Abstract

UV-Metric, pH-Metric and RP-HPLC Methods to Evaluate the Multiple pKa Values of a Polyprotic Basic Novel Antimalarial Drug Lead, Cyclen Bisquinoline

Mohammad Faisal Hossain, Cassandra Obi, Anjuli Shrestha and MO Faruk Khan

The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate and compare the pKa values of the poorly water soluble, weakly basic, novel antimalarial drug lead, 4,10-bis (7-chloroquinoline)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (CNBQ). Three separate methods, pH-metric, UV-metric, and Reverse Phase-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC), were employed to determine the pKa values between 2.0-12.0 pH range. The acetate and phosphate buffers, in addition to methanol and acetonitrile as co-solvents and potassium chloride to maintain the ionic strength, were used as appropriate. In UV-metric method, the drug substance is dissolved in aqueous media eliminating any interference of a co-solvent for measuring the pKa. Consequently, the pKa values obtained by the UV-metric method are considered accurate, as opposed to potentiometric and RP-HPLC methods that require the use of co-solvents. Thus, through the utilization of UV-metric method three pKa values, 5.9, 6.6, and 8.7, were obtained for CNBQ. These studies would be useful to determine the pKa values of the related drug leads under development.