ANALYTICAL CHIRAL SEPARATION OF A NEW QUINOLONE COMPOUND IN BIOLOGICAL-FLUIDS BY HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY

Two methods for the separation of a new racemic quinolone compound, te mafloxacin (TMFX), in biological fluids by high-performance liquid chr omatography (HPLC) were studied. The first method was coupling of TMFX to S-(-)-N-1-(2-naphthyl sulfonyl)-2-pyrrolidine carbonylchloride (L- NSPC). The diastereomeric derivatives were separated on a silica gel c olumn. The second method was separation on a chiral stationary phase w ith an ovomucoid conjugated to aminopropyl silica gel. Two enantiospec ific methods gave a satisfactory result concerning both accuracy and p recision, and the second method was superior to the first one for chro matographic separation. Furthermore, the pharmacokinetics of the enant iomers after oral administration of racemic TMFX to healthy volunteers was investigated by the second method.