Lipophilicity Study of Fumaric and Maleic Acids
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The article titled "Lipophilicity Study of Fumaric and Maleic Acids" by Klimoszek et al. primarily focuses on investigating the lipophilic properties of these two acids, which could be beneficial for drug development, chemical synthesis, and other research fields. The study appears to be intriguing and informative, but there are some suggestions and comments that need to be addressed before publication.
Comment 1 : The introductory section of the article appears to be lengthy and focused on basic knowledge. It could benefit from being more concise and precise in order to efficiently introduce the main topic of the article.
Comment 2: The article should include a proper reference for the statement made in lines 196-197, which reads: "The rectilinear range for fumaric acid is 4-40 µg/spot, and for maleic acid it is 8-40 µg/spot." This would help readers to verify the information presented and ensure the accuracy of the study's findings.
Comment 3 : There seems to be a conflict between the information presented in lines 196 and 199-201 of the article. In line 196, it is stated that the rectilinear range for fumaric acid is 4-40 µg/spot, while line 199-201 claims that the limit of detection and quantification for this acid, calculated using the residual standard deviation of the calibration curve, is 1.04 µg/spot and 3.16 µg/spot, respectively. It is recommended that the authors clarify this discrepancy in a more precise manner to ensure that readers, even those outside of the field, can understand the information clearly.
Comment 4 : In lines 240-241 of the article, it is mentioned that the standard deviation is 0.015, and the coefficient of variation for maleic acid and fumaric acid is 2.31% and 2.38%, respectively. However, it is observed that the coefficient of variation is higher than the average. It would be helpful if the authors could provide an explanation for this observation or cite a proper reference to support their findings. This would provide clarity to readers and help them understand the significance of the results.
The manuscript appears to be well-written, but there are a few modifications and corrections that could be made. Specifically, it is recommended that the authors carefully review the grammar, references, tables, figures, and other potential errors to ensure the accuracy and clarity of the information presented. Making these adjustments would help to enhance the overall quality of the manuscript.
Author Response
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Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments for author File: Comments.pdf
Author Response
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Reviewer 3 Report
This paper reported the study on the lipophilicity of fumaric acid and maleic acid. The authors used three methods including traditional shake-flask method, the RP-TLC method in combination with Soczewiński equation and new methods using topological indexes determine the lipophilicity of the two acids, and obtained the same conclusion, namely, maleic acid showed a higher affinity to water phase, while fumaric acid showed a higher affinity to the lipid phase. Considering the importance of methods for determining lipophilicity in the aspect of studying cis- and trans-configuration compounds, this paper might be accepted after these revisions:
1. In figure 3, the logPavg(d) value of FA is negative, which is inconsistent with the law shown by the previous values. For the better understanding, the author should explain this item, that is, whether the relative magnitude of two values or the positive and negative values determine the lipophilicity and hydrophilicity?
2. P1 line 17 “Meanwhile, computer program software...have the same logP values.” what does this sentence mean? I think a comparison or conclusion sentence should be added at the end to comment on it, so as not to confuse the reader. Because it contradicts the main conclusion of the article.
Author Response
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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
