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Numerous ecdysteroids are isolated from the herb of Serratula wolffii Andrae, a cultivated plant. The isolation procedure includes a variety of low-pressure liquid chromatography, thin-layer chromatography (TLC), gel chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods. The progress of separation is monitored by TLC, and the final proof of purity is carried out by HPLC. The isolation process involves the removal of proteins, flavonoids, chlorophylls, other sterines, etc. The purification also includes the separation of the target ecdysteroids from each other. Isolation of the pure compounds requires 2-8 chromatographic steps. The consecutive steps are based on the different physicochemical properties of the ecdysteroids. In some cases, a special peak-cut method employing a flush of dichloromethane into the dichloromethane-isopropanol-water mobile phase is used. This flush of dichloromethane leads to an almost perfect separation of otherwise unresolved peaks. Two ecdysteroids, 25-hydroxydacryhainansterone and 14-epi-20-hydroxyecdysone, are identified as natural products for the first time. The structure-chiroptical relationships for some ecdysteroids are also discussed.

K-48 is a new oxime-type compound to be used as an enzyme reactivator in the treatment of exposure to organophosphorous compounds. Plasma concentration of K-48 can be determined using reversed-phase HPLC. Analysis using octyl silica stationary phase and ultraviolet-absorbance detection is fast and simple. K-48 displays a relatively high dose-normalized area under the curve as compared to pralidoxime, which might be beneficial for an antidote. After i.m. administration of 50 mumol K-48, the time course of the concentration can be approximated by a straight line between 15 and 120 min meaning the elimination follows zero-order kinetics.

Optical resolution of the enantiomers of new 4(3H)-quinazolone derivatives is investigated using the alpha1-acid glycoprotein chiral stationary phase (Chiral-AGP). Stereoselective separation of the model compounds can be controlled by varying the pH and adding uncharged organic modifiers (acetonitrile and 2-propanol) to the mobile phase. For the majority of quinazolone derivatives, Chiral-AGP is proved to be an excellent enantioselector, because optimized chromatographic conditions allow for the baseline separation of the enantiomers. Separation factors between 1.19 and 1.85 are obtained. The effects of acetonitrile and 2-propanol on the chromatographic behavior of the model compounds are quite different because of their different hydrophobic- and hydrogen-bonding properties. The eluent pH and organic modifier concentration also contributes to the chiral recognition by altering the protein environment. The analysis of the experimental results leads to new information about the chromatographic mechanism on a Chiral-AGP surface.

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