Application of Thin‐Layer Chromatography to the Investigation of Oscillatory Instability of Selected Profen Enantiomers in Physiological Salt

Abstract

In earlier investigations, we evaluated the performance of thin‐layer chromatography as an analytical tool to study oscillatory instability of selected profens dissolved in 70% ethanol and dichloromethane. In this study, the solvent used to dissolve profens is changed to physiological salt. The purpose was to assess if the selected test profens [i.e., S‐(+)‐ibuprofen, S‐(+)‐naproxen, and R,S‐(±)‐2‐phenylpropionic acid] can undergo oscillatory transenantiomerization if dissolved in physiological salt. It is a commonly known fact that physiological salt is often drip‐infused into the human (or animal) body with the addition of a drug. Therefore, the question arises whether profen drugs dispensed as physiological salt solutions can undergo oscillatory transenantiomerization in this particular medium. The results of our study confirm that such a transformation is in fact possible.

Keywords:

• Profens
• TLC
• Chirality
• Oscillatory transenantiomerization

Acknowledgment

The authors wish to thank Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany) for supplying the TLC plates and the sample of S,R‐(±)‐2‐phenylpropionic acid used in our experiments.