The significance of enantiomers in toxicology lies in their ability to interact differently with biological systems. This can result in one enantiomer being therapeutically beneficial, while the other may be toxic or have reduced efficacy. For instance, the thalidomide disaster in the late 1950s highlighted how one enantiomer could be teratogenic while the other was not. Such incidents underscore the need for enantioselective analysis in the evaluation of new drugs and chemicals.
