Development and validation of a stability-indicating RP-HPLC method for duloxetine hydrochloride in its bulk and tablet dosage form

Two facile approaches based on association complex with erythrosine-B for nano-level analysis of duloxetine: application to content uniformity

Duloxetine is an antidepressant that exhibits its action by preventing the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine by neurons. In this analytical study, we developed two facile, sensitive methods for duloxetine analysis. Both methods rely on the formation of binary association complex between erythrosine-B and duloxetine in an acidic medium using spectrofluorimetric and resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) techniques. Spectrofluorimetric method simply uses the quenching property of the formed complex on the native fluorescence of erythrosine-B at an emission wavelength of 557.2 nm (λ ex = 528.6), while RRS is based on detecting the enhancement in the RRS signal at 357.2 nm. The proposed methods have been validated according to the International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. The approaches provide linear assay of duloxetine hydrochloride over 0.1-2.4 µg ml-1 and 0.2-2.0 µg ml-1 for spectrofluorimetric and RRS methods, respectively. Variables affecting methods and complex formation were studied and optimized. The limit of detection values were 0.03 and 0.056 µg ml-1 for spectrofluorimetric and RRS methods, respectively. Both approaches were applied with acceptable results for formulation analysis and evaluation of cymbatex capsule content uniformity.

Wide-Range Measurement of Thermal Preference-A Novel Method for Detecting Analgesics Reducing Thermally-Evoked Pain in Mice

Background: Wide use of oxaliplatin as an antitumor drug is limited by severe neuropathy with pharmacoresistant cold hypersensitivity as the main symptom. Novel analgesics to attenuate cold hyperalgesia and new methods to detect drug candidates are needed. Methods: We developed a method to study thermal preference of oxaliplatin-treated mice and assessed analgesic activity of intraperitoneal duloxetine and pregabalin used at 30 mg/kg. A prototype analgesiameter and a broad range of temperatures (0–45 °C) were used. Advanced methods of image analysis (deep learning and machine learning) enabled us to determine the effectiveness of analgesics. The loss or reversal of thermal preference of oxaliplatin-treated mice was a measure of analgesia. Results: Duloxetine selectively attenuated cold-induced pain at temperatures between 0 and 10 °C. Pregabalin-treated mice showed preference towards a colder plate of the two used at temperatures between 0 and 45 °C. Conclusion: Unlike duloxetine, pregabalin was not selective for temperatures below thermal preferendum. It influenced pain sensation at a much wider range of temperatures applied. Therefore, for the attenuation of cold hypersensitivity duloxetine seems to be a better than pregabalin therapeutic option. We propose wide-range measurements of thermal preference as a novel method for the assessment of analgesic activity in mice.

A Comparative Chemometric Study for Quantitative Determination of Duloxetine Hydrochloride in the Presence of its Toxic Impurity 1-Naphthol

Background:

Duloxetine hydrochloride (DUL) is a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. It is used for treating depression and anxiety. It is available in the market as a capsule called Cymbatex®, which is used for the treatment of depression. 1-naphthol is a potential impurity of DUL. It is hepatotoxic to humans and has potential toxicity to freshwater fish.

Objective:

Duloxetine hydrochloride was determined in the presence of its toxic impurity 1-naphthol in raw material and in pharmaceutical dosage forms using three multivariate calibration chemometric methods.

Methods:

Classical Least Squares (CLS), Partial Least-Squares (PLS) and linear support vector regression (SVR) were developed using UV spectral data. The three methods were compared among each other and the advantages and disadvantages were discussed. For good results, a two-factor four-level experimental design was used, resulting in a training set of 16 mixtures containing different ratios of each component. The test set consisting of nine mixtures was necessary to test the ability of the proposed methods to predict DUL in the presence of its impurity, 1-naphthol.

Results:

The results show the success of the three developed methods to determine DUL in the presence of small levels of its toxic impurity with good accuracy and selectivity. The results of the dosage form were compared statistically to that of the reported HPLC method, with no significant difference in accuracy and precision.

Conclusion:

The suggested calibration models are suitable for routine analysis of the drug in bulk and pharmaceutical dosage forms. Compared to the CLS and PLS models, the SVR model gives the best results regarding the accuracy with a lower prediction error and better generalization ability. However, the CLS and PLS models are found to be simpler and faster in usage and management.

Three Spectrophotometric Methods for Quantitative Analysis of Duloxetine in Presence of its Toxic Impurity: 1-Naphthol

Background

Duloxetine hydrochloride (DUL) is a drug used to treat depression and anxiety. 1-Naphthol is a potential toxic impurity of DUL, as it causes hepatotoxicity in humans, and it is harmful to aquatic life.

Objective

Three simple, selective, rapid, accurate and precise methods were developed and validated according to International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines with respect to linearity, accuracy, precision and selectivity for analysis of duloxetine hydrochloride (DUL) in the presence of its potential toxic impurity 1-Naphthol in different laboratory-prepared mixtures and pharmaceutical formulations.

Methods

Method (A) is the first derivative of the ratio spectra spectrophotometric (1DD) method which allows determination of DUL at 251 nm and 1-Naphthol at 305.2 nm without interference from each other. Method B (dual wavelength) means that two different wavelengths were chosen to each drug, where the absorbance difference at these two wavelengths is equal to zero to the second drug. The chosen two wavelengths for DUL were 221.4 nm and 235.6, where the absorbance difference for 1-naphthol at these two wavelengths was equal to zero. While the chosen wavelengths for 1-naphthol were 247.8 nm and 297 nm, where the absorbance difference for DUL at these two wavelengths was equal to zero. Method (C) is the mean centering of ratio spectra spectrophotometric (MCR) method, which depends on measuring the mean centered values of ratio spectra of both DUL and 1-Naphthol at 226 nm.

Results

These methods were validated and agreed with the requirements of ICH guidelines with respect to linearity, accuracy, precision and selectivity.

Conclusions

The results indicate the ability of developed methods to be used for routine quality control analysis of DUL in bulk and pharmaceutical formulations in the presence of its potential impurity 1-Naphthol.

Structures and Antibacterial Properties of PLA-based Ciprofloxacin Composite Films Deposited by Low-Electron Beam Dispersion

Polylactic acid (PLA)-based ciprofloxacin (Cip) antibacterial films with mass ratio PLA:Cip=1:1 were prepared by low-electron beam dispersion (EBD). The molecular structure, chemical composition and morphology of PLA-based ciprofloxacin antibacterial films were investigated by XPS, FTIR, liquid NMR and SEM. The antibacterial activity of composite films was tested against E. coli ATCC 25922 and S. aureus ATCC 12600 using the agar diffusion method on the solid LB agar medium. XPS and FTIR analysis showed the presence of an antibacterial ingredient in the composite films. Using NMR, it has been shown that the molecular structure of a monolayer of ciprofloxacin is fully consistent with the molecular structure of the initial ciprofloxacin powders. High antibacterial activity of the composite films has been also established and the layers still possess antibacterial activity with regard to S. aureus even after 7 days of leaching in an isotonic solution. The thermal treatment indicates that the composite films can withstand temperatures of 180 °C and keep its structure unchanged.

Degradation of duloxetine: Identification of transformation products by UHPLC-ESI(+)-HRMS/MS, in silico toxicity and wastewater analysis

Duloxetine (DUL), an antidepressant drug, has been detected in surface water and wastewater effluents, however, there is little information on the formation of its transformation products (TPs). In this work, hydrolysis, photodegradation (UV irradiation) and chlorination experiments were performed on spiked distillated water, under controlled experimental conditions to simulate abiotic processes that can occur in the environment and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Eleven TPs, nine from reaction with UV light and two from chlorine contact, were formed and detected by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and nine of them had their chemical structures elucidated upon analyses of their fragmentation patterns in MS/MS spectra. The formation and degradation of the TPs were observed. The parent compound was completely degraded after 30 min in photodegradation and after 24 hr in chlorination. Almost all TPs were completely degraded in the experiments. The ecotoxicity and mutagenicity of the TPs were predicted based on several in silico models and it was found that a few of these products presented more ecotoxicity than DUL itself and six TPs showed positive mutagenicity. Finally, wastewater samples were analyzed and DUL and one TP, possibly formed by chlorination process, were detected in the effluent, which showed that WWTP not only did not remove DUL, but also formed a TP.

Impurities in Drug Products and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients

Analytical methods should be selective and fast. In modern times, scientists strive to meet the criteria of green chemistry, so they choose analytical procedures that are as short as possible and use the least toxic solvents. It is quite obvious that the products intended for human consumption should be characterized as completely as possible. The safety of a drug is dependent mainly on the impurities that it contains. High pressure liquid chromatography and ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography have been proposed as the main techniques for forced degradation and impurity profiling. The aim of this article was to characterize the relevant classification of drug impurities and to review the methods of impurities determination for atorvastatin (ATV) and duloxetine (DLX) (both in active pharmaceutical ingredients and in different dosage forms). These drugs have an impact on two systems of the human body: cardiac and nervous. Simple characteristics of ATV and DLX, their properties and specificity of action on the human body, are also included in this review. The analyzed pharmaceuticals-ATV (brand name Lipiron) and DLX (brand name Cymbalta)-were selected for this study based on annual rankings prepared by Information Medical Statistics.

Studies on photodegradation process of psychotropic drugs: a review

Consumption of psychotropic drugs is still increasing, especially in high-income countries. One of the most crucial consequences of this fact is significant release of them to the environment. Considerable amounts of atypical antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, and their metabolites were detected in river, lake, and sea water, as well as in tissues of aquatic organisms. Their ecotoxicity was proved by numerous studies. It should be noticed that interaction between psychotropic pharmaceuticals and radiation may lead to formation of potentially more toxic intermediates. On the other hand, photo-assisted wastewater treatment methods can be used as an efficient way to eliminate them from the environment. Many methods based on photolysis and photocatalysis were proposed and developed recently; nevertheless, the problem is still unsolved. However, according to recent studies, photocatalysis could be considered as the most promising and far more effective than regular photolysis. An overview on photolytic as well as homogenous and heterogeneous photocatalytic degradation methods with the use of various catalysts is presented. The photostability and phototoxicity of pharmaceuticals were also discussed. Various analytical methods were used for the photodegradation research, and this issue was also compared and summarized. Use of high-resolution multistage mass spectrometry (Q-TOF, ion trap, Orbitrap) was suggested. The combined techniques such as LC-MS, GC-MS, and LC-NMR, which enable qualitative and quantitative analyses in one run, proved to be the most valuable in this case. Assembling of MS/MS spectra libraries of drug molecules and their phototransformation products was identified as the future challenge.

Development and validation of a UPLC method for the determination of duloxetine hydrochloride residues on pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment surfaces

Background:

In pharmaceutical industries, it is very important to remove drug residues from the equipment and areas used. The cleaning procedure must be validated, so special attention must be devoted to the methods used for analysis of trace amounts of drugs. A rapid, sensitive, and specific reverse phase ultra-performance liquid chromatographic (UPLC) method was developed for the quantitative determination of duloxetine in cleaning validation swab samples.

Material and Methods:

The method was validated using an Acquity UPLC™ HSS T3 (100 × 2.1 mm²) 1.8 μm column with a isocratic mobile phase containing a mixture of 0.01 M potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate, pH adjusted to 3.0 with orthophosphoric acid and acetonitrile (60:40 v/v). The flow rate of the mobile phase was 0.4 ml/min with a column temperature of 40°C and detection wavelength at 230 nm. Cotton swabs, moisten with extraction solution (90% methanol and 10% water), were used to remove any residue of drug from stainless steel, glass and silica surfaces, and give recoveries >80% at four concentration levels.

Results:

The precision of the results, reported as the relative standard deviation, were below 1.5%. The calibration curve was linear over a concentration range from 0.02 to 5.0 μg/ml with a correlation coefficient of 0.999. The detection limit and quantitation limit were 0.006 and 0.02 μg/ml, respectively. The method was validated over a concentration range of 0.05–5.0 μg/ml.

Conclusion:

The developed method was validated with respect to specificity, linearity, limit of detection and quantification, accuracy, precision, and robustness.