Fractionation and characterization of a crude peptide mixture from the synthesis of eledoisin by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Eledoisin is a peptide with complex pharmacological properties acid recogni zed therapeutical application. Peptides of pharmaceutical interest in the m olecular mass range of eledoisin are often synthesized using solid-phase pe ptide synthesis. This procedure results in complex crudes of reaction that require extensive purification and characterization. In order to avoid long empirical optimization procedures to separate the unwanted products associ ated with the target peptide eledoisin from a synthesis crude, the method o f linear solvation energy relationships for predicting peptide retention ti mes was applied and the proportion of the organic modifier of the mobile ph ase used in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was optimi zed. The crude of synthesis was also analyzed by combined HPLC-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, which allowed rapid and reliable identificat ion of the target peptide and has furnished comprehensive information on ot her reaction products. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.