Two Versatile Pencil Graphite-Polymer Sensor Electrodes Coupled with Potentiometry and Potentiometric Titration Methods: Profiling Determinations of Vitamin V in Tablets and Urine Samples

Herein, we developed a new pencil graphite ion-selective electrode strategy for the broadly used erectile dysfunction medication, sildenafil citrate (SC, vitamin V), for its automated potentiometry and potentiometric titration profiling in marketed tablets and human urine samples. The method was based on ion-pair complexation between SC and sodium tetraphenylborate (Na-TPB) or phosphotungstic acid (PTA), embedded into a pencil-fabricated graphite sensor electrode coated with poly(vinyl chloride, PVC) matrix, which is pre-plasticized with two different pre-studied plasticizers. The modern fabricated electrodes have a proven fast near-Nernstian response for SC over the concentration range of 1.0 × 10^-6 to 1.0 × 10^-2 and 1.0 × 10^-5 to 1.0 × 10^-2 M, with LODs of 6.5 × 10^-7 and 5.5 × 10^-6 over a pH 3-6 for (SC-TPB)- and (SC-PTA)-based membrane sensors, of O-nitrophenyl octyl ether (O-NPOE) and dioctyl phthalate (DOP), respectively. The selectivity coefficients for different interferents, including many inorganic cations, sugars, and/or nitrogenous compounds, were tested and confirmed. Applications of the proposed method were conducted on the determination of SC in its tablets and urine samples under the proper conditions. The percent recovery values were compared with those obtained by an official method and showed an RSD ≤ 0.3% (n = 5).

Solid phase extraction and liquid chromatographic determination of sildenafil and N-demethylsidenafil in rat serum with basic mobile phase

HPLC method for the determination of sildenafil and its metabolite (N-demethylsildenafil) in rat serum has been developed. The technique included a solid phase extraction of the serum samples on a [poly(divinylbenzene-co-N-vinylpyrrolidone)] solid phase extraction sorbent. After conditioning, the cartridge was loaded with 0.5 mL of buffered serum containing internal standard. Elution was made with 1 mL of acetonitrile. After evaporation of the eluates to dryness and reconstitution with methanol, the samples were analyzed on Kromasil C18 column phase with phosphate buffer 0.05 M/acetonitrile: 54/46, pH 8. Detection was carried out using a photodiode array detector. For sildenafil and demethylsildenafil, full validation of the proposed method was provided (linearity range, calibration curves, average extraction efficiency; average intra-day and interday variabilities, limit of detection, limit of quantification, specificity). The proposed method was successfully utilised to quantify sildenafil and N-demethylsidenafil in rat serum for a pharmacokinetic study.

An overview of the recent trends in development of HPLC methods for determination of impurities in drugs

An extensive survey of the literature published in various analytical and pharmaceutical chemistry related journals has been conducted and the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods which were developed and used for determination of process-related impurities in drugs have been reviewed. This review covers the time period from 1995 to 2001 during which around 450 analytical methods including all types of chromatographic and hyphenated techniques were reported. HPLC with UV detection was found to be the technique of choice for many workers and more than 200 methods were developed using LC-UV alone. A critical analysis of the reported data has been carried out and the present state-of-art of HPLC for determination of impurities of analgesic, antibiotic, anti-viral, anti-hypertensive, anti-depressant, gastro-intestinal and anti-neoplastic agents has been discussed.

Separation and determination of synthetic impurities of sildenafil (Viagra) by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

A simple and rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the separation and determination of process-related impurities of sildenafil was developed. The separation was achieved on a reversed-phase C18 column using acetonitrile-0.05 M potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate (70:30 v/v) as a mobile solvent at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min and UV detection at 230 nm. The method was used not only for quality assurance, but also for monitoring the chemical reactions during the synthesis of sildenafil. It was found to be specific, precise and reliable for the determination of all process-related impurities of sildenafil in bulk drugs and formulations.

Simultaneous identification/determination system for phentolamine and sildenafil as adulterants in soft drinks advertising roborant nutrition

An easily available, simultaneous identification/determination procedure for phentolamine (PHE) and sildenafil (SIL) in adulterated dietary supplements was established by using a combination of three different analytical methods; thin-layer chromatography (TLC), liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/photo-diode-array. The sample solution for TLC was applied to silica gel 60 F(254) plates with chloroform/ammonia solution (28)/methanol (70:5:3, lower layer) and chloroform/diethylamine/methanol (15:3:2) as the developing solvent. Spots were located under UV radiation at 254 nm. Mass spectra of PHE and SIL by LC/MS were investigated with electrospray ionization (ESI) interface, under both positive and negative ion mode. The HPLC analysis was performed on a column of Wakosil 5C18 (4.6 mm x 150 mm, 5 microm) with water/methanol/acetonitrile/triethylamine (580:250:170:1) adjusted with phosphoric acid to pH 3.0 as the mobile phase, and the effluent was monitored with a photo-diode-array detector. Quantitative HPLC analysis of PHE and SIL were detected at 280 nm. When this procedure was applied to commercial soft drinks, PHE and SIL were identified and determined at a concentration of 17 mg PHE and 44 mg SIL per bottle, respectively. The procedure described here is available for the screening of PHE and SIL in adulterated supplements.

Stability indicating RP-LC determination of sildenafil citrate (Viagra) in pure form and in pharmaceutical samples

A simple, precise, sensitive and stability-indicating reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) method has been developed for the quantitation of sildenafil citrate (SC) in pure form and its pharmaceutical formulations. Method employs water and acetonitrile (48:52 v/v) as mobile phase with flow rate of 1 ml min(-1), LiChrospher C18-5 microm (25 x 0.46 cm) column and UV detection set at 245 nm. The internal standard method using piroxicam (PX) as the internal standard is used. The linear dynamic range of SC was found to be 0.05-7.5 microg ml(-1). The proposed method is successfully employed for the determination of SC in the tablets. The excipients present in the formulations do not interfere with the assay procedure. Analytical parameters were calculated and full statistical evaluation is included.

Simultaneous assay of sildenafil and desmethylsildenafil in human plasma using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry on silica column with aqueous-organic mobile phase

A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for the analysis of sildenafil (SIL) and its metabolite desmethylsildenafil (DMS) in human plasma. Samples were accurately transferred to 96-well plates using a liquid handler (Multiprobe II). Solid-phase extraction was carried out on a 96-channel programmable liquid handling workstation (Quadra 96) using a C8 and cation-exchange mixed-mode sorbent. The extract was injected onto a silica column with an aqueous-organic mobile phase, a combination that was novel for improving the method sensitivity. The low limit of quantitation was 1.0 ng/ml for both SIL and DMS. The method was validated to meet the criteria of current industrial guidance for quantitative bioanalytical methods.

[Identification system for Sildenafil in health foods]

A substantially available identification system for Sildenafil in health foods was established using 3 different analytical methods; i.e. TLC, preparative TLC/MS and HPLC/photo-diode array. Sildenafil in health foods was extracted with ethyl acetate under alkaline conditions as sample solutions for TLC and preparative TLC, and also extracted with 50% methanol and then diluted with solution of HPLC mobile phase for HPLC. The sample solution for TLC was applied to Silica gel 60 F254 plates with chloroform/methanol/28% ammonia (90:1:5, under layer) as mobile phase. Spots were located under UV radiation at 254 nm and 366 nm, and spraying dragendorff reagent. The conditions for preparative TLC were the same as these of TLC method, and samples abtained from preparative TLC were determined by MS with APCI interface, under both positive and negative modes. The HPLC analysis was carried out on a column of Cosmosil 5C18-AR (4.6 mm x 150 mm, 5 microns) with 0.05 mol/l phosphate buffer pH 3.0/acetonitrile(73:27) as mobile phase and the eluate was monitored by a photo-diode array detector. The quantitative analysis was available, when the peak of this sample on HPLC was detected at 290 nm. When this system was applied to commercial health foods, Sildenafil was identified and their contents were 25 mg-45 mg/tablet or bottle. These contents nearly correspond to that in Viagra, 25 mg, 50 mg/tablet. Therefore, there is a fear of side effects for Sildenafil, when it is taken as health foods.

Determinaton of sildenafil citrate and related substances in the commercial products and tablet dosage form using HPLC

This study aimed at developing and validating an HPLC method for the assay of sildenafil citrate and its related substances that might coexist in the drug commercial products and in tablets' formulation as impurities that originate from synthesis processes or degradation. A chromatographic system comprising a microBondapak C(18) (10 microm) column, a mobile phase of ammonium acetate (pH 7.0, 0.2 M)-acetonitrile (1:1, v/v), a flow rate of 1 ml/min and a UV detector set at 240 nm has shown good chromatographic separation for sildenfil and the other related substances. The degree of linearity of the calibration curves, the percent recoveries of sildenafil and related substances, the limit of detection, LOD, and limit of quantitation, LOQ for the HPLC method have been determined. The HPLC method under study was found to be specific, precise, accurate, reproducible indicating stability and robust.

FIA of sildenafil citrate using UV-detection

A flow injection analysis (FIA) of sildenafil citrate (SLD) using UV detection is described in this study. The best solvent system was found to be consisting of 0.2 M phosphate buffer at pH 8 having 10% MeOH. A flow rate of 1 ml. min(-1) was pumped and active material was detected at 292 nm. The calibration equation was linear in the range of 1x10(-6)-5x10(-6) M. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) were calculated to be 3x10(-7) and 8.9x10(-7) M with a R.S.D. 1.9 and 0.6% (n=7), respectively. The proposed method was applied to the determination of SLD in VIAGRA tablet, containing 50 mg active material. The results were compared with those obtained from UV-Spectrophotometry. The results showed that there is a good agreement between FIA method and the UV-Spectrophotometry. The validation studies were realised by the related applications and the results were evaluated statistically. According to the results, insignificant difference was observed between the methods.