alpha-Melanotropin (alpha-MSH) is a linear tridecapeptide (Ac-Ser-Tyr-Ser-Met-Glu-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly-Lys-Pro-Val-NH2), that is primarily known for its ability to stimulate melanosome dispersion within integumental melanocytes (F. J. H. Tilders, D. F. Swaab and T. B. van Wimersma Greidanus (Editors), Frontiers of Hormone Research, Vol. 4, Karger, Basel, 1977; J. Ramachandran, S. W. Farmer, S. Liles and C. H. Li, Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 428 (1976) 347). In our efforts to understand the relationships of structure and conformation to the biological activities of alpha-MSH, we have prepared a series of diastereoisomeric analogues based on the highly potent analogue Ac-[Nle4, D-Phe7]-alpha-MSH4-11-NH2 (T. K. Sawyer, V. J. Hruby, B. C. Wilkes, M. T. Draelos, M. E. Hadley and J. Bergsneider, J. Med. Chem., 25 (1982) 1022). These analogues differed only in the amino acid substituted in the seven position, which was thought to be a critical residue for the biological activity of alpha-MSH. The chromatographic behavior of these analogues was examined on a C18 Vydac (16-micron) reversed-phase column with five different mobile phases. The selectivity (alpha) for the analogues was compared in 0.10% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), 0.10% heptafluorobutyric acid (HFBA) and 0.25 M triethylammonium phosphate (TEAP) using either acetonitrile or methanol as the organic modifier. With only one exception all analogues substituted with a D-amino acid in the seven position were eluted prior to their L-amino acid counterparts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)