triglyceride but excellent separations of fatty acids and cholesterol. The second mobile phase, hexane-n-butyl chloride-acetonitrile-acetic acid 90:10:1.5:0.01, resulted in complete separation of the four lipid classes. This mobile phase also separated individual triglycerides and fatty acids based on the number of double bonds. Recoveries of radiolabeled lipids for the four lipid classes from high-performance liquid chromatography was greater than 95% with both mobile phases.     

Chiral recognition ability and solvent versatility of bonded amylose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) chiral stationary phase: enantioselective liquid chromatographic resolution of racemic N-alkylated barbiturates and thalidomide analogs

The chiral recognition ability and solvent versatility of a new chiral stationary phase containing amylose 3,5-dimethylphenylcarabamate immobilized onto silica gel (CHIRALPAK IA) is investigated. Thus, the direct enantioselective separation of a set of racemic N-alkylated barbiturates and 3-alkylated analogs of thalidomide was conducted using different nonstandard solvents as eluent and diluent, respectively in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The separation, resolution, and elution order of the investigated compounds were compared on both immobilized and coated amylose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) chiral stationary phases (Chiralpak IA and Chiralpak AD, 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 amylose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) chiral stationary phase on silica (Chiralpak IA) on the chiral recognition ability was noted as the bonded phase (Chiralpak IA) was superior in chiral recognition and possesses a higher resolving power in most of the reported cases than the coated one (Chiralpak AD). A few racemates were not or poorly resolved on the immobilized Chiralpak IA or the coated Chiralpak AD when using standard solvents were most efficiently resolved on the immobilized Chiralpak IA upon using nonstandard solvents. Furthermore, the immobilized phase withstands the nonstandard (prohibited) HPLC solvents such as dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, tetrahydrofuran, methyl-tert-butyl ether, and others when used as eluents or as a dissolving agent for the analyte itself. The direct analysis of a real sample extracted from plasma using DCM on Chiralpak IA is also shown.     

HPLC separation of some purine and pyrimidine derivatives on Chromolith Performance Si monolithic column

The chromatographic behavior of some purines and pyrimidines on a monolithic Chromolith Performance Si column under normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography mode has been studied. Column pressure, column efficiency and selectivity of Chromolith Performance Si column were compared to those of conventional spherical 5 microm silica packed columns Econosphere Silica and Zorbax Rx-SIL. The investigation has shown that application of Chromolith Performance Si column for analysis of polar solutes can reduce the separation time without sacrificing column efficiency and selectivity. Improvement of the monolithic silica column efficiency for polar solutes is observed when ternary mobile phases (mixtures of hexane-isopropanol with ethylene glycol, water or acetonitrile) are applied.     

Study on the sorption properties of alpha1-acid glycoprotein (AGP)-based stationary phase modified by organic solvents

An alpha(1)-acid glycoprotein, immobilized on silica (Chiral-AGP) is one of the most widely used chiral stationary phases for the enantiomeric separation of a wide variety of chiral drugs with several applications in the biological and clinical field. The aim of this work was to study the sorption properties of the AGP-based stationary phase, which may have crucial importance for enantioselectivity. New binding data to the mechanism of the chromatographic separation are presented. The sorption of both organic solvents, i.e., acetonitrile and dioxane, shows remarkable pH dependency. A fluorescence quenching study was carried out to elucidate structural changes of AGP in the presence of acetonitrile using 2,2,2-trichloroethanol as fluorescence quencher.     

Influence of ionic liquids as additives on sol–gel immobilized lipase

The immobilization of lipase from Candida rugosa, using ionic liquids as additives to protect the inactivation of lipase by released alcohol and shrinking of gel during sol–gel process, was investigated. The influence of various factors, such as structure of ionic liquids, content of ionic liquids and types of precursor in the sol–gel process on the activity and stability of immobilized lipase was also studied. The highest hydrolytic activity of immobilized lipase was obtained when the hydrophilic ionic liquid, [C₂mim][BF₄], was used as an additive, while the highest stability of immobilized lipase was obtained by using hydrophobic ionic liquid, [C₁₆mim][Tf₂N]. Therefore, the binary mixtures of these ionic liquids as additives were used to obtain the optimal immobilized lipase, which shows both high activity and stability. The hydrolysis and esterification activities of lipase co-immobilized with the mixture of 1:1 at molar ratio of [C₂mim][BF₄] and [C₁₆mim][Tf₂N] were 10-fold and 14-fold greater than in silica gel without ionic liquids (ILs), respectively. After 5 days incubation of this immobilized lipase in n-hexane at 50 °C, 84% of initial activity was remained, while the residual activity of the lipase immobilized without ILs was 28%.     

Drug-membrane interactions studied in phospholipid monolayers adsorbed on nonporous alkylated microspheres

Characterization of interactions with phospholipids is an integral part of the in vitro profiling of drug candidates because of the roles the interactions play in tissue accumulation and passive diffusion. Currently used test systems may inadequately emulate the bilayer core solvation properties (immobilized artificial membranes [IAM]), suffer from potentially slow transport of some chemicals (liposomes in free or immobilized forms), and require a tedious separation (if used for free liposomes). Here the authors introduce a well-defined system overcoming these drawbacks: nonporous octadecylsilica particles coated with a self-assembled phospholipid monolayer. The coating mimics the structure of the headgroup region, as well as the thickness and properties of the hydrocarbon core, more closely than IAM. The monolayer has a similar transition temperature pattern as the corresponding bilayer. The particles can be separated by filtration or a mild centrifugation. The partitioning equilibria of 81 tested chemicals were dissected into the headgroup and core contributions, the latter using the alkane/water partition coefficients. The deconvolution allowed a successful prediction of the bilayer/water partition coefficients with the standard deviation of 0.26 log units. The plate-friendly assay is suitable for high-throughput profiling of drug candidates without sacrificing the quality of analysis or details of the drug-phospholipid interactions.     

Development and characterization of an immobilized human organic cation transporter based liquid chromatographic stationary phase

Membranes from a stably transfected cell line that expresses the human organic cation 1 transporter (hOCT1) have been immobilized on the immobilized artificial membrane (IAM) liquid chromatographic stationary phase to form the hOCT1(+)-IAM stationary phase. Membranes from the parent cell line that does not express the hOCT1 were also immobilized to create the hOCT1(-)-IAM stationary phase. Columns were created using both stationary phases, and frontal displacement chromatography experiments were conducted using [(3)H]-methyl phenyl pyridinium ([(3)H]-MPP(+)) as the marker ligand and MPP(+), verapamil, quinidine, quinine, nicotine, dopamine and vinblastin as the displacers. The K(d) values calculated from the chromatographic studies correlated with previously reported K(i) values (r(2)=0.9987; p<0.001). The data indicate that the hOCT1(+)-IAM column can be used for the on-line determination of binding affinities to the hOCT1 and that these affinities are comparable to those obtained using cellular uptake studies. In addition, the chromatographic method was able to identify a previously undetected high affinity binding site for MPP(+) and to determine that hOCT1 bound (R)-verapamil to a greater extent than (S)-verapamil.     

HPLC separation of some purine and pyrimidine derivatives on Chromolith Performance Si monolithic column

The chromatographic behavior of some purines and pyrimidines on a monolithic Chromolith Performance Si column under normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography mode has been studied. Column pressure, column efficiency and selectivity of Chromolith Performance Si column were compared to those of conventional spherical 5 μm silica packed columns Econosphere Silica and Zorbax Rx-SIL. The investigation has shown that application of Chromolith Performance Si column for analysis of polar solutes can reduce the separation time without sacrificing column efficiency and selectivity. Improvement of the monolithic silica column efficiency for polar solutes is observed when ternary mobile phases (mixtures of hexane–isopropanol with ethylene glycol, water or acetonitrile) are applied.     

Buffer-anion-dependent Ca2+ leaching from horseradish peroxidase at low pH

Despite highly conserved active-site structures, members of the plant peroxidase superfamily exhibit a wide range of pH optima. Horseradish peroxidase isozyme C (HRPC) is an ideal peroxidase to investigate the structural determinants of pH stability and activity in superfamily members. Conflicting reports exist on the low-pH stability of HRPC and consequently the pKa of the catalytic distal histidine, which is neutral in active peroxidases. Towards resolving such discrepancies, acid-induced changes in HRPC from two popular commercial suppliers were systematically analyzed. Specifically, FTIR v(CO) and Soret-CD spectra of HRPC-CO and Soret absorption of ferric HRPC were recorded to probe time-dependent heme-pocket changes at pH 3.0 in phosphate, citrate and formate buffers, while the FTIR amide I' and far-UV CD spectra were examined to probe changes in secondary structure. Both HRPC-CO samples exhibited identical pH 7.0 v(CO) bands at 1934 and 1905 cm-1. In the pH 3.0 spectrum of sample A, the 1934 cm-1 band was dominant while a broad 1969 cm-1 band appeared in sample B. The intensity of this band, which is assigned to solvent-exposed heme, was greater in citrate than phosphate buffer, but in formate the 1934 cm-1 band remained dominant. Other spectral changes mirrored the v(CO) trends. No time- or buffer-anion-dependent conformation changes were detected in 1 mM CaCl2, revealing that buffer-anion-dependent leaching of stabilizing Ca2+ from HRPC occurs at pH 3.0. Since the N-glycans present in HRPC are of the flexible protein-surface-shielding type, the variation in low-pH conformational stability of the HRPC samples could be attributed to heterogeneous glycosylation, which was detected by SDS-PAGE. It is further proposed that glycosylation patterns may affect the low-pH stability of class II and III plant peroxidases.     

Enantioseparation of racecadotril using polysaccharide‐type chiral stationary phases in polar organic mode

Enantioseparation of the antidiarrheal drug, racecadotril, was investigated by liquid chromatography using polysaccharide‐type chiral stationary phases in polar organic mode. The enantiodiscrimininating properties of 4 different chiral columns (Chiralpak AD, Chiralcel OD, Chiralpak AS, Chiralcel OJ) with 5 different solvents (methanol, ethanol, 1‐propanol, 2‐propanol, and acetonitrile) at 5 different temperatures (5–40 °C) were investigated. Apart from Chiralpak AS column the other 3 columns showed significant enantioseparation capabilities. Among the tested mobile phases, alcohol type solvents were superior over acetonitrile, and significant differences in enantioselective performance of the selector were observed depending on the type of alcohol employed. Van't Hoff analysis was used for calculation of thermodynamic parameters which revealed that enantioseparation is mainly enthalpy controlled; however, enthropic control was also observed. Enantiopure standard was used to determine the enantiomer elution order, revealing chiral selector—and mobile‐phase dependent reversal of enantiomer elution order. Using the optimized method (Chiralcel OJ stationary phase, thermostated at 10 °C, 100% methanol, flow rate: 0.6 mL/min) baseline separation of racecadotril enantiomers (resolution = 3.00 ± 0.02) was achieved, with the R‐enantiomer eluting first. The method was validated according to the ICH guidelines, and its application was tested on capsule and granules containing the racemic mixture of the drug.