Salient Features of Enantioselective Gas Chromatography: The Enantiomeric Differentiation of Chiral Inhalation Anesthetics as a Representative Methodological Case in Point

Silylated-Acetylated Cyclodextrins as Chiral Sensors for the Enantiodiscrimination of Fluorinated Anesthetics

Silylated-acetylated cyclodextrin (CD) derivatives have recently been investigated, via nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, as chiral sensors for substrates that are endowed and devoid of fluorine atoms, and the importance of Si-F interaction in the discrimination phenomena has been assessed. Here, the contributions of both superficial interactions and inclusion processes were further evaluated by extending the records to other chiral fluorinated substrates of interest for pharmaceutical applications. Non-equivalences were measured for both the ¹H and ¹⁹F resonances in equimolar mixtures with the CDs; the promising results also supported the use of chiral sensors in sub-stoichiometric amounts. Finally, the occurrence of inclusion processes was evaluated by analyzing the intermolecular dipolar interactions by means of ROESY (Rotating-frame Overhauser Enhancement Spectroscopy) experiments. The study confirmed that the γCD derivative is the best chiral solvating agent for the fluorinated substrates investigated, likely due to the higher number of silyl moieties that can be involved in Si-F interactions. The contribution of inclusion processes to the enantiodiscrimination was also confirmed by comparison with the α- and β-analogues. Overall, the CD derivatives proved to be able to discriminate fluorinated substrates even when used in sub-stoichiometric amounts.

Recent advances in chiral analysis for biosamples in clinical research and forensic toxicology

This article covers current methods and applications in chiral analysis from 2010 to 2020 for biosamples in clinical research and forensic toxicology. Sample preparation for aqueous and solid biological samples prior to instrumental analysis were discussed in the article. GC, HPLC, capillary electrophoresis and sub/supercritical fluid chromatography provide the efficient tools for chiral drug analysis coupled to fluorescence, UV and MS detectors. The application of chiral analysis is discussed in the article, which involves differentiation between clinical use and drug abuse, pharmacokinetic studies, pharmacology/toxicology evaluations and chiral inversion. Typical chiral analytes, including amphetamines and their analogs, anesthetics, psychotropic drugs, β-blockers and some other chiral compounds, are also reviewed.

Does exposure to inhalation anesthesia gases change the ratio of X-bearing sperms and Y-bearing Sperms? A worth exploring project into an uncharted domain

According to recent surveys performed in United States and India, anesthesia care providers were observed to have sired female offspring in a higher proportion than male offspring as their firstborn progeny; however, the reasons for the skew are not clear. Our hypothesis is that the underlying biological evidence may be elucidated by unraveling differences (if any) between the concentrations of X-bearing sperms and Y-bearing sperms in the semen samples obtained from males exposed to varied levels of anesthetics in their lifetimes. Therefore, the objectives of the envisaged study would be to conduct a three-stage investigative study on in-vitro human semen samples to determine (a) X-bearing sperms and Y-bearing sperms concentrations' ratio in male pediatric anesthesia care providers' semen samples, (b) changes in X-bearing sperms and Y-bearing sperms concentrations' ratios between the pre-rotation and post-rotation semen samples of male medical student volunteers/observers, and (c) changes in X-bearing sperms and Y-bearing sperms concentrations' ratios between the pre-operative and post-operative day-3 semen samples of male patients presenting for outpatient procedures under inhalational anesthesia. The expected outcomes would be (a) linear and positive correlation of the anesthetic gas usage (exposure) with increased X-bearing sperms/Y-bearing sperms ratio in post-anesthesia day 3 sample as compared to the baseline preoperative sample, (b) linear and positive correlation of the anesthetic gas usage (exposure) with increased X-bearing sperms/Y-bearing sperms ratio in post-rotation sample as compared to the baseline sample, and (c) observation of high X-bearing sperms/Y-bearing sperms ratio in the pediatric anesthesia care providers. In summary, effects (if any) of occupational or personal exposure to inhalational anesthetic gases on the X-bearing sperms and Y-bearing sperms ratio is a worthy project wherein lots of questions that have arisen over decades could find the path to their definitive answers, based on envisaged laboratory investigations into this uncharted domain.

Heteromerous Bistricyclic Aromatic Enes: Dynamic Stereochemistry of Xanthylidene-Anthrones

The heteromerous bistricyclic aromatic ene (BAE) 2,2'-dimethyl-10-(9H-xanthylidene)-9(10H)-anthrone (DMXA) was synthesized by a condensation of 10,10-dichloro-2-methylxanthene with 2-methylanthrone. X-ray crystallography of (E)-DMXA and xanthylidene-anthrone (XA) indicated that the molecules adopt anti-folded conformations with folding dihedral angles of 44°/44° and 39°/41°, respectively. The crystal structure of anti-folded (E)-DMXA does not indicate any xanthenylium-anthracenolate push-pull effect. E,Z-diastereomerization of DMXA was studied by (1) H-NMR coalescence-temperature measurements at different magnetic field strengths and by kinetic equilibration experiments. Free energy of activation for this process was 81.5 (±1.3) kJ/mol. B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) calculations showed that anti-folded conformers of XA, (E)-DMXA, bianthrone (AA), and dixanthylene (XX) were global minima. The twisted conformers of XA, AA, and XX were local minima (ΔG298 = 16, 18, and 24 kJ/mol) with a substantial dipolar xanthenylium-anthracenolate dipolar contribution for XA. Chirality 27:919-928, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.