The specific fluorimetric determination of digoxin

Identification of Medicinally Active Ingredient in Ultradiluted Digitalis purpurea: Fluorescence Spectroscopic and Cyclic-Voltammetric Study

Serially diluted and agitated (SAD) drugs available commercially are in use with great faith because of the astonishing results they produce. The scientific viewpoint attached to the centuries-old therapy with SAD drugs, as in homeopathy, remained doubtful for want of appropriate research and insufficient evidence base. The conflicting points related to SAD drug mostly related to the level of concentrations/dilutions, use of drug in contradictory clinical conditions compared to the modern system of medicine, identification of medicinally active ingredient in concentrations and dilutions used in commercially available SAD drugs, and lack of laboratory-based pharmacological data vis-à-vis modern medicine. Modus operandi of SAD drug is also unknown. To address some of these issues an analytical study was carried out wherein commercially available SAD drug Digitalis purpurea, commonly used in different systems of medicine, was put to test. Various concentrations of commercially available Digitalis purpurea were analyzed using analytical methods: cyclic voltammetry, emission spectroscopy, and UV-VIS spectroscopy. These analytical methods apparently identified the medicinal ingredients and effect of serial dilution in commercial preparation of the drugs.

Simple coacervates of zein to encapsulate Gitoxin

This work reports the use of simple coacervates of the hydrophobic protein zein to encapsulate Gitoxin, a cardiotonic glycoside. The microspheres obtained using ethanol, methanol, iso-propyl alcohol were characterized using viscosity index, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and laser light scattering particle analyzer. Scanning electron micrographs indicated that the zein film was made of microspheres with diameter in the 1-1.5 microm range, which could be controlled. Sizes of Gitoxin-loaded zein microspheres changed little before and after release of the drug because of conglutination among zein microspheres. Release of Gitoxin from zein microspheres, were performed in vitro to investigate the mechanism of model drug release. The results show that the zein microspheres obtained using ethanol are best suited for use as a sustained-release form of Gitoxin. The microspheres may also be useful in drug targeting system since the diameter of the microspheres is appropriate for phagocytosis by macrophages. Both zein film and Gitoxin-loaded zein microsphere film were effective in suppressing platelet adhesion.

Nature of acid-induced fluorescence of 17alpha-methyltestosterone

The fluorescence of the 17alpha-methyltestosterone-trichloroacetic acid reaction product, 1,2,10,15,16,17-hexahydro-10,17,17-trimethylcyclopenta[alpha]phenanthren-3-one, in strong acid was investigated. Structural requirements for fluorescence were derived from absorption and fluorescence studies of related phenanthrenones and cinnamylidene compounds possessing a similar chromophore. All compounds showed fluorescence intensity that was structure and pH dependent. Fluorescence is attributed to both enol and protonated species.

Rapid and sensitive high-resolution procedure for digitalis glycoside analysis by derivatization liquid chromatography

The separation and quantitative determination of digitalis glycosides by high performance liquid chromatography following derivatization with 4-nitrobenzoylchloride (4-NBC1) is described. The compounds of primary interest were the digitalis glycosides and aglycones of the pharmaceutically important A, B and C series, The derivatization step results in higher extinction values at a more favourable wavelength (260 nm), which permits the use of low-cost ultraviolet detectors. Detection limits are below 20 ng/ml for all of the glycosides tested. The chromatographic properties are also improved by reducing the polarity without a decrease in selectivity. The use of low-polarity and low-viscosity solvent systems on silica gel adsorbents permits rapid isocratic separations of complex mixtures as they usually occur in pharmaceutical products and extracts. The quantitative potential of this method was demonstrated by analyzing ampoule solutions containing desacetyl lanatoside C as the active compound. The active substance, by-products and degradation products were determined down to 0.1% of the total glycoside concentration in one ampoule.