General inhalational anesthetics - pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and chiral properties.

Since the advent of nitric oxide, diethyl ether, chloroform and cyclopropane, the greatest advancement in the area of general inhalational anesthetics has been achieved by the introduction of fluorinated anesthetics and the relevant chiral techniques. This progress led to marked decrease in mortality rates in anesthesia. In the group of chiral fluorinated compounds, halothane (Fluotan®), isoflurane (Foran®), desflurane (Supran®) and enflurane (Ehran®) are deployed as volatile anesthetics. Chiral anesthetics possess a stereogenic center in their molecules and thus exist as two enantiomers (S)-(+) and (R)-(-). Although these chiral anesthetics are used as racemates, it is crucial to study besides the bioactivities of the racemic compounds also the biological activity and other properties of the particular enantiomers. The present survey discusses the drug category known as inhalational anesthetics in regard to their chiral aspects. These compounds exhibit marked differences between the (R) and (S)-enantiomers in their pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and toxicity. The main analytical technique employed in the enantioseparation of these compounds is gas chromatography (GC). This review lists the individual chiral phases (chiral selectors) used in the enantioseparation as well as in pharmacokinetic studies. The possibilities of preparation of these compounds in their enantiomerically pure form by means of stereoselective synthesis are also mentioned.