Sensitive chiral high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of anthelmintic flubendazole and its phase I metabolites in blood plasma using UV photodiode-array and fluorescence detection

Carbonyl Reduction of Flubendazole in the Human Liver: Strict Stereospecificity, Sex Difference, Low Risk of Drug Interactions

Flubendazole (FLU), an anthelmintic drug of benzimidazole type, is now considered a promising anti-cancer agent due to its tubulin binding ability and low system toxicity. The present study was aimed at determining more information about FLU reduction in human liver, because this information has been insufficient until now. Subcellular fractions from the liver of 12 human patients (6 male and 6 female patients) were used to study the stereospecificity, cellular localization, coenzyme preference, enzyme kinetics, and possible inter-individual or sex differences in FLU reduction. In addition, the risk of FLU interaction with other drugs was evaluated. Our study showed that FLU is predominantly reduced in cytosol, and the reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) coenzyme is preferred. The strict stereospecificity of FLU carbonyl reduction was proven, and carbonyl reductase 1 was identified as the main enzyme of FLU reduction in the human liver. A higher reduction of FLU and a higher level of carbonyl reductase 1 protein were found in male patients than in female patients, but overall inter-individual variability was relatively low. Hepatic intrinsic clearance of FLU is very low, and FLU had no effect on doxorubicin carbonyl reduction in the liver and in cancer cells. All these results fill the gaps in the knowledge of FLU metabolism in human.

A Liquid Chromatography - Tandem Mass Spectrometry Approach for the Identification of Mebendazole Residue in Pork, Chicken, and Horse

A confirmatory and quantitative method of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the determination of mebendazole and its hydrolyzed and reduced metabolites in pork, chicken, and horse muscles was developed and validated in this study. Anthelmintic compounds were extracted with ethyl acetate after sample mixture was made alkaline followed by liquid chromatographic separation using a reversed phase C₁₈ column. Gradient elution was performed with a mobile phase consisting of water containing 10 mM ammonium formate and methanol. This confirmatory method was validated according to EU requirements. Evaluated validation parameters included specificity, accuracy, precision (repeatability and within-laboratory reproducibility), analytical limits (decision limit and detection limit), and applicability. Most parameters were proved to be conforming to the EU requirements. The decision limit (CCα) and detection capability (CCβ) for all analytes ranged from 15.84 to 17.96 μgkg^-1. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) for all analytes were 0.07 μgkg^-1 and 0.2 μgkg^-1, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied to monitoring samples collected from the markets in major cities and proven great potential to be used as a regulatory tool to determine mebendazole residues in animal based foods.

Quantitative analysis of drugs in biological matrices by HPLC hyphenated to fluorescence detection

An overview of the state-of-the art in HPLC coupled with fluorescence detection is presented. Over the last 20 years, the increasing number of methodological papers on this topic (4082 between 1994 and 2004 and 7725 between 2004 and 2014) is testament to its utility in bioanalytical applications. Compared with conventional UV absorbance detection used in HPLC, fluorescence detection can greatly enhance the sensitivity leading to limits of detection similar to those obtained with mass spectrometry, offering researchers a sensitive, robust and relatively inexpensive instrumental method. This work will focus on the analysis of pharmaceutical compounds in different biological matrices, either naturally fluorescent or derivatized with a fluorescent agent, and some of them chiral. Therapeutic applications, sample preparation and derivatization, sensitivity for each example are described.

Stability indicating RP-HPLC method for the determination of flubendazole in pharmaceutical dosage forms

The developed RP-HPLC-DAD method separated FLUB from all degradates at a reasonable time and was applied to pharmaceutical formulations.

Activities of biotransformation enzymes and flubendazole metabolism in lambs (Ovis aries): effect of gender and flubendazole therapy

The effect of flubendazole (FLU) therapy on in vitro FLU biotransformation and the activities of selected biotransformation enzymes were investigated in male and female lambs. Four experimental groups were used: control (untreated) ewes and rams and FLU-treated ewes and rams (orally, 15 mg/kg per day, for three consecutive days). Subcellular fractions were prepared from liver and intestinal mucosa 24 h after the final dosage was administered. Activities of cytochromes P450 (CYP), flavine monooxygenases (FMO), carbonyl reducing enzymes, UDP-glucuronosyl transferase (UGT) and glutathione S-transferase were tested. Significant gender differences were observed for FMO-mediated activity (2-fold higher in ram lambs) and UGT activity (up to 30% higher in ewe lambs), but no gender differences were observed in FLU metabolism. FLU-treatment of lambs moderately changed the activities of some CYPs, FMO, and UGT in liver microsomes. In vitro FLU reduction was not altered in the liver, but was slightly higher in the small intestine of FLU pre-treated lambs. This correlated with the higher carbonyl reductase activities measured in the gut mucosa of these animals.