Use of TLC and multivariate mathematical statistical methods to study the interaction of monoamine oxidase inhibitory drugs with amino acids.

The interaction of 17 monoamine oxidase inhibitory drugs (propargylamine derivatives) with amino acids was studied by charge-transfer chromatography. The data set was evaluated by principal component analysis (PCA). To assess the effect of the information loss caused by normalization, PCA was separately carried out on the covariance and on the correlation matrix. The strength and selectivity of interaction was separated by the spectral mapping technique. Calculation proved that the amino group of the drugs interacted with the second carboxyl group of dicarboxylic amino acids, and that the interaction was of electrostatic character. This finding made probable the direct interaction between the drugs and the target enzyme or enzymes. The results of both PCA methods were similar. However, coordinates of the spectral map showed only slight correlation with the corresponding coordinates of the two-dimensional nonlinear maps proving the different information content of the methods.