Evaluating "fast" micellar monolithic liquid chromatography for high-throughput quantitative structure-retention relationship screening.

The recently introduced monolithic silica columns were tested for their use in micellar liquid chromatography. Micellar methods are utilized in high-throughput quantitative structure-retention relationships to estimate an indicator of the membrane permeability of drugs, namely, the octanol-water partition coefficient, log P. The monolithic column's ability to function at higher flow rates might be useful to speed up these chromatographic methods estimating the log P. Therefore, the elution behavior of diverse basic pharmaceutical substances was determined on a classical particle-based and a monolithic column, both with and without a micellar medium in the mobile phase. Utilizing among others principal component analysis, the extent to which these methods differ in retention characteristics was examined in the context of high-throughput determination of log P. Results indicate that combining monolithic columns with micellar media leads to faster log P and possibly even better permeability predictions.

Characterisation of reversed-phase liquid-chromatographic columns by chromatographic tests comparing column classification based on chromatographic parameters and column performance for the separation of acetylsalicylic acid and related compounds.

Selection of RP-LC columns with suitable selectivity for a given analysis is difficult. For example, the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) and other official compendia for drug analysis only give a general description of the stationary phase in the operating procedure of a liquid chromatographic method. The need for a general test method to characterise RP-LC columns has been rising since the 1970s. A project to define a chromatographic procedure characterising RP-LC columns was started earlier. A procedure to measure test parameters was introduced and a classification of the columns, based on a minimal number of parameters, was obtained. This paper focuses on correlating the column classification with the selectivity obtained for a real separation. The separation of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) and related compounds was performed according to the Ph. Eur. monograph on the stationary phases previously characterised chromatographically. It was examined whether the classes of columns, determined using test parameter results, contain either suitable or unsuitable supports for the aspirin separation. The system suitability test prescribed by the Ph. Eur. in order to distinguish between suitable or unsuitable columns for this separation was also evaluated.

Characterisation of reversed-phase liquid chromatographic columns by chromatographic tests. Rational column classification by a minimal number of column test parameters.

The European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) and other official compendia give only a general description of the stationary phase in the description of a liquid chromatographic method. Therefore the selection of a column giving suitable selectivity presents difficulties. Earlier, a test procedure was proposed that allows to measure 36 chromatographic parameters which have been described for characterising stationary phases. This procedure was carried out on 69 reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-LC) columns. This paper focuses on the classification of RP-LC stationary phases based on chromatographic parameters. A chemometric study was conducted using 24 parameters that could be measured in a repeatable and reproducible way. Principal component analysis was used to classify the columns and to estimate the minimal number of parameters necessary for a rational classification. It is shown that after reducing the number of parameters from 24 to four or three, similar classifications were obtained. The column classifications were compared to the European Pharmacopoeia stationary phase description and to the column properties obtained from the manufacturers.

Scaling-up of a lactose wet granulation process in Mi-Pro high shear mixers.

The high shear wet granulation upscaling possibilities of a Pro-C-epT Mi-Pro 250 ml with a batch size of 40 g were investigated by down-scaling an alpha-lactose monohydrate wet granulation process from a Collette Gral 10 (8 l batch size) to a Pro-C-epT Mi-Pro with different bowl volumes of 5 l, and 1900, 900 and 250 ml. The wet granulation process was optimised in the Gral 10, next an octagonal design was build around the central point. Two process parameters, the impeller tip speed and the water content, were varied at three levels, which resulted in a two-factor three-level experimental design. alpha-Lactose monohydrate 200 M was granulated using a polyvinylpyrollidone K 30 (2.5% on dry material) binder solution. The granules were dried at 25 degrees C for 24 h, sieved and characterised. The granules were compressed to tablets. In all mixer volumes the used impeller tip speed range did not influence the granule or tablet properties. In all bowl volumes the influence of water concentration on actual yield, particle size distribution and granule friability was similar. All batch sizes resulted in tablets of similar quality. For the selected formulation the lab scale Mi-Pro high shear mixers with different bowl volumes could be used to determine the optimal process parameters and to scale up to the Collette Gral 10 pilot scale.

Characterisation of reversed-phase liquid chromatographic columns by chromatographic tests. Evaluation of 36 test parameters: repeatability, reproducibility and correlation.

The European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) or other official compendia give only a general description of the stationary phase in the description of a liquid chromatographic method. Therefore the selection of a column giving suitable selectivity presents difficulties. Earlier, a test procedure was proposed that allows measurement of a number of parameters which are reported to be representative for stationary phase characteristics. This paper describes how the test procedure was applied on 69 RP-LC C18 columns. Chromatographic parameters obtained as test results were evaluated, and their repeatability, reproducibility and correlation were examined.