Chiral HPLC determination and stereoselective pharmacokinetics of tetrahydroberberine enantiomers in rats

Tetrahydroberberine (THB), a racemic mixture of (+)‐ and (?)‐enantiomer, is a biologically active ingredient isolated from a traditional Chinese herb Rhizoma corydalis (yanhusuo). A chiral high performance liquid chromatography method has been developed for the determination of THB enantiomers in rat plasma. The enantioseparation was carried out on a Chiral®‐AD column using methanol:ethanol (80:20, v/v) as the mobile phase at the flow rate 0.4 ml/min. The ultraviolet detection was set at 230 nm. The calibration curves were linear over the range of 0.01–2.5 μg/ml for (+)‐THB and 0.01‐5.0 μg/ml for (?)‐THB, respectively. The lower limit of quantification was 0.01 μg/ml for both (+)‐THB and (?)‐THB. The stereoselective pharmacokinetics of THB enantiomers in rats was studied after oral and intravenous administration at a dose of 50 and 10 mg/kg racemic THB (rac‐THB). The mean plasma levels of (?)‐THB were higher at almost all time points than those of (+)‐THB. (?)‐THB also exhibited greater C_max, and AUC_0–∞, smaller CL and V_d, than its antipode. The (?)/(+)‐enantiomer ratio of AUC_0–∞ after oral and intravenous administration were 2.17 and 1.43, respectively. These results indicated substantial stereoselectivity in the pharmacokinetics of THB enantiomers in rats. Chirality, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Analysis of carvedilol enantiomers in human plasma using chiral stationary phase column and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

Carvedilol is an antihypertensive drug available as a racemic mixture. (?)‐(S)‐carvedilol is responsible for the nonselective β‐blocker activity but both enantiomers present similar activity on α₁‐adrenergic receptor. To our knowledge, this is the first study of carvedilol enantiomers in human plasma using a chiral stationary phase column and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. The method involves plasma extraction with diisopropyl ether using metoprolol as internal standard and direct separation of the carvedilol enantiomers on a Chirobiotic T® (Teicoplanin) column. Protonated ions [M + H]⁺ and their respective ion products were monitored at transitions of 407 > 100 for the carvedilol enantiomers and 268 > 116 for the internal standard. The quantification limit was 0.2 ng ml^?1 for both enantiomers in plasma. The method was applied to study enantioselectivity in the pharmacokinetics of carvedilol administered as a single dose of 25 mg to a hypertensive patient. The results showed a higher plasma concentration of (+)‐(R)‐carvedilol (AUC^0–∞ 205.52 vs. 82.61 (ng h) ml^?1), with an enantiomer ratio of 2.48. Chirality, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Influence of Gasoline Inhalation on the Enantioselective Pharmacokinetics of Fluoxetine in Rats

Fluoxetine is used clinically as a racemic mixture of (+)‐(S) and (–)‐(R) enantiomers for the treatment of depression. CYP2D6 catalyzes the metabolism of both fluoxetine enantiomers. We aimed to evaluate whether exposure to gasoline results in CYP2D inhibition. Male Wistar rats exposed to filtered air (n = 36; control group) or to 600 ppm of gasoline (n = 36) in a nose‐only inhalation exposure chamber for 6 weeks (6 h/day, 5 days/week) received a single oral 10‐mg/kg dose of racemic fluoxetine. Fluoxetine enantiomers in plasma samples were analyzed by a validated analytical method using LC‐MS/MS. The separation of fluoxetine enantiomers was performed in a Chirobiotic V column using as the mobile phase a mixture of ethanol:ammonium acetate 15 mM. Higher plasma concentrations of the (+)‐(S)‐fluoxetine enantiomer were found in the control group (enantiomeric ratio AUC_{(+)‐(S)/(–)‐(R)} = 1.68). In animals exposed to gasoline, we observed an increase in AUC_0‐∞ for both enantiomers, with a sharper increase seen for the (–)‐(R)‐fluoxetine enantiomer (enantiomeric ratio AUC_{(+)‐(S)/(–)‐(R)} = 1.07), resulting in a loss of enantioselectivity. Exposure to gasoline was found to result in the loss of enantioselectivity of fluoxetine, with the predominant reduction occurring in the clearance of the (–)‐(R)‐fluoxetine enantiomer (55% vs. 30%). Chirality 25:206–210, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Stereoselective Determination of Metoprolol and its Metabolite α‐Hydroxymetoprolol in Plasma by LC‐MS/MS: Application to Pharmacokinetics during Pregnancy

Metoprolol is available for clinical use as a racemic mixture. The S‐(?)‐metoprolol enantiomer is the one expressing higher activity in the blockade of the β₁‐adrenergic receptor. The α‐hydroxymetoprolol metabolite also has activity in the blockade of the β₁‐adrenergic receptor. The present study describes the development and validation of a stereoselective method for sequential analysis of metoprolol and of α‐hydroxymetoprolol in plasma using high‐performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS). 1‐ml aliquots of plasma were extracted with dichloromethane : diisopropyl ether (1:1, v/v). Metoprolol enantiomers and α‐hydroxymetoprolol isomers were separated on a Chiralpak AD column (Daicel Chemical Industries, New York, NY, USA) and quantitated by LC‐MS/MS. The limit of quantitation obtained was 0.2 ng of each metoprolol enantiomer/ml plasma and 0.1 ng/ml of each α‐hydroxymetoprolol isomer/ml plasma. The method was applied to the study of kinetic disposition of metoprolol in plasma samples collected up to 24 h after the administration of a single oral dose of 100‐mg metoprolol tartrate to a hypertensive parturient with a gestational age of 42 weeks. The clinical study showed that the metoprolol pharmakokinetics is enantioselective, with the observation of higher area under the curve (AUC)^0?∞ values for S‐(?)‐metoprolol (AUC_S‐(?)/AUC_R‐(+) = 1.81) and the favoring of the formation of the new chiral center 1′R of α‐hydroxymetoprolol (AUC^0?∞_1′R/1′S = 2.78). Chirality, 25:1–7, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Bidirectional Chiral Inversion of Trantinterol Enantiomers After Separate Doses to Rats

The chiral inversion and pharmacokinetics of two enantiomers of trantinterol, a new β₂ agonist, were studied in rats dosed (+)‐ or (?)‐trantinterol separately. Plasma concentrations of (+)‐ and (?)‐trantinterol were measured by chiral stationary phase liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy (LC‐MS/MS). The apparent inversion ratio was calculated as the ratio of AUC_0‐t of (?)‐trantinterol or (+)‐trantinterol inverted from their antipodes to the sum of the AUC_0‐t of (?)‐ and (+)‐trantinterol. Following single intravenous administration, both given enantiomers declined in similar plasma concentrations, suggesting that the two enantiomers have approximately the same disposition kinetics by the route of intravenous administration. However, after single oral administration, plasma concentrations of uninverted (?)‐trantinterol at many timepoints were significantly higher than those of uninverted (+)‐trantinterol, suggesting that the two enantiomers undergo apparently different absorption or metabolism after oral administration. Significant bidirectional chiral inversion occurred after intravenous and oral administration of (+)‐ or (?)‐trantinterol. After dosing with optically pure enantiomer, the concentration of the administered enantiomer predominated in vivo. The AUC_0‐36 of (+)‐trantinterol after intravenous and oral dosing of (?)‐trantinterol were 16.6 ± 5.2 and 33.3 ± 16%, respectively of those of total [(+) + (?)] trantinterol. The AUC_0‐36 of (?)‐trantinterol after intravenous and oral dosing of (+)‐trantinterol were 19.6 ± 8.8 and 37.9 ± 4.5%, respectively, of those of total [(?) + (+)] trantinterol. After intravenous administration of (+)‐ and (?)‐trantinterol the chiral inversion ratios of the two enantiomers were not significantly different and similar results were found for oral administration. The extent of chiral inversion after intravenous administration was apparently lower, indicating that the bidirectional chiral inversion was not only systemic but also presystemic. Chirality 25:934–938, 2013.© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Enantioselectivity in the steady‐state pharmacokinetics of metoprolol in hypertensive patients

In the present study we investigated the enantioselectivity in the pharmacokinetics of metoprolol administered in a multiple‐dose regimen as the racemate. The study was conducted on 10 patients of both sexes with mild to severe essential hypertension, aged 28 to 76 years, with normal hepatic and renal function and phenotyped as extensive metabolizers of debrisoquine (urine debrisoquine to 4‐hydroxydebrisoquine ratios of 0.28 to 6.56). The patients were treated with racemic metoprolol (two 100 mg tablets every 24 h) for 7 days. Serial blood samples were collected at times zero, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 22, and 24 h and urine at each 6 h period until 24 h after metoprolol administration. The plasma concentrations of the (−)‐(S)‐ and (+)‐(R)‐metoprolol enantiomers were determined by HPLC using a chiral stationary phase (Chiralpak AD, 4.6 × 250 mm) and fluorescence detection. The enantiomeric ratios differing from one were evaluated by the paired t test and the results are reported as means (95% CI). No differences were observed between metoprolol enantiomers in half‐lives and absorption, distribution and elimination rate constants. However, the following differences (p < 0.05) were observed between the (−)‐(S) and (+)‐(R) enantiomers: maximum plasma concentration, C_max, 179.99 (123.33–236.64) versus 151.30 (95.04–207.57) ng/mL; area under the plasma concentration versus time curve, AUC, 929.85 (458.02–1401.70) versus 782.11 (329.80–1234.40) ng h/mL; apparent total clearance, Cl_T/f, 1.70 (0.79–2.61) versus 2.21 (1.06–3.36) L/h/kg, apparent distribution volume, Vd/f, 10.51 (6.35–14.68) versus 13.80 (6.93–20.68) L/kg, and renal clearance, Cl_R, 0.06 (0.05–0.08) versus 0.07 (0.05–0.09) L/kg. The enantiomeric ratios AUC_(−)‐(S)/AUC_(+)‐(R) ranged from 1.14 to 1.44, with a mean of 1.29. The data obtained demonstrate enantioselectivity in the kinetic disposition of metoprolol, with plasma accumulation of the pharmacologically more active (−)‐(S)‐metoprolol enantiomer in hypertensive patients phenotyped as extensive metabolizers of debrisoquine. Chirality 11:591–597, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Establishing bioequivalence of racemic venlafaxine formulations using stereoselective assay method: Is it necessary?

A bioequivalence study for venlafaxine generic formulation was conducted as an open label, balanced, randomized, two‐way crossover, single‐dose study. In this study, a comparison of various pharmacokinetic parameters of venlafaxine hydrochloride 150 mg modified release capsules of Ranbaxy and EFEXOR®‐XR 150 mg capsules of Wyeth, in healthy, adult, male, human subjects under fasting condition was performed to conclude bioequivalence. Venlafaxine and its major active metabolite O‐desmethylvenlafaxine (ODV) are racemates. The “(S)‐(+)” and “(R)‐(−)” enantiomers of venlafaxine and ODV are established as being active. Hence, subject samples were analyzed using nonstereoselective and stereoselective assay methods. Both (S)‐(+) and (R)‐(−) enantiomers of venlafaxine and ODV showed similar absorption and disposition. The 90% confidence intervals for venlafaxine, (R)‐(−)‐venlafaxine as well as (S)‐(+)‐venlafaxine were within acceptance range concluding bioequivalence. The results obtained by stereoselective assay were comparable to the nonstereoselective analysis, as sum of concentrations of (S)‐(+)‐ and (R)‐(−)‐enantiomers of venlafaxine and ODV. The mean (S)‐(+)/(R)‐(−) ratios of the enantiomers of venlafaxine and ODV at various time points were consistent in the study subjects. Therefore, the estimation of venlafaxine and ODV using nonstereoselective assay method is effective in distinguishing formulation differences (if any) in bioequivalence studies in a cost‐effective manner. Chirality, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Enantioselective LC/ESI-MS/MS analysis and pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution study of (2RS)-1-(7-methoxy-1H-indol-4-yloxy)-3-(2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)ethylamino)-propan-2-ol in rats

A sensitive and stereospecific liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry method for the quantitative determination of TWo8 enantiomers ((2RS)‐1‐(7‐methoxy‐1H‐indol‐4‐yloxy)‐3‐(2‐(2‐methoxyphenoxy)ethylamino)‐propan‐2‐ol) was developed and validated in rat serum and some tissues. Racemic TWo8 is a new chemical entity, and it has been shown to possess pharmacological activity in vivo. The assay involved the diastereomeric derivatization of racemic TWo8 with 2,3,4,6‐tetra‐O‐acetyl‐beta‐glucopyranosyl isothiocyanate. The TWo8 diastereoisomers quantification was performed on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer employing an electrospray ionization technique. The precursor to the product ion transition for TWo8 derivatives and for the internal standard (carbamazepine) was m/z 776.4 → 387.2 and 237.4 → 194.4, respectively. The assay was validated with a linear range of 10–2000 ng/ml of racemic TWo8. The inter‐day precisions for (?)‐(S)‐TWo8 and (+)‐(R)‐TWo8 were 2.1% to 14.9% and 1.3% to 14.8%, respectively. The inter‐day accuracy for (?)‐(S)‐TWo8 and (+)‐(R)‐TWo8 was within 86% to 114% and 91% to 114%, respectively. A pilot pharmacokinetic study of this new β‐adrenolytic compound has shown that (?)‐(S)‐TWo8 is eliminated faster than its antipode. The terminal half‐lives of (?)‐(S)‐TWo8 and (+)‐(R)‐TWo8 were 3.2 and 3.9 h, respectively. The compound distribution into different organs, evaluated in tissue homogenate samples following TWo8 intravenous administration, showed an enantioselective penetration of TWo8 enantiomers in the liver (p < 0.03), in the kidney (p < 0.001), and in the lungs (p < 0.05). The developed method using liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry method with electrospray ionization could be employed for quantitative determination of compounds with similar structure. Chirality 24:591–599, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Synthesis of enantiomers of exo‐2‐norbornyl‐N‐n‐butylcarbamate and endo‐2‐norbornyl‐N‐n‐butylcarbamate for stereoselective inhibition of acetylcholinesterase

The acetylcholinesterase inhibition by enantiomers of exo‐ and endo‐2‐norbornyl‐N‐n‐butylcarbamates shows high stereoselelectivity. For the acetylcholinesterase inhibitions by (R)‐(+)‐ and (S)‐(?)‐exo‐2‐norbornyl‐N‐n‐butylcarbamates, the R‐enantiomer is more potent than the S‐enantiomer. But, for the acetylcholinesterase inhibitions by (R)‐(+)‐ and (S)‐(?)‐endo‐2‐norbornyl‐N‐n‐butylcarbamates, the S‐enantiomer is more potent than the R‐enantiomer. Optically pure (R)‐(+)‐exo‐, (S)‐(?)‐exo‐, (R)‐(+)‐endo‐, and (S)‐(?)‐endo‐2‐norbornyl‐N‐n‐butylcarbamates are synthesized from condensations of optically pure (R)‐(+)‐exo‐, (S)‐(?)‐exo‐, (R)‐(+)‐endo‐, and (S)‐(?)‐endo‐2‐norborneols with n‐butyl isocyanate, respectively. Optically pure norborneols are obtained from kinetic resolutions of their racemic esters by lipase catalysis in organic solvent. Chirality 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Separation and toxicity of salithion enantiomers

Enantioseletive toxicities of chiral pesticides have become an environmental concern recently. In this study, we evaluated the enantiomeric separation of salithion on a suite of commercial chiral columns and assessed the toxicity of enantiomers toward butyrylcholinesterase and Daphnia magna. Satisfactory separations of salithion enantiomers could be achieved on all tested columns, that is, Chiralcel OD, Chiralcel OJ, and Chiralpak AD column. However, the Chiralpak AD column offered the best separation and was chosen to prepare micro‐scale of pure salithion enantiomers for subsequent bioassays. The first and second enantiomers eluted on the Chiralpak AD column were further confirmed to be (?)‐S‐salithion and (+)‐R‐salithion, respectively. The half inhibition concentrations to butyrylcholinesterase of racemate, (+)‐R‐salithion, and (?)‐S‐salithion were 33.09, 2.92, and 15.60 mg/l, respectively, showing (+)‐R‐enantiomer being about 5.0 times more potent than its (?)‐S‐form. However, the median lethal concentrations (96 h) of racemate, (+)‐R‐salithion, and (?)‐S‐salithion toward D. magna were 3.54, 1.10, and 0.36 μg/l, respectively, suggesting that (?)‐S‐salithion was about 3.0 times more toxic than (+)‐R‐form. Racemic salithion was less toxic than either of the enantiomers in both bioassays, suggesting that antagonistic interactions might occur between the enantiomers during the toxication action. This work reveals that the toxicity of salithion toward butyrylcholinesterase and D. magna is enantioselective, and this factor should be taken into consideration in the environmental risk assessment of salithion. Chirality 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Influence of N‐hexane inhalation on the enantioselective pharmacokinetics and metabolism of verapamil in rats

Verapamil (VER) is commercialized as a racemic mixture of the (+)‐(R)‐VER and (?)‐(S)‐VER enantiomers. VER is biotransformed into norverapamil (NOR) and other metabolites through CYP‐dependent pathways. N‐hexane is a solvent that can alter the metabolism of CYP‐dependent drugs. The present study investigated the influence of n‐hexane (nose‐only inhalation exposure chamber at concentrations of 88, 176, and 352 mg/m³) on the kinetic disposition of the (+)‐(R)‐VER, (?)‐(S)‐VER, (R)‐NOR and (S)‐NOR in rats treated with a single dose of racemic VER (10 mg/kg). VER and NOR enantiomers in rat plasma was analyzed by LC‐MS/MS (m/z = 441.3 > 165.5 for the NOR and m/z 455.3 > 165.5 for the VER enantiomers) using a Chiralpak® AD column. Pharmacokinetic analysis was performed using a monocompartmental model. The pharmacokinetics of VER was enantioselective in control rats, with higher plasma proportions of the (?)‐(S)‐VER eutomer (AUC^0?∞ = 250.8 vs. 120.4 ng/ml/h; P ≤ 0.05, Wilcoxon test). The (S)‐NOR metabolite was also found to accumulate in plasma of control animals, with an S/R AUC^0?∞ ratio of 1.5. The pharmacokinetic parameters AUC^0?∞, Cl/F, Vd/F, and t_1/2 obtained for VER and NOR enantiomers were not altered by nose‐only exposure to n‐hexane at concentrations of 88, 176, or 352 mg/m³ (P > 0.05, Kruskal‐Wallis test). However, the verapamil kinetic disposition was not enantioselective for the animals exposed to n‐hexane at concentrations equal to or higher than the TLV‐TWA. This finding is relevant considering that the (?)‐(S)‐VER eutomer is 10–20 times more potent than R‐(+)‐VER in terms of its chronotropic effect on atrioventricular conduction in rats and humans. Chirality 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Bevantolol hydrochloride (nc-1400): Absolute configuration and direct separation of the enantiomers

Synthesis of (?)-bevantolol hydrochloride from 3,4-dimethoxyphenethylamine and (S)-(+)-m-tolyl glycidyl ether derived from (R)-(?)-epichlorohydrin established the absolute configuration of the (+) and (?) enantiomer as R and S, respectively. The purity of the enantiomers was determines using a chiral cellulose column (CHIRALCEL OD®) which allowed direct separation of the enantiomers. A separation factor (α) of 4.20 and a resolution factor (Rs) of 9.21 were obtained. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Stereoselective metabolism of fenoxaprop‐ethyl and its chiral metabolite fenoxaprop in rabbits

The stereoselective metabolism of the enantiomers of fenoxaprop‐ethyl (FE) and its primary chiral metabolite fenoxaprop (FA) in rabbits in vivo and in vitro was studied based on a validated chiral high‐performance liquid chromatography method. The information of in vivo metabolism was obtained by intravenous administration of racemic FE, racemic FA, and optically pure (−)‐(S)‐FE and (+)‐(R)‐FE separately. The results showed that FE degraded very fast to the metabolite FA, which was then metabolized in a stereoselective way in vivo: (−)‐(S)‐FA degraded faster in plasma, heart, lung, liver, kidney, and bile than its antipode. Moreover, a conversion of (−)‐(S)‐FA to (+)‐(R)‐FA in plasma was found after injection of optically pure (−)‐(S)‐ and (+)‐(R)‐FE separately. Either enantiomers were not detected in brain, spleen, muscle, and fat. Plasma concentration–time curves were best described by an open three‐compartment model, and the toxicokinetic parameters of the two enantiomers were significantly different. Different metabolism behaviors were observed in the degradations of FE and FA in the plasma and liver microsomes in vitro, which were helpful for understanding the stereoselective mechanism. This work suggested the stereoselective behaviors of chiral pollutants, and their chiral metabolites in environment should be taken into account for an accurate risk assessment. Chirality, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Steady‐State Plasma Concentration of Donepezil Enantiomers and Its Stereoselective Metabolism and Transport In Vitro

The aim of the present study was to elucidate the differences in the plasma concentration of two enantiomers of donepezil in Chinese patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and investigate in vitro stereoselective metabolism and transport. Donepezil enantiomers were separated and determined by LC‐MS/MS using D5‐donepezil as an internal standard on a Sepax Chiralomix SB‐5 column. In vitro stereoselective metabolism and transport of donepezil were investigated in human liver microsomes and MDCKII‐MDR1 cell monolayer. Pre‐dose (Css‐min) plasma concentrations were determined in 52 patients. The mean plasma level of (R)‐donepezil was 14.94 ng/ml and that of (S)‐donepezil was 23.37 ng/ml. One patient's plasma concentration of (R)‐donepezil was higher than (S)‐donepezil and the ratio is 1.51. The mean plasma levels of (S)‐donepezil were found to be higher than those of (R)‐donepezil in 51 patients and the ratio of plasma (R)‐ to (S)‐donepezil varies from 0.34 to 0.85. In the in vitro microsomal system, (R)‐donepezil degraded faster than (S)‐donepezil. V_max of (R)‐donepezil was significantly higher than (S)‐donepezil. The P‐gp inhibition experiment shown that the P_app of the two enantiomers was higher than 200 and the efflux ratios were 1.11 and 0.99. The results of the P‐gp inhibition identification experiment showed IC50 values of 35.5 and 20.4 μM, respectively, for the two enantiomers. The results indicate that donepezil exhibits stereoselective hepatic metabolism that may explain the differences in the steady‐state plasma concentrations observed. Neither (R)‐ nor (S)‐donepezil was a P‐gp substance and the two enantiomers are highly permeable through the blood–brain barrier. Chirality 25:498–505, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Enantioselective toxic effects of hexaconazole enantiomers against Scenedesmus obliquus

Enantioselectivity in ecotoxicity of chiral pesticides in the aquatic environment has been a subject of growing interest. In this study, the toxicological impacts of hexaconazole enantiomers were investigated with freshwater algae Scenedesmus obliquus. After 96 h of exposure, the EC₅₀ values for rac‐hexaconazole, (+)‐hexaconazole, and (?)‐hexaconazole were 0.178, 0.355, and 0.065 mg l^?1, respectively. Therefore, the acute toxicities of hexaconazole enantiomers were enantioselective. In addition, the different toxic effects were evaluated when S. obliquus were exposed to 0.2, 0.5, and 1.0 mg l^?1 of rac‐hexaconazole, (+)‐hexaconazole, and (?)‐hexaconazole during 96 h, respectively. The chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b contents of S. obliquus treated by (?)‐hexaconazole were lower than those exposed to (+)‐hexaconazole, whereas the malondialdehyde contents of S. obliquus treated by (?)‐form were higher than those exposed to (+)‐form at higher concentrations. In general, catalase activities were significantly upregulated by exposure to (?)‐enantiomer than (+)‐enantiomer at all three concentrations. However, superoxide dismutase activities exposed to (?)‐hexaconazole were lower than that exposed to (+)‐hexaconazole at 0.2 mg l^?1 and 0.5 mg l^?1. On the basis of these data, the acute toxicity and toxic effects of hexaconazole against S. obliquus were enantioselective, and such enantiomeric differences must be taken into consideration in pesticide risk assessment. Chirality 24:610–614, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Analysis of Oxcarbazepine and the 10‐Hydroxycarbazepine Enantiomers in Plasma by LC‐MS/MS: Application in a Pharmacokinetic Study

Oxcarbazepine is a second‐generation antiepileptic drug indicated as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial seizures or generalized tonic–clonic seizures in adults and children. It undergoes rapid presystemic reduction with formation of the active metabolite 10‐hydroxycarbazepine (MHD), which has a chiral center at position 10, with the enantiomers (S)‐(+)‐ and R‐(?)‐MHD showing similar antiepileptic effects. This study presents the development and validation of a method of sequential analysis of oxcarbazepine and MHD enantiomers in plasma using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS). Aliquots of 100 μL of plasma were extracted with a mixture of methyl tert‐butyl ether: dichloromethane (2:1). The separation of oxcarbazepine and the MHD enantiomers was obtained on a chiral phase Chiralcel OD‐H column, using a mixture of hexane:ethanol:isopropanol (80:15:5, v/v/v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.3 mL/min with a split ratio of 1:5, and quantification was performed by LC‐MS/MS. The limit of quantification was 12.5 ng oxcarbazepine and 31.25 ng of each MHD enantiomer/mL of plasma. The method was applied in the study of kinetic disposition of oxcarbazepine and the MHD enantiomers in the steady state after oral administration of 300 mg/12 h oxcarbazepine in a healthy volunteer. The maximum plasma concentration of oxcarbazepine was 1.2 µg/mL at 0.75 h. The kinetic disposition of MHD is enantioselective, with a higher proportion of the S‐(+)‐MHD enantiomer compared to R‐(?)‐MHD and an AUC^0‐12 _{S‐(+)/R‐(?)} ratio of 5.44. Chirality 25:897–903, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Asymmetric epoxidation of cinnamyl alcohol with optically active titanium complexes

A family of titanium(IV) alkoxo compounds [{Ti(O‐i‐Pr)₂(OR)₂}₂] 1–4 prepared by alcohol exchange of Ti(O‐i‐Pr)₄ and a chiral higher‐boiling alcohol [ROH = 1,2:3,4‐di‐O‐isopropylidene‐α‐d ‐galactopyranose, 1,2:5,6‐di‐O‐isopropylidene‐α‐d ‐glucofuranose, (1R,2S,5R)‐(?)‐menthol, (1S‐endo)‐(?)‐borneol, (1S,2R,5S)‐(+)‐menthol, and (+)‐borneol] has been tested to evaluate their catalytic activity and stereoselectivity in the asymmetric epoxidation of cinnamyl alcohol. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. Chirality     

Influence of Dose and Route of Administration on the Enantioselective Pharmacokinetics of TJ0711 Hydrochloride in Rats

The enantioselective pharmacokinetics of TJ0711 hydrochloride were studied in rats given different doses of rac‐TJ0711 hydrochloride via intravenous and oral routes. R‐ and S‐TJ0711 hydrochloride were both rapidly absorbed, and the average AUC_0‐∞ of R‐TJ0711 hydrochloride was greater than that of S‐TJ0711 hydrochloride after intragastric administration, with an R/S AUC ratio 1.11 and 1.35 for 30 and 50 mg/kg dose group, respectively. In contrast, the average AUC_0‐∞ of R‐TJ0711 hydrochloride was smaller than that of S‐TJ0711 hydrochloride after intravenous injection, with an R/S AUC ratio 0.57 and 0.73 for 10 and 20 mg/kg dose group, respectively. R‐TJ0711 hydrochloride plasma half‐lives were shorter than those of S‐TJ0711 hydrochloride for all groups. AUC_0‐4h and C_max between the two enantiomers were significantly different after oral administration of 50 mg/kg dose of the racemate, while no significant differences between the two enantiomers were found for all the pharmacokinetic parameters of the 30 mg/kg dose group. Significant differences between the two enantiomers were detected for nearly all the pharmacokinetic parameters after intravenous administration, except for the V_Z of 20 mg/kg dose group. This study suggests that dose and route of administration will influence the enantioselectivity in the pharmacokinetics of TJ0711 hydrochloride in rats. Chirality 27:53–57, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Determination of the Enantiomeric Purity of the Antiasthmatic Drug Montelukast by Means of 1H NMR Spectroscopy

In order to define an enantioselective nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method for the antiasthmatic drug montelukast, a series of nine easily available products were evaluated as NMR chiral solvating agents (CSAs): D‐dibenzoyltartaric acid, D‐ditoluoyltartaric acid, (+)‐camphorsulfonic acid, (S)‐BINOL, (S)‐3,3’‐diphenyl‐2,2’‐binaphthyl‐1,1’‐diol, (R)‐3,3'′‐di‐9‐anthracenyl‐1,1'′‐bi‐2‐naphthol, (R)‐3,3'′‐di‐9‐phenanthrenyl‐1,1'′‐bi‐2‐naphthol, Pirkle's alcohol, and (?)‐cinchonidine. It was proved that most of the studied agents constitute diastereomeric complexes with both drug enantiomers in CD₂Cl₂ or CDCl₃ solutions, thus permitting the direct ¹H NMR detection of the unwanted S‐enantiomer, even at levels of 0.75%. (?)‐Cinchonidine was found to be the more convenient CSA in terms of NMR enantiodiscrimination power and ease of experimental requirements. The final method was validated and applied to the fast monitoring of the optical purity of montelukast “in‐process” samples, circumventing the need for tedious and slower analytical procedures like enantioselective chromatography or capillary electrophoresis. In addition, a method for the enantiopurity control of the commercial drug (montelukast sodium salt) was also established using (S)‐BINOL as NMR CSA. Chirality 25: 780–786, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Population divergence of aggregation pheromone responses in Ips subelongatus in northeastern China

The Asian larch bark beetle, Ips subelongatus, is considered to be the major pest of larch within its natural range. We investigated the electrophysiological and behavioral characteristics as well as mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I sequences of I. subelongatus from 13 geographic populations throughout northeastern China in order to explore population divergence of aggregation pheromone responses and the extent of potential genetic divergence. Electrophysiological analyses showed that antennae of I. subelongatus from all the six tested populations responded strongly to (S)‐(?)‐ipsenol (100% detection; 0.35–0.73 mV) in gas chromatography (GC)–electroantennographic detection (EAD) analyses, while its antipode, (R)‐(+)‐ipsenol was antennally inactive. I. subelongatus populations varied in their responses to (R)‐(?)‐ and (S)‐(+)‐ipsdienol in GC‐EAD analyses. Behavioral bioassays demonstrated that (S)‐(?)‐ipsenol alone was significantly attractive at all the tested sites, supporting its status as a key pheromone component of I. subelongatus, whereas (S)‐(+)‐ipsdienol was inactive alone. Adding (S)‐(+)‐ipsdienol to (S)‐(?)‐ipsenol did not have any effect on the trap catches from some populations in Inner Mongolia. However, (S)‐(+)‐ipsdienol showed a strong synergistic effect on (S)‐(?)‐ipsenol from several populations in Jilin and Liaoning Provinces, and a weak synergistic effect from some transition populations in Heilongjiang Province. Furthermore, 27 mitochondrial haplotypes were found among the 13 populations (intraspecific nucleotide divergence, 0.1%–1.1%). Analyses of molecular variance and haplotype networks indicated that different geographic populations have developed some genetic variation but did not form completely independent groups. From an applied point of view, a universal synthetic binary blend of racemic ipsenol and (S)‐(+)‐ipsdienol might have a potential for monitoring or even mass‐trapping of I. subelongatus across northeastern China, even though some populations only use (S)‐(?)‐ipsenol alone as their active pheromone component.