Estimation of the partitioning characteristics of drugs: a comparison of a large and diverse drug series utilizing chromatographic and electrophoretic methodology.

1-Octanol-water log P values for a large number of standards and bioactive molecules have been correlated to the logarithm of the corresponding capacity factors determined by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, using a novel dynamically coated phase, containing phosphatidylcholine. Similarly a correlation was also obtained for log P and capacity factors determined by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECC), involving the use of phosphatidylcholine--bile acid mixed micelles in the separation buffer. Statistical analysis of data obtained via both methods has shown that either method will give reliable log P predictions, although MECC is generally more useful for neutral and basic compounds. It is recommended that, as both methods can easily be set up in an analytical laboratory, their combined use provides rapid methodology for the confident estimation of hydrophobicity, as measured by log P for the widest diversity of chemical structures.