The stereoisomeric separation of several flavanones and flavanone-7-O-glycosides has been achieved with capillary electrophoresis by adding native cyclodextrins or cyclodextrin derivatives to the background electrolyte. As an alternative method, micellar electrokinetic chromatography with sodium cholate as a chiral surfactant has been used for the epimeric separation of two flavanone-7-O-glycosides. The effect of buffer systems containing mixtures of cyclodextrin with either sodium dodecyl sulfate or sodium cholate upon the chiral recognition of flavanones and flavanone-7-O-glycosides as well as the variation of the background electrolyte (concentration of buffer and surfactant, pH value, organic modifier), and its influence on the resolution factor Rs was investigated. Temperature- and pH-dependent enantiomerization or epimerization barriers of several flavanones (naringenin, homoeriodictyol) and flavanone-7-O-glycosides (naringin, neohesperidin, prunin, narirutin) in basic media (pH values of 9-11) have been observed. Interconversion profiles featuring characteristic plateau formation of the elution pattern were observed at high pH and evaluated with the simulation software ChromWin to determine rate constants k(T) and Eyring activation parameters, DeltaG#(T), DeltaH#, and DeltaS#.

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The 2S- and 2R-diastereomers of major flavanone-7-O-glycosides found in sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), mandarine (Citrus deliciosa), grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), lemon (Citrus limon), and sour or bitter orange juice (Citrus aurantium) were separated for the first time by chiral capillary electrophoresis (CE) employing various buffers with combined chiral selectors. Native cyclodextrins (CDs), neutral and charged CD derivatives were examined as chiral additives to the background electrolyte (BGE). Separation efficiency has not proved satisfactory with one single CD as chiral selector in the buffer, a full and simultaneous separation could often be achieved only by using combined buffer with two different CDs. Chiral separation of major flavanones in sweet orange, mandarine and grapefruit juices raised more difficulties than in lemon and sour orange juices as narirutin will not readily build complexes with most CDs. Diastereomeric flavanones of mature and immature grapefruits were compared and some differences were found: naringin showed different diastereomeric ratio and 2S-prunin appeared only in immature grapefruit. Marmalade was also examined by chiral CE. Its major flavanones corresponded to flavanone pattern of mixed sour and sweet oranges.