A sensitive column-switching HPLC method for aripiprazole and dehydroaripiprazole and its application to human pharmacokinetic studies

Analytical strategies to identify multicomponent quality markers for commercial Hua-ju-hong using multidimensional chemical analysis

Hua-ju-hong (HJH) is a Chinese medicinal material obtained from Citrus grandis 'Tomentosa' (CGT) and Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck (CG) with various commercial specifications. It is known for relieving cough and dispelling phlegm. To reveal the quality marker for distinguishing the various HJH, 215 batches of commercial HJH were studied systematically using multidimensional chemical analysis. Ten major components were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry and quantified via high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection. In this study, a rapid, efficient, and low-cost chromatographic method was established. Total coumarin-hemiterpene and total coumarin-monoterpene were first classified and analyzed in HJH. The result indicated that the main component, naringin, was not the quality marker for differentiating CGT from CG. For reflecting the unique medicinal and food value of HJH, coumarins should be the more potential quality markers. Flavonoids were the possible quality markers for distinguishing two growth stages of fruit-exocarp and young fruit. For the first time, two chemotypes of HJH were identified in CG. This study provides a convenient yet reliant chromatographic method and novel yet systematic strategies for overall quality control of commercial HJH.

Towards Precision Medicine in Clinical Practice: Alinity C vs. UHPLC-MS/MS in Plasma Aripiprazole Determination

Therapeutic drug monitoring improves the benefit-risk balance of antipsychotic therapy. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) is considered the gold-standard method for measuring plasma drug concentrations; however, the Alinity C system has emerged as a promising alternative. This is the first study aimed at comparing UHPLC-MS/MS versus Alinity C in measuring plasma concentrations of aripiprazole and dehydroaripiprazole. A total of 86 plasma samples were analyzed. The active moiety of aripiprazole was measured in 60 samples using both systems and 26 samples were analyzed twice using Alinity C with an intermediate period of 6 months to assess its reproducibility. Spearman's correlation revealed a good association between the two assays (rs = 0.96) and no significance differences were found by McNemar's test when classifying samples between infra-, supra- and therapeutic ranges. Passing-Bablock regression showed a good correlation among methods (rs = 0.93) and a slope of 1.12 indicating a slight tendency of Alinity C to measure higher values than UHPLC-MS/MS. In addition, a good intra-method correlation across the two sequential analyses with Alinity C was obtained (rs = 0.99). Nonetheless, clinical decisions could be different in 15% of the cases depending on the chosen method. No differences were found in active moiety determination by Alinity C depending on the concentration of aripiprazole and dehydroaripiprazole of the samples.

Application of a nucleophilic substitution reaction for spectrofluorimetric determination of aripiprazole in pharmaceutical dosage form and plasma matrix; greenness assessment

Aripiprazole is an antipsychotic medicine used to treat a variety of mental disorders, including irritability linked with autism disorder in children. Herein, a green and highly sensitive spectrofluorimetric method was developed for the determination of aripiprazole in pharmaceutical dosage form and plasma matrix. The method based on the formation of a fluorescent adduct from the nucleophilic substitution reaction of 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD-chloride) with aripiprazole, which can be detected at 542 nm following excitation at 481 nm. Factors that affect the development and fluorescence sensitivity of the reaction product were investigated and optimized. The reaction yielded the most optimal fluorescence responses when it was performed using 1.5 mL of 0.2 % w/v NBD-chloride, 1.5 mL of borate buffer pH 9, heating at 80 °C for 20 min, and ethanol as a diluting solvent. The method was validated as per ICH guidelines for analytical and bioanalytical procedures. Good linearity was established between the fluorescence responses of the reaction product and aripiprazole concentrations in the range of 100-1200 ng/mL with adequate accuracy and precision results. The applied method was very sensitive and selectively determined aripiprazole in pharmaceutical and plasma matrices with no interferences. Furthermore, the compliance of the proposed method with the principles of green analytical chemistry was evaluated in comparison with the reported method using analytical eco-scale and AGREE metrics. The outputs proved that the proposed method complied more with the principles of green analytical chemistry than the reported method.

Spectrofluorometric quantitative analysis of aripiprazole based on quenching of natural derived carbon quantum dots in spiked human plasma

Autism spectrum disorder is a significant concern worldwide, particularly in Middle Eastern countries. Aripiprazole, a psychiatric medicine that works as a partial agonist at D2 receptors, is often used for autism-related behavior issues in children. Monitoring the therapy of aripiprazole could enhance the safety and effectiveness of treatment for autistic individuals. The purpose of this study was to develop a highly sensitive and environmentally friendly method for analysis of aripiprazole in plasma matrix. To achieve this, water-soluble N-carbon quantum dots were produced from a natural green precursor, guava fruit, and used in fluorescence quenching spectroscopy to determine the presence of aripiprazole. The synthesized dots were analyzed and characterized using transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and they showed a strong fluorescence emission peak at 475 nm. The proposed method was validated according to ICH M10 guidelines and was shown to be highly sensitive, allowing for nanoscale determination of aripiprazole in plasma matrix. Additionally, the method was compared to a previously reported spectrophotometric method, and it was found to be more sensitive and consistent with the principles of green analytical chemistry.

Selective Spectrofluorimetric Approach for the Assessment of Two Antipsychotic Drugs through Derivatization with O-Phthalaldehyde

A facile and sensible spectrofluorimetric approach for the measurement of two antipsychotic medications, aripiperazole (ARP) and clozapine (CLZ), was devised and validated. The approach involves reacting the examined medicines with o-phthalaldehyde in the presence of β-mercaptoethanol in a borate buffer of pH 9.0 and pH 10 for ARP and CLZ, respectively, to produce a robustly fluorescent compound that is detected at 450 nm following excitation at 340 nm. The experimental variables influencing the performance and product stability were thoroughly investigated and optimized. Under optimal conditions, the intensity of the fluorescence was linear during a concentration range of 0.1–0.5 μg/mL, with a limit of detection (0.0391 and 0.0400 μg/mL) and limit of quantitation (0.1035 and 0.1332 μg/mL), respectively, for ARP and CLZ. The suggested approach was successful in analyzing commercialized tablets. A statistical investigation of the results produced by the suggested and standard methods showed no remarkable variation in the precision and accuracy of the two approaches. A chemical mechanism using o-phthalaldehyde was proposed.

Relationship of Prolactin Concentrations to Steady-State Plasma Concentrations of Aripiprazole in Patients With Schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

Aripiprazole is regarded as the first-line antipsychotic medication. Long-term aripiprazole therapy can cause hypoprolactinemia, which may result from its activity as a dopamine agonist. However, there is little information on hypoprolactinemia and steady-state aripiprazole concentrations.

METHODS

The subjects included 66 male and 177 female patients diagnosed with schizophrenia who were treated with aripiprazole. The plasma concentrations of aripiprazole and dehydroaripiprazole and the plasma concentration of prolactin were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography and enzyme immunoassay, respectively. A prolactin concentration of <5 ng/mL was defined as hypoprolactinemia.

RESULTS

Fifty-two of the 66 male patients (79%) and 58 of the 177 female patients (33%) had hypoprolactinemia. There were significant inverse correlations between plasma prolactin levels and plasma concentrations of aripiprazole (rs = -0.447, P < 0.001) and the active moiety (aripiprazole plus dehydroaripiprazole) (rs = -0.429, P < 0.001) in men. In women, significant inverse correlations were also found between plasma prolactin levels and plasma concentrations of aripiprazole (rs = -0.273, P < 0.01) and the active moiety (rs = -0.275, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that lower prolactin levels are, to some extent, associated with higher plasma drug concentrations in male and female patients with schizophrenia treated with aripiprazole.

A Comprehensive Review on Importance and Quantitation of Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs and their Active Metabolites in Commercial Dosage Forms

Background:

Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that affects more than twenty-one million people throughout the world. Schizophrenia also causes early death. Schizophrenia and other related psychotic ailments are controlled by the prescription of antipsychotic drugs, which act by blocking certain chemical receptors in the brain and thus relieves the symptoms of psychotic disorder. These drugs are present in the different dosage forms in the market and provided in a certain amount as per the need of the patients.

Objective:

Since such medications treat mental disorders, it is very important to have a perfect and accurate dose so that the risk factor is not affected by a higher or lower dose, which is not sufficient for the treatment. For accurate assay of these kinds of drugs, different analytical methods were developed ranging from older spectrophotometric techniques to latest hyphenated methods.

Results:

The current review highlights the role of different analytical techniques that were employed in the determination and identification of antipsychotic drugs and their metabolites. Techniques such as spectrophotometry, fluorimetry, liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, gas chromatography, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry employed in the method development of such antipsychotic drugs were reported in the review. Different metabolites, identified using the hyphenated techniques, were also mentioned in the review. The synthesis pathways of few of the metabolites were mentioned.

Conclusion:

The review summarizes the analyses of different antipsychotic drugs and their metabolites. A brief introduction of illnesses and their symptoms and possible medications were highlighted. Synthesis pathways of the associated metabolites were also mentioned.

Validated spectrophotometric quantification of aripiprazole in pharmaceutical formulations by using multivariate technique

PURPOSE

An accurate and precise UV spectrophotometric method with multivariate calibration technique for the determination of aripiprazole in pharmaceutical formulations has been described.

METHODS

This technique is based on the use of the linear regression equations by using the relationship between concentration and absorbance at five different wavelengths. The aripiprazole shows absorption maxima at 255 nm and obeyed Beer's law in the range of 5-30 µg/mL.

RESULTS

The results were treated statistically and were found highly accurate, precise and reproducible. This statistical approach gives optimum results for the eliminating fluctuations coming from instrumental or experimental conditions.

CONCLUSION

It was concluded that the proposed method is simple, easy to apply, economical and could be used as an alternative to the existing spectrophotometric and non-spectrophotometric methods for the routine analysis of aripiprazole in pharmaceutical formulations.

Aripiprazole

Aripiprazole is an atypical antipsychotic drug which belongs to the benzisoxazole derivatives. Aripiprazole is available in many salts and polymorphs forms. X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, and DSC could be used for differentiating the polymorphs of aripiprazole. Some instrumental methods of analysis such as UV spectrophotometer, HPTLC, HPLC, and CE can be applied for analyzing aripiprazole and its impurities. Chromatography methods that have an MS/MS detector is the method of choice for analyzing aripiprazole and its metabolites. Bioavailability studies of the polymorphs of aripiprazole and their pharmaceutical preparations are very important to optimize the formulations of the dosage forms.

Adsorptive stripping voltammetric methods for determination of aripiprazole

Anodic behavior of aripiprazole (ARP) was studied using electrochemical methods. Charge transfer, diffusion and surface coverage coefficients of adsorbed molecules and the number of electrons transferred in electrode mechanisms were calculated for quasi-reversible and adsorption-controlled electrochemical oxidation of ARP at 1.15 V versus Ag/AgCl at pH 4.0 in Britton–Robinson buffer (BR) on glassy carbon electrode. Voltammetric methods for direct determination of ARP in pharmaceutical dosage forms and biological samples were developed. Linearity range is found as from 11.4 μM (5.11 mg/L) to 157 μM (70.41 mg/L) without stripping mode and it is found as from 0.221 μM (0.10 mg/L) to 13.6 μM (6.10 mg/L) with stripping mode. Limit of detection (LOD) was found to be 0.11 μM (0.05 mg/L) in stripping voltammetry. Methods were successfully applied to assay the drug in tablets, human serum and human urine with good recoveries between 95.0% and 104.6% with relative standard deviation less than 10%.