Chiral compounds in metabolism: a look in the molecular mirror

Abstract

Recent advances in the field of enantiomeric metabolite analysis, in particular the use of enantioselective gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, have an increasingly important role to play, not only in the diagnosis of inborn errors of metabolism, but also to increase our understanding of normal physiological processes.

Capillary electrophoresis for short‐chain organic acids and inorganic anions in different samples

“…On the other hand, most biochemical reactions have enantiomeric selectivity. Different enantiomers of the same compound can activate different metabolic pathways [141]. Enantiomeric ratio of chiral metabolites is an important parameter for the understanding of metabolic processes and in many cases it can have diagnostic purposes.…”

Recent advances in the determination of enantiomeric drugs and their metabolites in biological fluids by capillary electrophoresis‐mediated microanalysis

“…The significance of stereochemistry has also been recognized in other related areas such as forensic analysis [10], therapeutic drug monitoring [11], and diagnostic purposes [12]. Thus, the demand for analytical methods suitable for accurate and reproducible determination of enantiomers of drugs and their metabolites in biological samples has increased significantly over the last years [4,13,14].…”

Asymmetry

“…Maple syrup urine disease, a disorder of branched-chain amino acids (L-valine, L-leucine, L-isoleucine), glyceric aciduria (type II oxalosis), and 2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria have all been described in the D-form. The same applies to D-lactic aciduria [Sewell et al, 1998]. …”