Comparative analysis of chiral drugs in view of chemometrics

Abstract

With the development of methods for obtaining chiral compounds as potential drugs, there is also need to develop analytical methods for the separation of both enantiomers. Keeping in mind that the physical and chemical properties of both enantiomers are identical, their different nature will only be revealed in a chiral environment that is appropriately designed. Physicochemical systems can be used to predict the differences in biological activity of both enantiomers. The complexity of the problem requires the use of additional tools, which are various chemometric methods. This paper reviews the application of chemometry in the analysis of chiral drugs and discusses the effects of a combination of chromatographic, electrophoretic, and spectroscopic analysis (UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, and near- IR spectroscopy aided by cyclodextrin inclusion complexes) with chemometrics for improving the methods of enantioseparation (experimental design), explaining the mechanisms of behavior and chiral recognition (quantitative structureenantioselective retention relationships) and indicating chiral purity (enantiomeric excess). © 2012 Publishing Technology.