Direct separation of albendazole sulfoxide enantiomers by liquid chromatography on a chiral column deriving from (S)-N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl) tyrosine: application to enantiomeric assays on plasma samples

The direct enantiomeric resolution of albendazole sulfoxide (SOABZ), an anthelmintic drug belonging to the benzimidazole class, is reported on a chiral stationary phase (CSP) synthesized by covalent binding of (S)-N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)tyrosine-O-(2-propen-1-yl) methyl ester on a gamma-mercaptopropyl-silanized silica gel. A comparison with the resolution achieved on commercially available Pirkle-type CSPs obtained from N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl) derivatives of (R)-phenyglycine or (S)-phenylalanine is described. Some structurally related chiral sulfoxides including oxfendazole (SOFBZ) are also studied. Optimization of the mobile phase nature and composition is investigated showing that a hexane-dioxane-ethanol ternary mixture affords an almost baseline resolution (Rs = 1.25); however, in this case, albendazole sulfone (SO2ABZ) is eluted between the two sulfoxide enantiomers; accordingly, a hexane-ethanol mobile phase would be preferred for biological samples containing both metabolites. The influence of temperature on the resolution is depicted with a hexane-ethanol mobile phase. Finally, application to the enantiomeric assays of SOABZ in plasmatic extracts of rat, sheep, bovin, and man after oral administration of albendazole (sulfoxidized to SOABZ and SO2ABZ) is reported. Some distortions in the enantiomeric ratios are evidenced depending on the species.