An analytical approach to determine the health benefits and health risks of consuming berry juices

Food products composition analysis is a prerequisite for verification of product quality, fulfillment of regulatory enforcements, checking compliance with national and international food standards, contracting specifications, and nutrient labeling requirements and providing quality assurance for use of the product for the supplementation of other foods. These aspects also apply to the berry fruit and berry juice. It also must be noted that even though fruit juices are generally considered healthy, there are many risks associated with mishandling both fruits and juices themselves. The review gathers information related with the health benefits and risk associated with the consumption of berry fruit juices. Moreover, the focus was paid to the quality assurance of berry fruit juice. Thus, the analytical methods used for determination of compounds influencing the sensory and nutritional characteristics of fruit juice as well as potential contaminants or adulterations.

Chromatographic analysis of triple cough therapy; bromhexine, guaiafenesin and salbutamol and pharmaceutical impurity: in-silico toxicity profile of drug impurity

Bromhexine (BR), guaiafenesin (GUF) and salbutamol (SAL) are formulated as Ventocough syrup® (with and without sugar), labeled to contain propyl paraben and sodium benzoate as inactive ingredients. They are used to make coughing more productive and easier. A crucial element and a major issue in the pharmaceutical industry is the control of organic related impurities to obtain safe and effective treatment. Guaiacol (GUL) is reported to be GUF related impurity that was proved to be extremely toxic (toxic rating class 5), and its use should be banned. In this work, In-Silico study and ADMET estimation were conducted to predict GUL pharmacokinetic properties and its toxicity profile. Additionally, two chromatographic methods were conducted to analyze the studied components along with GUF impurity in the presence of the labeled dosage form excipients. The In-Silico study assured that GUL has oral rat acute toxicity and it is considered to be skin sensitizer. On the other hand, the developed TLC- densitometeric method depended on using a mobile phase mixture of hexane: methylene chloride: triethylamine (5.0:6.0:0.3, by volume) as a developing system. UV-Scanning was performed immediately at 275 nm for SAL, GUF and GUL, while scanning at 310 nm was used for scanning BR. Linearity was established in the ranges of 0.25-4.0, 0.25-4.0, 0.5-8.0 and 0.1-1.6 µg/band for BR, SAL, GUF and GUL, respectively. In the developed HPLC method, separation was performed on X-Bridge® C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) using a solvent mixture of 0.05M disodium hydrogen phosphate pH 3 with aqueous phosphoric acid: methanol (containing 0.3%, v/v triethylamine) (40:60, v/v). Detection was done at 225 nm and separation was achieved within 10 min. Linearity was proved in the range of 2-50 µg/mL for the proposed drugs. Validation of the developed methods was done and all the calculated parameters were within the acceptable limits recommended by ICH guidelines. After that, methods were used to examine the potency of the selected marketed dosage forms and concentrations of all drugs were within the acceptable limits. Additionally, complete separation between the studied drugs and the additives were observed. The developed methods can be used during routine quality control analysis of the proposed drugs when the required issues concern on sensitivity, selectivity and analysis time.

AQbD TLC-densitometric method approach along with green fingerprint and whiteness assessment for quantifying two combined antihypertensive agents and their impurities

Preserving the environment, reducing the amount of waste resulting from chemical trials, and reducing the amount of energy consumed have currently become a pivotal global trend. An analytical quality by design (AQbD) based eco-friendly TLC-densitometric method was implemented for quantifying two antihypertensive agents, captopril (CPL) and hydrochlorothiazide (HCZ), along with their impurities; captopril disulphide (CDS), chlorothiazide (CTZ) and salamide (SMD). The analytical target profile (ATP) was first identified, followed by selecting the critical analytical attributes (CAAs), such as retardation factors and resolution between the separated peaks. Critical method parameters (CMPs) that may have a crucial influence on CAAs were identified and emanated through the quality risk assessment phase. A literature survey-based preliminary studies were performed, followed by optimization of the selected CMPs through a custom experimental design to attain the highest resolution with optimum retardation factors. Moreover, method robustness was also tested by testing the design space. Complete separation of the drugs and their impurities was achieved using ethyl acetate: glacial acetic acid (6: 0.6, v/v) as a developing system applied to a 12 cm length TLC plate at room temperature with UV scanning at 215 nm. Calibration graphs were found to be linear in the ranges of (0.70-6.00), (0.10-2.00), (0.20-1.00), (0.07-1.50) and (0.05-1.00) µg/band corresponding to CPL, HCZ, CDS, CTZ, and SMD, respectively. Four different green metric tools were used to evaluate the greenness profile of the proposed method, and results showed that it is greener than the reported HPLC method. Method whiteness assessment was also conducted. Moreover, the method performance was evaluated following the ICH guidelines, and the outcomes fell within the acceptable limits. The developed method could be approved for routine assay of the cited components in their pharmaceutical formulations and bulk powder without interference from the reported impurities. The issue of concern is saving money, especially in developing countries.

Greenness assessment of UPLC/MS/MS method for determination of two antihypertensive agents and their harmful impurities with ADME/TOX profile study

Hypertension is described by the world health organization (WHO) as a serious medical problem that significantly affects the heart, brain and kidneys. It is a major cause of premature death worldwide. The present study aims to quantify the combination of captopril (CPL), hydrochlorothiazide (HCZ) and their harmful impurities; captopril disulphide (CDS), chlorothiaizde (CTZ) and salamide (SMD). In-silico study was conducted for estimation of pharmacokinetic parameters (ADMET) as well as toxicity profile of the proposed impurities. The results showed that the three impurities under investigation had poor permeability to CNS and cannot pass the blood-brain barrier (BBB), reducing the likelihood of causing side effects in the brain. On the other hand, all studied impurities were found to be hepatotoxic. In consequence, a highly sensitive and green ultra-performance liquid chromatography- tandem mass spectrometric (UPLC/MS/MS) method was developed and validated for separation of the cited drugs in the presence of their harmful impurities; methanol and 0.1% formic acid (90:10, v/v) mixture was used as a mobile phase, eluted at a constant flow rate of 0.7 mL/min at room temperature. Detection was adopted using a tandem mass spectrometer in a positive mode only for CPL and negative mode for HCZ, CDS, CTZ and SMD. Separation was performed within 1 min. Calibration graphs were found to be linear in the ranges of (50.0-500.0 ng mL-1), (20.0-500.0 ng mL-1), (10.0-250.0 ng mL-1), (5.0-250.0 ng mL-1) and (20.0-400.0 ng mL-1) corresponding to CPL, HCZ, CDS, CTZ and SMD, respectively. Additionally, comparative study of greenness profile was established for the proposed and reported methods using five green metric tools. The proposed method was found to be greener than the reported HPLC method. The developed (UPLC/MS/MS) method was validated according to (ICH) guidelines and it was found to has greater sensitivity, shorter analysis time and lower environmental impact compared to the reported methods.

Comparative Chemometric Manipulations of UV-Spectrophotometric Data for the Efficient Resolution and Determination of Overlapping Signals of Cyclizine and Its Impurities in Its Pharmaceutical Preparations

BACKGROUND

Cyclizine (CYZ), a commonly used antiemetic drug, has two pharmacopeial toxic impurities, 1-methylpiperazine (MPZ) and diphenylmethanol (DPM). When CYZ parenteral formulations are administered intravenously, both impurities are poisonous, toxic, and harmful to the human body.

OBJECTIVE

Cyclizine was determined along with its hazardous impurities MPZ and DPM by green multivariate calibration using UV-spectroscopic data.

METHODS

Three multivariate algorithms were used to resolve and quantify overlapped spectral signals: principal component regression (PCR), partial least squares (PLS), and synergistic intervals partial least squares (siPLS). A concentration set containing 16 distinct combinations of CYZ, MPZ, and DPM was randomly prepared, and the absorbance values of the concentration set were determined using the 376 point-wavelength set with an interval of 0.2 nm between 200 and 275 nm.

RESULTS

Good linear correlations were established for CYZ, MPZ, and DPM in the concentration ranges of 5.00-25.0, 0.50-2.50, and 0.50-2.50 µg/mL, respectively. The ideal spectral range and associated combinations were chosen based on the lowest root mean error of prediction (RMSEP) and correlation coefficient values (r). The siPLS approach performed better than the PCR and PLS models. The combination of four subintervals, 1, 3, 4, and 7, demonstrated the greatest effect, with RMSEP values of 0.0272, 0.0053, and 0.0315 for CYZ, MPZ, and DPM, respectively, and correlation coefficients of 0.9991, 0.9999, and 0.9997, in order. Various assessment tools were used to evaluate and measure the greenness profile of the established methods. The proposed methods were validated using internal and external validation sets.

CONCLUSIONS

The three methods were effectively used to determine CYZ in its pure form and parenteral formulations, as well as its toxic impurities. The acquired results were compared statistically to those obtained using the reported HPLC method.

HIGHLIGHTS

Cyclizine and its toxic impurities can be determined spectrophotometrically by using the three developed chemometric models.

Chromatographic analysis of bromhexine and oxytetracycline residues in milk as a drug analysis medium with greenness profile appraisal

Tetracyclines are frequently employed in animal husbandry. Bromhexine is a mucolytic drug that improves the efficacy of tetracyclines. It has been reported that residues of tetracyclines in milk may have negative effects on humans. Two versatile and accurate methods were developed for concurrent analysis of oxytetracycline (OTC) and bromhexine (BR) residues in spiked milk samples. Sample preparation was carefully considered for extraction and cleanup using the ecofriendly chemicals acetic acid, 0.1 N EDTA and ethanol or methanol. The first method was a TLC-densitometric method in which TLC plates previously treated with 10% EDTA (pH 9 with 40% sodium hydroxide) were used as a stationary phase. A solvent mixture of methanol : methylene chloride : 2% aqueous acetic acid (8 : 2 : 0.5, by volume) was the developing system, and detection was carried out at 254 nm. Metformin was used as the internal standard, and linearity was achieved in the ranges of 0.2-10 and 0.04-2 μg per band for OTC and BR, respectively. The second method was a RP-HPLC method; separation was performed on a C18 column using an isocratic mixture of ethanol : 7.5% aqueous acetic acid (70 : 30, v/v). Separation was achieved within 10 minutes, and linearity was proven in the ranges of 0.05-50 and 0.05-30 μg mL^-1 for OTC and BR, respectively. Diclofenac sodium was used as an internal standard. The proposed methods were validated in accordance with the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine guidelines. Moreover, the performance and health and environmental impacts of the methods were evaluated using several greenness metrics, namely, the National Environmental Methods Index (NEMI), modified NEMI, Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI), Analytical Eco-Scale and Analytical GREEnness (AGREE) metric approaches. All the obtained results proved the validity of the developed methods concerning its performance and ecological effects. The methods can be used to investigate the presence of OTC residues in various marketed milk samples to maintain public health.

Partial Synthetic PPARƳ Derivative Ameliorates Aorta Injury in Experimental Diabetic Rats Mediated by Activation of miR-126-5p Pi3k/AKT/PDK 1/mTOR Expression

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is a world wild health care issue marked by insulin resistance, a risk factor for the metabolic disorder that exaggerates endothelial dysfunction, increasing the risk of cardiovascular complications. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor PPAR) agonists have therapeutically mitigated hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia in T2D patients. Therefore, we aimed to experimentally investigate the efficacy of newly designed synthetic PPARα/Ƴ partial agonists on a High-Fat Diet (HFD)/streptozotocin (STZ)-induced T2D. Female Wistar rats (200 ± 25 g body weight) were divided into four groups. The experimental groups were fed the HFD for three consecutive weeks before STZ injection (45 mg/kg/i.p) to induce T2D. Standard reference PPARƳ agonist pioglitazone and the partial synthetic PPARƳ (PIO; 20 mg/kg/BW, orally) were administered orally for 2 weeks after 72 h of STZ injection. The aorta tissue was isolated for biological ELISA, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting investigations for vascular inflammatory endothelial mediators endothelin-1 (ET-1), intracellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), E-selectin, and anti-inflammatory vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), as well as microRNA126-5p and p-AKT/p-Pi3k/p-PDK-1/p-mTOR, endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase (eNOS) immunohistochemical staining all are coupled with and histopathological examination. Our results revealed that HFD/STZ-induced T2D increased fasting blood glucose, ET-1, ICAM-1, E-selectin, and VIP levels, while decreasing the expression of both microRNA126-5p and p-AKT/p-Pi3k/p-PDK-1/p-mTOR phosphorylation. In contrast, the partial synthetic PPARƳ derivative evidenced a vascular alteration significantly more than reference PIO via decreasing (ET-1), ICAM-1, E-selectin, and VIP, along with increased expression of microRNA126-5p and p-AKT/p-Pi3k/p-PDK-1/p-mTOR. In conclusion, the partial synthetic PPARƳ derivative significantly affected HFD/STZ-induced T2D with vascular complications in the rat aorta.

Quality by design approach for green HPLC method development for simultaneous analysis of two thalassemia drugs in biological fluid with pharmacokinetic study

This work implements a combined experimental approach of analytical quality-by-design (AQbD) and green analytical chemistry (GAC) to develop an HPLC method for simultaneous determination of the two thalassemia drugs, deferasirox (DFX) and deferiprone (DFP), in biological fluid for the first time. This integration was designed to maximize efficiency and minimize environmental impacts, as well as energy and solvent consumption. To accomplish this goal, an analytical quality-by-design approach was performed, beginning with quality risk assessment and scouting analysis, followed by Placket-Burman design screening for five chromatographic parameters. Critical method parameters were thoroughly recognized and then optimized by using a two levels-three factors custom experimental design to evaluate the optimum conditions that achieved the highest resolution with acceptable peak symmetry within the shortest run time. The desirability function was used to define the optimal chromatographic conditions, and the optimal separation was achieved using an XBridge® HPLC RP-C18 (4.6 × 250 mm, 5 μm) column with ethanol : acidic water at pH 3.0 adjusted by phosphoric acid in the ratio of (70 : 30, v/v) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1 mL min^-1 with UV detection at 225 nm at a temperature of 25 °C. Linearity was obtained over the concentration range of 0.30-20.00 μg mL^-1 and 0.20-20.00 μg mL^-1 for DFX and DFP, respectively, using 20.00 μg mL^-1 ibuprofen (IBF) as an internal standard. The established method's greenness profile was evaluated and measured using various assessment tools, and the developed method was green. For the validation of the developed method, FDA recommendations were followed, and all the results obtained met the acceptance criteria. The suggested method was successfully used to study the pharmacokinetic parameters of DFX and DFP in rat plasma. Due to the substantial increase in bioavailability of the two iron chelating drugs, the results from this study strongly recommend their co-administration.

Development and Greenness Assessment of HPLC Method for Studying the Pharmacokinetics of Co-Administered Metformin and Papaya Extract

Foods with medical value have been proven to be beneficial, and they are extensively employed since they integrate two essential elements: food and medication. Accordingly, diabetic patients can benefit from papaya because the fruit is low in sugar and high in antioxidants. An RP-HPLC method was designed for studying the pharmacokinetics of metformin (MET) when concurrently administered with papaya extract. A mobile phase of 0.5 mM of KH2PO4 solution and methanol (65:35, v/v), pH = 5 ± 0.2 using aqueous phosphoric acid and NaOH, and guaifenesin (GUF) were used as an internal standard. To perform non-compartmental pharmacokinetic analysis, the Pharmacokinetic program (PK Solver) was used. The method's greenness was analyzed using two tools: the Analytical GREEnness calculator and the RGB additive color model. Taking papaya with MET improved the rate of absorption substantially (time for reaching maximum concentration (Tmax) significantly decreased by 75% while maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) increased by 7.33%). The extent of absorption reduced by 22.90%. Furthermore, the amount of medication distributed increased (30.83 L for MET concurrently used with papaya extract versus 24.25 L for MET used alone) and the clearance rate rose by roughly 13.50%. The results of the greenness assessment indicated that the method is environmentally friendly. Taking papaya with MET changed the pharmacokinetics of the drug dramatically. Hence, this combination will be particularly effective in maintaining quick blood glucose control.

Lipophilicity study of different cephalosporins: Computational prediction of minimum inhibitory concentration using salting-out chromatography

The chromatographic and lipophilicity characters of seven cephalosporins of different four classes (cephradine, cefaclor, cefprozil, cefixime, cefotaxime, ceftazidime and cefepime) were examined by salting out thin-layer chromatography (SOTLC). SOTLC using ammonium sulfate salt was employed to predict the lipophilicity of the proposed drugs via their retention behavior. The calculated R_M0 values showed liner relationship with the molar concentration of ammonium sulfate in mobile phase in the range of 0.5-2.5 mol/L. Additionally, quantitative structure retention relationship (QSRR) was generated to figure out the relationship between the calculated chromatographic parameters (R_M0 and C₀) and log P of the studied cephalosporins. Good correlations were found between the chromatographically obtained retention parameters (R_M0 and C₀) and some molecular descriptors of the examined drugs. Furthermore, an efficient QSAR model was carried out using the calculated chromatographic parameters (R_M0 and C₀) and log P of the studied cephalosporins to predict minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and blood brain barrier (BBB) penetration of the examined drugs. The study was extended to separate and quantify the selected antibiotics in their pure forms and pharmaceutical formulations. Normal phase thin layer chromatographic (NP-TLC) method using a usable developing system of acetone: methanol: water: ammonium hydroxide: glacial acetic acid (90: 10: 18: 3: 2, by volume) was successfully applied to resolve the studied cephalosporins. Linearity was achieved in the range of 0.2-3 µg/mL for most of the studied antibiotics. The developed SOTLC method can be considered as a good start alternative to reversed phase thin layer chromatography (RP-TLC) for prediction of the lipophilic properties of examined cephalosporins. Moreover, the proposed NP-TLC densitometric method can be easily applied for quality control analysis of the chosen drugs and other structurally related components.

Development and Validation of Two Novel Chromatographic Methods: HPTLC and HPLC for Determination of Bromhexine Hydrochloride in Presence of Its Two Impurities

Two simple, sensitive and validated chromatographic methods were developed for quantitative determination of bromhexine hydrochloride (BHX) in presence of its major impurities, impurity B (IMB) and impurity C (IMC), as specified by British Pharmacopoeia. First method (I) was high-performance thin layer chromatography-densitometry at which the chromatographic separation was performed using silica gel plates and developing system consisted of hexane:acetone:ammonia solution (9:0.5:0.08, by volume) with ultraviolet scanning at 240 nm and linearity was achieved in the ranges of 0.40-10.00, 0.20-2.00 and 0.20-2.00 μg/band of BHX, IMB and IMC, respectively. Also, second chromatographic method (II) was high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) where the separation was carried out on C18 column at isocratic mode at flow rate 1.5 mL/min. The mobile phase consisted of methanol:water (90:10, v/v) adjusted to pH 2.5 with O-phosphoric acid and temperature was adjusted to 40°C. The scanning wavelength was 240 nm. The chromatographic run time was 6 min. Linearity of this method was achieved in the ranges of 4.00-40.00, 0.20-10.00 and 0.50-10.00 μg/mL for BHX, IMB and IMC, respectively. The validation of these chromatographic methods was made according to International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. These methods were successfully applied for determination of BHX in its pharmaceutical formulation. Also, statistical comparison was attained between the developed methods and the reported HPLC method using Student's t-test and F-test, and the obtained results showed that there was not any significant difference between them concerning with accuracy and precision.

Appraisal of the greenness profile of a chromatographic method for the simultaneous estimation of carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine, along with two potential impurities and three formulation excipients

Structurally related carbamazepine (CBZ) and oxcarbazepine (OX) are two of the most commonly used antipsychotic drugs. The main impurities of CBZ, as described in both the USP and the BP, are iminodibenzyl (IMD) and iminostilbene (IST). Meanwhile, for non-pharmacopeial OX, the declared impurities include CBZ and IST. Prescribed oral suspensions of CBZ and OX contain additives including methyl paraben (MP), propyl paraben (PP) and sorbic acid (SA) as preservatives. An HPTLC method was introduced and developed for resolving the interference between CBZ, OX, their impurities, and the suspension additives in a single run, in addition to their quantitation with a high sensitivity that satisfies the USP requirements for the detection and quantitation of drug impurities. In the developed HPTLC method, CBZ and OX were measured in the range of 40–4000 ng per band, while IMD, IST, MP, PP and SA were in the range of 20–2000 ng per band, using a mixture of hexane : ethylacetate : formic acid : acetic acid (8 : 2 : 0.5 : 0.3, by volume) and UV scanning at 254 nm. The greenness profile of the method was evaluated by two different tools, the analytical Eco-Scale and the Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI), then a comparison between their results was conducted. This is the first time that the studied drugs, along with their impurities and suspension additives, were analyzed by a HPTLC method in a single run and within the limits required by the USP guidelines.

Structurally related carbamazepine (CBZ) and oxcarbazepine (OX) are two of the most commonly used antipsychotic drugs.

Experimentally designed chromatographic method for the simultaneous analysis of dimenhydrinate, cinnarizine and their toxic impurities

Recently, experimental design has beaten the traditional optimization approach (one variable at a time) by providing better quality for chromatographic separation using minimal effort and resources. Benzophenone (BZP) and [1-(diphenylmethyl)piperazine] (DPP) were reported to be the most toxic impurities for dimenhydrinate (DMH) and cinnarizine (CIN), respectively. Additionally, there is no reported HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of DMH, CIN and their toxic impurities. A custom experimental design was adopted to estimate the optimum conditions that achieved the most acceptable resolution with adequate peak symmetry within the shortest run time. Desirability function was used to define the optimum chromatographic conditions and the optimum separation was achieved using XBridge® HPLC RP-C18 (4.6 × 250 mm, 5 μm), acetonitrile: 0.1% sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) in water (90 : 10, v/v) as a mobile phase at flow rate 2 mL min-1 and UV detection at 215 nm. Method validation was carried out according to ICH guidelines and linearity was achieved in the ranges of 2-25, 1-25, 1-12.5, and 1-12.5 μg mL-1 for DMH, CIN, BZP and DPP, respectively. By application of the proposed method to the market dosage form, no interference from excipients was observed. Moreover, the greenness of the method was evaluated using the National Environmental Method Index (NEMI), Analytical Eco-Scale and Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI) metrics and the results revealed the green environmental impact of the developed method.

Ecological HPLC method for analyzing an antidiabetic drug in real rat plasma samples and studying the effects of concurrently administered fenugreek extract on its pharmacokinetics

Currently, the total number of diabetic people worldwide is constantly increasing. Metformin (MET) is known to be a first-line antidiabetic drug with varied, wide-reaching applications. Concurrent administration of phytomedicines such as fenugreek extract with synthetic drugs is very common. It is reported that concomitant administration of fenugreek extract with metformin maintains lower blood glucose levels than metformin alone. In this work, an ecofriendly RP-HPLC method was established to study and compare the pharmacokinetics of metformin with and without the contemporary administration of fenugreek extract using rat as an animal model. In the developed method, a solvent mixture of 0.5 mM KH₂PO₄ solution : methanol (65 : 35, v/v) was used as a mobile phase and guaiphenesin was used as an internal standard. The plasma concentration–time curve was plotted, and non-compartmental pharmacokinetic analysis was performed using PKSolver. The results of the pharmacokinetic study showed that concurrent administration of fenugreek significantly increased the bioavailability of metformin and doubled the time required to reach the peak plasma concentration (T_max). Moreover, the volume of drug distribution decreased by about 70%, while its rate of clearance decreased by about 55.96%. Accordingly, the administration of fenugreek in combination with metformin significantly affected the pharmacokinetics of metformin, and this combination will be very useful in controlling blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. The greenness of the method was assessed using the Analytical Eco-Scale, Analytical Method Volume Intensity (AMVI), and National Environmental Method Index (NEMI), and all results affirmed that the method can be considered to be ecological.

The combination of fenugreek extract and metformin can be considered as an auspicious treatment for satisfactory diabetes control and minimizing the expected long-term complications of metformin.

The convenient use of fluorescamine for spectrofluorimetric quantitation of pramipexole in pure form and pharmaceutical formulation; application to content uniformity testing

Pramipexole is a selective dopamine receptor agonist which is used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and restless legs syndrome. The present work illustrates the development and validation of a sensitive and selective spectrofluorometric method for quantitation of pramipexole (PMP) through its interaction with fluorescamine at pH 7.5 using aqueous borate buffer to produce a highly fluorescent product. The fluorescent intensity of the formed product was measured at 480 nm after excitation at 391 nm. Experimental factors that could influence the formation, stability and the fluorescence intensity of the formed product were investigated and optimized. The linearity of the proposed method was achieved in the concentration range of 0.05-2.0 μg/mL. The quantitation and detection limits were 47 and 15 ng/mL, respectively. The proposed method has been validated in respect to guidelines of ICH and pharmaceutical tablets of PMP were successfully analyzed. Moreover, the method was applied for studying the content uniformity test according to the guidelines of United States Pharmacopeia.

Capacitive sensor based on molecularly imprinted polymers for detection of the insecticide imidacloprid in water

This manuscript reports on the development of a capacitive sensor for the detection of imidacloprid (IMD) in water samples based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). MIPs used as recognition elements were synthesized via a photo-initiated emulsion polymerization. The particles were carefully washed using a methanol (MeOH) /acetic acid mixture to ensure complete template removal and were then dried. The average size of the obtained particles was less than 1 µm. The imprinting factor (IF) for IMD was 6 and the selectivity factor (α) for acetamiprid, clothianidin, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam were 14.8, 6.8, 7.1 and 8.2, respectively. The particles were immobilized on the surface of a gold electrode by electropolymerization. The immobilized electrode could be spontaneously regenerated using a mixture of MeOH/10 mM of phosphate buffer (pH = 7.2)/triethylamine before each measurement and could be reused for 32 times. This is the first-time that automated regeneration was introduced as part of a sensing platform for IMD detection. The developed sensor was validated by the analysis of artificially spiked water samples. Under the optimal conditions, the linearity was in the range of 5-100 µM, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 4.61 µM.

Spectrofluorimetric approach for determination of citicoline in the presence of co-formulated piracetam through fluorescence quenching of eosin Y

A simple, sensitive, and precise spectrofluorimetric method has been developed and validated for quantitation of citicoline in its pharmaceutical formulations. The proposed method based on quantitative quenching effect of citicoline on the native fluorescence of Eosin Y via developing of a binary complex reaction between the cited drug and Eosin Y in acidic medium using acetate buffer pH = 3.6. The quenching of the fluorescence of eosin was measured at 540 nm after excitation at 518 nm. Calibration graph was achieved in the range of 300-3000 ng/mL with 0.9996 as correlation coefficient and 291.0 and 93.86 ng/mL as quantitation and detection limits, respectively. The developed method considered as the first developed spectrofluorimetric one for quantitation of citicoline with high sensitivity and validated according to ICH guidelines. The selectivity of the proposed method was investigated by studying the interference of piracetam as co-formulated drug with CIT in pharmaceutical formulation, therefore the developed method could be used for routine quality control of citicoline in its pharmaceutical formulations either alone or in combination with piracetam.

Development and validation of stability indicating chromatographic methods for simultaneous determination of citicoline and piracetam

Citicoline and piracetam were subjected separately to different stress conditions as recommended by the international conference on harmonization. In addition, new stability indicating thin layer chromatographic and ultra high performance liquid chromatographic methods have been developed and validated for simultaneous determination of citicoline and piracetam in presence of their degradation products. Separation on the proposed thin layer chromatographic method was carried out using a developing system containing methanol:chloroform:ammonium chloride buffer (9:1:2, v/v/v) on silica gel plates at 230 nm. On the other hand, the mobile phase in the ultra high performance liquid chromatographic method was composed of water (containing 0.1% triethylamine):ethanol (92:8, v/v). The flow rate was 1 mL/min and ultraviolet detection was at 230 nm. Moreover, results of the developed methods were statistically compared to those obtained by the reported high-performance liquid chromatography method and no significant difference between them was found. The greenness profile of ultra high performance liquid chromatographic method was assessed and compared with those of the previously published high-performance liquid chromatography methods, it was noticed that the proposed ultra high performance liquid chromatographic method more environmentally friendly and greener than other methods.

Innovative spectrofluorometric protocol based on micro-environment improvement for determination of Quetiapine in dosage forms and rat plasma

Quetiapine (QUT) is an atypical antipsychotic drug indicated for the treatment of schizophrenia and acute manic episodes associated with bipolar disorders. A simple, rapid, and highly sensitive micellar spectrofluorometric method has been developed and validated for quantitation of QUT in its pharmaceutical formulations with application to content uniformity test, in presence of its degradation product and in rat plasma. The proposed method was based on the enhancement of the fluorescence intensity of QUT in 2% v/v tween 80 micellar solution. The fluorescence intensity was measured at 372 nm after excitation at 261 nm. A linear relationship was achieved between the fluorescence intensity and the drug concentration in the range of 20-1000 ng/mL with 18.5 and 6.3 ng/mL as limits of quantitation and detection, respectively. The proposed method was extended to study the stability of QUT after its exposure to different forced degradation conditions such as; acidic, alkaline, oxidative, photolytic and thermal conditions according to ICH guidelines. The study revealed that QUT is stable under all the of these conditions except the oxidative one. Furthermore, the high sensitivity of the micellar method permits its application for determination of QUT in rat plasma with good percentage recovery as well as determination of C_max.

Simultaneous estimation of dimenhydrinate, cinnarizine and their toxic impurities benzophenone and diphenylmethylpiperazine; in silico toxicity profiling of impurities

The British Pharmacopeia (BP) reported that the carcinogenic and hepatotoxic, benzophenone (BZP) is a dimenhydrinate (DMH) impurity. On the other hand, cinnarizine (CIN) is reported to have five impurities (A–E). The toxicity profile of CIN impurities was studied and the in silico data revealed that impurity A [1-(diphenylmethyl)piperazine] (DPP) was the most toxic CIN impurity, and hence it was selected during this work. TLC-densitometric method was developed for separation and simultaneous quantitation of DMH, CIN and their toxic impurities. In the proposed method hexane : ethanol : acetone : glacial acetic acid (7 : 3 : 0.7 : 0.5, by volume) with UV scanning at 225 nm were used. Method validation was carried out according to ICH guidelines and linearity was achieved in the range 0.2–4, 0.5–5, 0.1–2.0, and 0.05–2.2 μg per band for DMH, CIN, BZP and DPP, respectively. On the application of the method to pharmaceutical formulation, no interference from additives was observed. The greenness of the method was evaluated using the analytical eco-scale and the results revealed the low negative environmental impact of the developed method.

TLC-densitometric analysis of dimenhydrinate, cinnarizine and their highly toxic impurities.

Stability-Indicating Methods for Determination of Tiapride in Pure Form, Pharmaceutical Preparation, and Human Plasma

Four different stability-indicating procedures are described for determination of tiapride in pure form, dosage form, and human plasma. Second derivative (D2), first derivative of ratio spectra (1DD), spectrofluorimetric, and high-performance column liquid chromatographic (LC) methods are proposed for determination of tiapride in presence of its acid-induced degradation products, namely 2-methoxy-5-(methylsulfonyl) benzoic acid and 2-diethylaminoethylamine. These approaches were successfully applied to quantify tiapride using the information included in the absorption, excitation, and emission spectra of the appropriate solutions. In the D2 method, Beer's law was obeyed in the concentration range of 1.59 g/mL with a mean recovery of 99.94 1.38% at 253.4 nm using absolute ethanol as a solvent. In 1DD, which is based on the simultaneous use of the first derivative of ratio spectra and measurement at 245 nm in absolute ethanolic solution, Beer's law was obeyed over a concentration range of 1.59 g/mL with mean recovery 99.64 1.08%. The spectrofluorimetric method is based on the determination of tiapride native fluorescence at 339 nm emission wavelength and 230 nm excitation wavelength using watermethanol (8 + 2, v/v). The calibration curve was linear over the range of 0.23 g/mL with mean recovery of 99.66 1.46%. This method was also applied for determination of tiapride in human plasma. A reversed-phase LC method performed at ambient temperature was validated for determination of tiapride using methanoldeionized watertriethylamine (107 + 93 + 0.16, v/v/v) as the mobile phase. Sulpiride was used as an internal standard at a flow rate of 1 mL/min with ultraviolet detection at 214 nm. A linear relation was obtained over a concentration range of 230 g/mL with mean recovery of 99.66 0.9%. Results were statistically analyzed and compared with those obtained by applying the reference method. They proved both accuracy and precision.

Stability-indicating chromatographic and chemometric methods for environmentally benign determination of canagliflozin and its major degradation product; A comparative study and greenness assessment

Recently, concepts of sustainable developments, like considering the environmental effect of chemicals used and the amount of hazardous wastes produced, has gained much interest. In this work, a recently approved treatment for type II diabetes mellitus, canagliflozin, was quantified along with its degradation product by two eco-friendly methods. The first was a specific green HPLC method using a C₁₈ column as a stationary phase and a mobile phase consisting of methanol-water (98:2, v/v) pumped at a flow rate of 1 mL/min with UV detection at 225 nm, and using ibuprofen as an internal standard. The second method was a partial least square chemometric method with the wavelength range 220-320 nm and the data was autoscaled as a preprocessing step for determination of canagliflozin and its degradation product. The greenness profile of the developed methods was studied and compared with the reported methods. The proposed methods were suitable alternatives for the environmentally harmful reported methods for quality control analyses of canagliflozin-containing samples, analysis of pharmaceutical formulations and sensitive tracing of its possible degradation product. The methods were validated as per International Conference on Harmonization guidelines and statistically compared with the reported HPLC method.

Different stability-indicating chromatographic methods for specific determination of paracetamol, dantrolene sodium, their toxic impurities and degradation products

A well-known analgesic (paracetamol, PAR) and skeletal muscle relaxant [dantrolene sodium (DNS)] have been analyzed without interference from their toxic impurities and degradation products. The studied PAR impurities are the genotoxic and nephrotoxic p-amino phenol (PAP) and the hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic chloroacetanilide, while 5-(4-nitrophenyl)-2-furaldehyde is reported to be a mutagenic and carcinogenic degradation product of DNS. The five studied components were determined and quantified by TLC-densitometric and RP-HPLC methods. TLC-densitometry (method 1) used TLC silica gel and chloroform-ethyl acetate-acetic acid-triethylamine (7:3:0.5:0.05, by volume) as the mobile phase with UV scanning at 230 nm, while RP-HPLC (method 2) was based on separation on a C₁₈ column using methanol-water (55:45, v/v pH 3 with aqueous formic acid) as mobile phase at 1 mL/min and detection at 230 nm. The developed methods were used for determination and quantification of the five studied components in different laboratory-prepared mixtures. The were also applied for analysis of Dantrelax^® compound capsules where no interference among the studied components with each other or from excipients was observed. The methods were validated as per International Conference on Harmonization guidelines, and they compared favorably with the reported ones.

Simultaneous Determination of Thalidomide and Dexamethasone in Rat Plasma by Validated HPLC and HPTLC With Pharmacokinetic Study

Two validated chromatographic methods have been developed for the simultaneous determination of thalidomide (THD) and dexamethasone (DEX) in rat plasma using paracetamol (PAR) as an internal standard (IS). Chromatographic analysis was achieved firstly by HPLC method on C18 column (150 × 4.6 mm2 i.d., 5 μm) and a mobile phase composed of ethanol:water (containing 0.1% acetic acid) (70:30, v/v) at the flow rate of 0.6 mL min-1. The second method was HPTLC method which depended on using a developing system of methylene chloride:acetone:ethyl acetate (7:4:1, by volume). In both methods, PAR was used as an IS. The developed methods have been validated as per FDA guidelines. All parameters were tested using quality control samples (LQC, MQC and HQC). All the obtained parameters were within the acceptance criteria. In the same way, the two methods were successfully used to study the pharmacokinetic parameters of both THD and DEX after their intra-peritoneal administration. Moreover, results obtained after administration of each drug alone were compared to those obtained after their administration together. The drugs showed drug-drug interactions when administered in combination, meaning that monitoring of such combination is very important.

New ecological method for determination of different β-lactams: application to real human plasma samples

An innovative ecofriendly HPTLC method was established for in vivo analysis of four β-lactam antibiotics with minimal sample pretreatment.

Quantitative Determination of Synthesized Genotoxic Impurities in Nifuroxazide Capsules by Validated Chromatographic Methods

Two accurate, selective, and precise chromatographic methods, namely TLC-densitometric and reversed-phase (RP)-HPLC, were developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of nifuroxazide (NIF) and its four synthesized impurities, which are also reported to be its related substances in the range of 10-100 μg/band and 10-100 μg/mL for NIF in the TLC and RP-HPLC methods, respectively. The developed TLC-densitometric method depended on the separation and quantitation of the studied components on silica gel 60 F254 TLC plates. Ethyl acetate-acetone-methanol-ammonia (85 + 25 + 5 + 0.5, v/v/v/v) was used as the developing system, and the separated bands were UV-scanned at 230 nm. On the other hand, the developed RP-HPLC method depended on chromatographic separation using a C8 column at 25°C and an aqueous solution of 0.1% sodium lauryl sulfate-acetonitrile as the mobile phase delivered according to the gradient elution program. Factors affecting the developed methods were studied and optimized. Also, method validation was carried out according to International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. The proposed methods were successfully applied for the determination of the studied drug in its bulk powder and in its pharmaceutical formulation. The developed methods showed no significant difference when compared with the reported RP-HPLC one. Their advantage is being the first stability-indicating methods for NIF and its genotoxic impurities.

Determination of flutamide and two major metabolites using HPLC-DAD and HPTLC methods

Flutamide is a potential antineoplastic drug classified as an anti-androgen. It is a therapy for men with advanced prostate cancer, administered orally after which it undergoes extensively first pass metabolism in the liver with the production of several metabolites. These metabolites are predominantly excreted in urine. One of the important metabolites in plasma is 4-nitro-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenylamine (Flu-1), while the main metabolite in urine is 2-amino-5-nitro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenol (Flu-3). In this work the two metabolites, Flu-1 and Flu-3, have been synthesized, and then structural confirmation has been carried out by HNMR analysis. Efforts were exerted to develop chromatographic methods for resolving Flutamide and its metabolites with the use of acceptable solvents without affecting the efficiency of the methods. The drug along with its metabolites were quantitatively analyzed in pure form, human urine, and plasma samples using two chromatographic methods, HPTLC and HPLC–DAD methods. FDA guidelines for bio-analytical method validation were followed and USP recommendations were used for analytical method validation. Interference from excipients has been tested by application of the methods to pharmaceutical tablets. No significant difference was found between the proposed methods and the official one when they were statistically compared at p value of 0.05%.

Different Chromatographic Methods for Simultaneous Determination of Mefenamic Acid and Two of Its Toxic Impurities

Two sensitive, accurate and precise chromatographic methods mentioned as TLC-densitometric method and RP-HPLC-DAD method, were developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of mefenamic acid (MEF) and its two toxic impurities, benzoic acid (BA) and 2,3-dimethylaniline (DMA). In the proposed TLC-densitometric method a developing system consisting of chloroform:acetone:acetic acid:ammonia solution(70:30:2:2, v/v/v/v) was used, TLC aluminum plates 60 F254 was used as a stationary phase and the separated bands were UV-scanned at 225 nm. While the proposed RP-HPLC-DAD method depended on chromatographic separation on C18 column using 0.05 M KH2PO4 buffer: acetonitrile (40:60, v/v) as a mobile phase at constant flow rate of 1 mL/min with UV detection at 225 nm. Linear relationships were obtained in the ranges of 0.3-2, 0.3-2 and 0.3-1.8 μg/band (for TLC-densitometric method) and in the ranges of 7-50, 10-50 and 7-50 μg/mL (for HPLC-DAD method) for MEF, BA and DMA, respectively. Factors affecting the developed methods have been studied and optimized. Moreover ,the proposed methods were successfully applied for determination of the studied drug in its pharmaceutical dosage form. The methods showed no significance difference when compared with the reported method using F-test and Student's-t test. The low of detection and quantization limits of the proposed methods get them suitable for quality control and stability studies of MEF in pharmaceutical formulation. The developed methods have advantages of being more selective and sensitive than the published methods.