Synthesis, spectroscopic and computational studies on hydrogen bonded charge transfer complex of duvelisib with chloranilic acid: Application to development of novel 96-microwell spectrophotometric assay

Harnessing the targeting potential of hyaluronic acid for augmented anticancer activity and safety of duvelisib-loaded nanoparticles in hematological malignancies

Duvelisib (DUV) is effective against numerous hematological malignancies; however, it suffers from numerous setbacks like poor aqueous solubility, low cellular uptake and adverse effects. Hyaluronic acid is an excellent ligand for CD44 receptors that are overexpressed on cancer cell surfaces. Thus, for the targeted delivery of DUV in hematological malignancies, we have fabricated hyaluronic acid-coated polylactide-co-glycolide nanoparticles (DUV-P/CH/HA-NPs) through electrostatic interactions. DUV-P/CH/HA-NPs exhibited optimum characteristics such as mean particle size of 183.63 ± 0.23 nm, polydispersity index of 0.261 ± 0.02 and drug loading capacity of 5.75 ± 0.05 %. An in-vitro release study demonstrated sustained release behavior of DUV-P/CH/HA-NPs (77.65 ± 2.89 % release in 48 h). The flow cytometry experiments revealed 1.62-fold and 1.50-fold enhanced uptake of DUV-P/CH/HA-NPs compared to non-coated nanoparticles in MOLT-4 and HH cells, respectively. The DUV-P/CH/HA-NPs showed higher cytotoxicity, arrested the cell cycle in G0/G1 phase and showed increased apoptosis compared to non-coated nanoparticles and free DUV. An in-vivo pharmacokinetic study revealed 2.9-fold and 3.6-fold enhancement in AUC0-t and MRT with the DUV-P/CH/HA-NPs compared to free DUV. Further, toxicity evaluation and hemolysis assessment of DUV-P/CH/HA-NPs indicated good safety for intravenous administration. Conclusively, DUV-P/CH/HA-NPs are an excellent option for selectively targeting hematological malignant cells.

Development of Two Eco-Friendly and High-Throughput Microwell Spectrophotometric Methods for Analysis of an Antibacterial Drug Tulathromycin in Pharmaceutical Bulk Form

BACKGROUND

Tulathromycin (TUL) is a triamilide antibacterial drug which has been approved for use in the European Union and the United States for the treatment and prevention of bovine respiratory diseases. The existing methods for determination of TUL in its pharmaceutical bulk form are very limited and suffer from major drawbacks.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was the development of two innovative microwell spectrophotometric methods (MW-SPMs) for determination of TUL in its pharmaceutical bulk form.

METHODS

The formation of charge-transfer complexes (CTCs) of TUL, as an electron donor, was investigated with 2,5-dihydroxy-3,6-dichlorocyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione (HCD) and 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone (CBQ), as π-electron acceptors. The CTCs were characterized using UV-Vis spectrophotometry and computational calculations. The reactions were employed for the development of two MW-SPMs with one step for the quantitative analysis of TUL.

RESULTS

The formation of CTCs was confirmed via the formation of characteristic absorption bands with maximum absorption at 520 and 460 nm for CTCs with HCD and CBQ, respectively. The stoichiometry of both CTCs was found to be 1:1, and the values of different spectroscopic and electronic constants confirmed the stability of the CTCs. The mechanisms of the reactions were postulated. The linear range of both MW-SPMs was 10-500 µg/mL. The LOQs were 13.5 and 26.4 µg/mL for methods involving reactions with HCD and CBQ, respectively. Both methods were successfully applied to the quantitation of TUL in pharmaceutical bulk form with acceptable accuracy and precision. The results of eco-friendliness/greenness assessment proved that both MW-SPMs fulfill the requirements of green analytical approaches. In addition, the one-step reactions and simultaneous handling of a large number of samples with micro-volumes in the proposed methods gave them the advantage of high-throughput analysis.

CONCLUSION

This study described two new MW-SPMs as valuable analytical tools for the determination of TUL.

HIGHLIGHT

The proposed methods are valuable analytical tool for the analysis of bulk form of TUL.

Development and validation of synchronous spectrofluorimetric method for the simultaneous determination of duvelisib and moxifloxacin: greenness metric assessment and application to a pharmacokinetic study in rats

Duvelisib (DUV) is a potent anticancer drug whereas Moxifloxacin (MOX) is an antimicrobial drug with anti-proliferative potency against cancerous cells, which is empirically administered in cancer treatment. DUV and MOX combination is commonly prescribed to combat infections in patients while they are under chemotherapy treatment. This study describes, for the first time, the development of a simple and green synchronous spectrofluorimetric (SSF) method for the simultaneous estimation of DUV and MOX in plasma. DUV and MOX were quantified at 273 and 362 nm, respectively without interference between each other at Δλof 120 nm. The experimental variables influencing fluorescence intensities were thoroughly investigated and the optimum conditions were established. At pH 3.5, the optimum synchronous fluorescence intensity (SFI) was achieved in water solvent by using sodium acetate buffer solution. Calibration curves for DUV and MOX, correlating the SFI with the corresponding drug concentration, were linear in the range of 50-1000 ng mL-1for both drugs, with good correlation coefficients. The method was extremely sensitive, with limits of detection of 24 and 22 ng mL-1, and limits of quantitation of 40 and 45 ngmL-1for DUV and MOX, respectively. The SSF method was validated according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines for validation of analytical procedures, and the validation parameters were acceptable. The proposed SSF method was applied to the pharmacokinetic and bioavailability studies in rats' plasma after single concurrent oral administration of both drugs. The results of the study revealed that caution should be taken with DUV dose when concurrently administered with MOX. The greenness of SSF method was assessed by three different metric tools namely Analytical Eco-scale, Green Analytical Procedure Index, and Analytical Greenness Calculator. The results confirmed that SSF method is an eco-friendly and green analytical approach. In conclusion, the proposed SSF method is a valuable tool for pharmacokinetic/bioavailability studies and therapeutic drug monitoring of simultaneously administered DUV and MOX.

Duvelisib: A comprehensive profile

Duvelisib (DUV) is chemically named as (S)-3-(1-((9H-Purin-6-yl)amino)ethyl)-8-chloro-2-phenylisoquinolin-1(2H)-one. It is a novel drug with a small molecular weight and characterized by dual phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)- and PI3K-inhibitory activity. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved DUV for the management of small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) and relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in adult patients. DUV is marketed under the brand name of Copiktra® (Verastem, Inc., Needham, MA, USA). This chapter provides a critical extensive review of the literature, the description of DUV in terms of its names, formulae, elemental composition, appearance, and use in the treatment of CLL, SLL, and follicular lymphoma. The chapter also describes the methods for preparation of DUV, its physical-chemical properties, analytical methods for its determination, pharmacological properties, and dosing information.

Spectrophotometric Study of Charge-Transfer Complexes of Ruxolitinib with Chloranilic Acid and 2,3-Dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone: An Application to the Development of a Green and High-Throughput Microwell Method for Quantification of Ruxolitinib in Its Pharmaceutical Formulations

Ruxolitinib (RUX) is a potent drug that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of myelofibrosis, polycythemia vera, and graft-versus-host disease. This study describes the formation of colored charge-transfer complexes (CTCs) of RUX, an electron donor, with chloranilic acid (CLA) and 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ), the π-electron acceptors. The CTCs were characterized using UV-visible spectrophotometry. The formation of CTCs in methanol was confirmed via formation of new absorption bands with maximum absorption at 530 and 470 nm for CTCs with CLA and DDQ, respectively. The molar absorptivity and other physicochemical and electronic properties of CTCs were determined. The molar ratio was found to be 1:1 for both CTCs with CLA and CTCs with DDQ. The site of interaction on RUX molecules was assigned and the mechanisms of the reactions were postulated. The reactions were employed as basis for the development of a novel green and one-step microwell spectrophotometric method (MW-SPM) for high-throughput quantitation of RUX. Reactions of RUX with CLA and DDQ were carried out in 96-well transparent plates, and the absorbances of the colored CTCs were measured by an absorbance microplate reader. The MW-SPM was validated according to the ICH guidelines. The limits of quantitation were 7.5 and 12.6 µg/mL for the methods involving reactions with CLA and DDQ, respectively. The method was applied with great reliability to the quantitation of RUX content in Jakavi® tablets and Opzelura® cream. The greenness of the MW-SPM was assessed by three different metric tools, and the results proved that the method fulfills the requirements of green analytical approaches. In addition, the one-step reactions and simultaneous handling of a large number of samples with micro-volumes using the proposed method enables the high-throughput analysis. In conclusion, this study describes the first MW-SPM, a valuable analytical tool for the quality control of pharmaceutical formulations of RUX.

Development of Green and High Throughput Microplate Reader-Assisted Universal Microwell Spectrophotometric Assay for Direct Determination of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Their Pharmaceutical Formulations Irrespective the Diversity of Their Chemical Structures

This study discusses the development and validation of a universal microwell spectrophotometric assay for TKIs, regardless of the diversity in their chemical structures. The assay depends on directly measuring the native ultraviolet light (UV) absorption of TKIs. The assay was carried out using UV-transparent 96-microwell plates and the absorbance signals were measured by a microplate reader at 230 nm, at which all TKIs had light absorption. Beer's law correlating the absorbances of TKIs with their corresponding concentrations was obeyed in the range of 2-160 µg mL^-1 with excellent correlation coefficients (0.9991-0.9997). The limits of detection and limits quantitation were in the ranges of 0.56-5.21 and 1.69-15.78 µg mL^-1, respectively. The proposed assay showed high precision as the values of the relative standard deviations for the intra- and inter-assay precisions did not exceed 2.03 and 2.14%, respectively. The accuracy of the assay was proven as the recovery values were in the range of 97.8-102.9% (±0.8-2.4%). The proposed assay was successfully applied to the quantitation of all TKIs in their pharmaceutical formulations (tablets) with reliable results in terms of high accuracy and precision. The assay greenness was evaluated, and the results proved that the assay fulfils the requirements of green analytical approach. The proposed assay is the first assay that can analyse all TKIs on a single assay system without chemical derivatization or modifications in the detection wavelength. In addition, the simple and simultaneous handling of a large number of samples as a batch using micro-volumes of samples gave the assay the advantage of high throughput analysis, which is a serious demand in the pharmaceutical industry.

Synthesis, spectroscopic and computational characterization of charge transfer complex of remdesivir with chloranilic acid: Application to development of novel 96-microwell spectrophotometric assay

Remdesivir (REM) is an adenosine triphosphate analog antiviral drug that has received authorization from European Commission and approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). This study, describes, for the first time, the synthesis of a novel charge transfer complex (CTC) between REM, as electron donor, with chloranilic acid (CLA), as π electron acceptor. The CTC was characterized using different spectroscopic and thermogravimetric techniques. UV-visible spectroscopy ascertained the formation of the CTC in methanol via formation of a new broad absorption band with maximum absorption peak (λmax) at 530 nm. The molar absorptivity (ε) of the complex was 3.33 × 103 L mol-1 cm-1 and its band gap energy was 1.91 eV. The stoichiometric ratio of REM:CLA was found to be 1:1. The association constant of the complex was 1.11 × 109 L mol-1, and its standard free energy was 5.16 × 104 J mole-1. Computational calculation for atomic charges of energy minimized REM was conducted, the site of interaction on REM molecule was assigned and the mechanism of the reaction was postulated. The solid-state CTC was further characterized by FT-IR and 1H NMR spectroscopic techniques. Both FT-IR and 1H NMR confirmed the formation of the CTC and its structure. The reaction was adopted as a basis for developing a novel 96-microwell spectrophotometric method (MW-SPA) for REM. The assay limits of detection and quantitation were 3.57 and 10.83 µg/well, respectively. The assay was validated, and all validation parameters were acceptable. The assay was implemented successfully with great precision and accuracy to the determination of REM in its bulk form and pharmaceutical formulation (injection). This assay is simple, economic, and more importantly, has high throughput property. Therefore, the assay can be valuable for routine in quality control laboratories for analysis of REM's bulk form and pharmaceutical injection.