Analysis of trifluralin and other dinitroaniline herbicide residues by zero-order and derivative ultraviolet spectrophotometry

Lab-on-fruit skin and lab-on-leaf towards recognition of trifluralin using Ag-citrate/GQDs nanocomposite stabilized on the flexible substrate: A new platform for the electroanalysis of herbicides using direct writing of nano-inks and pen-on paper technology

Trifluralin is herbicide of the dinitroanilines group in which NO₂ molecules are attached to the benzene ring at diverse positions. Trifluralin affects endocrine function and is listed as an endocrine disrupter in the European Union list. Therefore, its determination is so important in health science. In this study, an easy, sensitive and environmentally friendly method has been developed for determination of trifluralin based on its electrochemical oxidation on a three-electrode system designed on the surface of agricultural products using Ag-citrate/GQDs (graphene quantum dots) nano-ink. The sensor was prepared by direct writing on the surface of the samples. The designed electrodes were dried after 24 h at room temperature and used for trifluralin detection. Under optimized experimental conditions, the Ag-citrate/GQDs nano-ink based sensor was exhibited good sensitivity and specificity for trifluralin detection. The obtained linear range using the cyclic voltammetric (CV) technique is between 0.008 to 1 mM and low limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 0.008 mM. Also, the obtained linear range using differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) and square wave voltammetric (SWV) techniques is 0.005–0.04 mM with LLOQ of 0.005 mM. For further validation of the applicability of the proposed method, it was also used for detection of trifluralin on the surface of apple skin.

Second-derivative UV spectrometric determination of simvastatin in its tablet dosage form

Simvastatin, a highly effective cholesterol-lowering agent, has been widely used for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. During the development of simvastatin solid dosage form, formulation compositions were constantly varied to define a suitable matrix. A fast and reliable method for the dissolution and release testing of simvastatin was highly desirable to support formulation screening. A second derivative UV spectroscopic method was developed for determination of simvastatin in the tablet dosage form. After carefully choosing a zero-crossing technique of second derivative UV measurement at 243 nm, the selectivity and sensitivity of simvastatin was comparable to the previously developed HPLC method. In comparison with the direct UV method, second derivative UV spectroscopy eliminates the interference from UV absorbing excipients such as ascorbic acid, which often results in a bias of 2-10%. This method is also fast and economical in comparison to the more time-consuming HPLC method regularly used for formulation screening. Finally, this method has been validated to be precise and accurate, and is demonstrated to be an excellent alternative to HPLC method for the dissolution and release testing of simvastatin in the solid dosage form.