Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy was successfully used for the stereochemical characterization of the hydroxylated metabolites formed during the in vitro biotransformation of (R)- and (S)-thalidomide. Incubation extracts of the individual enantiomers were analyzed by HPLC on an achiral stationary phase combined with CD detection. The CD data of the almost enantiopure eluates of the metabolites were compared with the CD spectra quantum chemically calculated for the respective structures. The results allowed us a reliable determination of the absolute stereostructure for all of the metabolites. The chiral center of thalidomide is unaffected by the stereoselective biotransformation process. (3'R,5'R)-trans-5'-hydroxythalidomide is the main metabolite of (R)-thalidomide, which epimerizes spontaneously to give the more stable (3'S,5'R)-cis isomer. On the contrary, (S)-thalidomide is preferentially metabolized by hydroxylation in the phthalimide moiety, resulting in the formation of (S)-5-hydroxythalidomide.

The peaks of enantiomers in liquid chromatography (LC) frequently overlap for different reasons. The experimental curve can be deconvolved, i.e., transformed into the two curves of the enantiomers, without any assumption concerning their peak shapes. Besides the usual photometric UV detection, resulting in absorbance A, polarimetric or circular dichroic detection is required, providing the rotation 90 degree angle alpha or the differential absorbance DeltaA, respectively. The accuracy of the ratio alpha/A or DeltaA/A for the pure enantiomers is essential for the quality of the deconvolution. The determination of these ratios, using the overlapping peaks, and the subsequent computer deconvolution of the latter are discussed in more detail than in the earlier publications, e.g. Ref. 1 concerning this particular method. The computer program developed for this purpose is characterized. A condition is given which limits the availability of ratios and, therefore, the possibility of deconvolution. Several novel examples are described which stem from the following fields of application of deconvolved peaks: actual optical purities during LC (on-line analysis), overall optical purity of a sample, purities of chromatographic peaks, and, finally, enantiomerization during LC.

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