Evaluation and application of liquid chromatographic columns coated with 'intelligent' ligands. II. Phospholipid column.

The stationary phases of octadecylsilica (ODS) coated with phospholipid have been developed as a model of artificial lipid membranes for liquid chromatographic columns. An ODS column coated with phospholipid can be readily prepared by recycling a solution containing L-alpha-dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) through an ODS column in a closed loop. DPPC becomes absorbed on the ODS surfaces by hydrophobic interaction between the acyl group of DPPC and the octadecyl group of the ODS surfaces. The DPPC column was usable when a mobile phase containing 30% (v/v) acetonitrile was delivered without detachment of the DPPC from the ODS surfaces. The retention behavior of ionic solutes on the DPPC column suggested that the retention was based on both ionic and electrostatic interactions between the solutes and the stationary phase. The retention factors on the DPPC column correlated well with the partition coefficients in liposome systems for alpha-adrenoceptor agonists and beta-blockers, indicating that the partition of solutes between the coated phase and buffer was similar to that in the liposome/water system. The DPPC column can be used in screening studies to predict the binding properties of drugs onto lipid membranes.