Enantioanalysis of pharmaceutical compounds

Abstract

Due to the differences in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the enantiomers of the same chiral pharmaceutical substance, there is a high need of reliable analytical methods for enantiopurity tests of them in the raw material as well as in its pharmaceutical formulations. If some of the chiral pharmaceutical compounds can be delivered as racemates, there are many others for which the enantiopurity is essential. Enantioanalysis using enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes became a good alternative of the chromatographic methods due to its high reliability. To have reliable analytical information it is necessary to use reliable analytical methods and electrodes. The most reliable design for the enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes proved to be the one based on carbon paste. This electrodes are made by mixing graphite powder with paraffin oil to give carbon paste, which is modified by the addition of a chiral selector (e.g., cylodextrins, maltodextrins, macrocyclic antibiotics and fullerenes). The high sensitivity, selectivity, enantioselectivity, accuracy and precision made the enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes suitable to be used for the enantioanalysis of different pharmaceutical compounds such as S- and R-deprenyl and S-ibuprofen as raw materials and in their pharmaceutical formulations.