Optimization of a Solid-Phase Extraction Coupled with a High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Diode Array Ultraviolet Detection Method for Monitoring of Different Antibiotic Class Residues in Water Samples

BACKGROUND

The increased use of cephalosporin antibiotics in the last few years as well as the detection of their residues in wastewater treatment plants and hospital wastewater poses a risk for infiltration of their residues into environmental water samples.

OBJECTIVE

A simplified, sensitive, and convenient solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure coupled with either HPLC or fast HPLC methods with diode array detection was developed and validated to screen the residues of six different cephalosporin antibiotics: cefoperazone, cefipime, ceftazedime, ceftriaxone, cefdinir, and cefotaxime, along with amoxicillin, levofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin in water samples.

METHODS

An HPLC-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) method and a fast HPLC method, based on a core-shell stationary phase, were developed for the fast screening of the antibiotic compounds. In addition, the SPE step was optimized to enable the extraction of the studied drugs with high accuracy of the recovered amounts of residues.

RESULTS

The method sensitivity was enhanced by the coupling of SPE with HPLC-DAD and fast HPLC to achieve low LODs; from 0.2 to 3.8 ng/mL and from 0.65 to 12.2 ng/mL, respectively. The developed methods were augmented by LC-MS/MS determination for confirmation of identity and quantity of any positively identified sample. The method was applied to the analysis of water samples collected from a rural site. In Addition, an example application of cleaning validation of cefotaxime-contaminated stainless-steel surfaces was provided.

CONCLUSION

The method's simplicity and high sensitivity encourage its application in monitoring of antibiotic residues in different types of water samples such as environmental samples and samples from cleaning validation activities.

HIGHLIGHTS

HPLC-DAD and fast HPLC methods were developed for separation of nine different antibiotics. The combination with the SPE procedure achieved low detection limits; from 0.2 to 3.8 ng/mL for SPE-HPLC-DAD and from 0.65 to 12.2 ng/mL for SPE-fast HPLC.

Validation of the AnticFast® Beta-Lactams Rapid Test Kit for Detection of Beta-Lactams (Penicillins and Cephalosporins) in Raw Cow's Milk: AOAC Performance Tested MethodSM 032303

BACKGROUND

AnticFast® Beta-Lactams Rapid Test Kit is a qualitative two-step (2 min + 5 min) rapid lateral flow assay to detect β-lactam (penicillins and cephalosporins) antibiotic residues in raw commingled cow's milk.

OBJECTIVE

The method performance was evaluated according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC, Commission Implementing Regulation 2021/808, and Community Reference Laboratories Residues Guidelines for the Validation of Screening Methods for Residues of Veterinary Medicines.

METHODS

The AnticFast Beta-Lactams Rapid Test Kit was evaluated for detection capability, selectivity, false-positive results, repeatability, robustness, suitability for various milk types and milk compositions, milks from various species, and test kit consistency and stability. Samples included milks spiked at concentrations bracketing the EU maximum residue limits (MRLs) for β-lactams as well as bulk farm and tanker milks.

RESULTS

The AnticFast Beta-Lactams Rapid Test Kit is specific for the detection of β-lactams in milk and does not detect compounds from other antibiotic families. Interference was seen with clavulanic acid, a β-lactamase inhibitor, which was expected. The test can detect all residues of β-lactams (penicillins and cephalosporins) present on the EU-MRL list for milk at their respective MRL except for desfuroylceftiofur and cephalexin, which were above the MRL. No false positives were detected in the 602 (300 blank farm and 302 tanker load) samples tested. Robustness testing indicated that the detection in heat-treated milk types may be slightly hampered. For substances with a detection capability well below the MRL, this interference does not cause problems since detection at MRL remains guaranteed, but care should be taken for substances with a CCβ at or near their MRL. Diminished sample flow was seen with reconstituted milk powder and blank ewes' milk, so sample flow should always be verified for these milk types.

CONCLUSIONS

Results of this validation show that the AnticFast Beta-Lactams Rapid Test Kit is a reliable test for rapid screening of raw cows' milk for residues of β-lactam antibiotics.

HIGHLIGHTS

AnticFast Beta-Lactams Rapid Test Kit is an easy, realiable, robust and highly specific test for screening of raw cows' milk for residues of penicillins and cephalosporins.

A highly sensitive and selective method for the determination of ceftiofur sodium in milk and animal-origin food based on molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction coupled with HPLC-UV

The effective analysis of cephalosporin antibiotics in food animals has attracted considerable attention. Herein, a high-performance liquid chromatograph equipped with a UV method based on molecularly imprinted-solid phase extraction (MISPE-HPLC-UV) was developed for preconcentration, cleanup and determination of ceftiofur sodium (CTFS) in food samples. In this method, an eco-friendly molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was synthesized and employed as an adsorbent, which exhibited excellent selectivity towards CTFS in water, and adsorption equilibrium could be reached within 1 h. Under the optimized conditions, good linearity was obtained for CTFS in the range of 0.005-1.0 mg L^-1 with a lower LOD of 0.0015 mg L^-1, and the average recoveries were higher than 91.9% (RSD less than 8.5%) at three spiked levels in milk, chicken, pork and beef samples. After 20 cycles, the recovery of the MISPE cartridge for CTFS was still higher than 95%, which proved that the MISPE-HPLC-UV method was highly sensitive and selective for the analysis of CTFS in food samples.

Evaluation of four commercial tests for detecting ceftiofur in waste milk bulk tank samples

The objective of this study was to identify factors affecting the accuracy of four commercial tests for ceftiofur drug residue in milk samples from bulk tank waste milk (WM). WM samples were collected from 12 California dairy farms which were initially tested using liquid chromatography (LC-MS/MS) to confirm their negative status for drug residues above the FDA established tolerance/safe levels. The milk samples were also tested for fat, protein, lactose, solids non-fat (SNF), somatic cell count (SCC), coliform count, and standard plate count (SPC). Each WM sample was divided into two aliquots, one labeled as negative for drug residues (WMN) and the second spiked with ceftiofur as positive for ceftiofur residues (WMPos). Both types of WM samples were tested to evaluate the performance of 4 commercially available tests: Penzyme® Milk Test, SNAP® β-lactam, BetaStar® Plus and Delvo SP-NT®. Three assays in triplicates for the WMN and WMPos were conducted for each WM sample. Test were evaluated using sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and positive likelihood ratio. Kruskal-Wallis method was used to evaluate the effect of milk quality parameters on true positive (TP) and false negative (FN) test results. All WMPos samples were identified as positive by all four tests, rendering 100% sensitivity for each test. The specificity for Penzyme, BetaStar, Delvo, and SNAP tests were 59.2, 55.5, 44.4, and 29.6, respectively. Overall, all tests correctly identified samples with ceftiofur residues (WMPos), as shown by 100% sensitivity. Greater variability was observed regarding identification of samples free of any drug residue, with Penzyme and BetaStar having the highest risk for correctly identifying TN samples. Our findings indicate that when selecting commercial tests to detect drug residues in WM, milk quality parameters must be considered if the aim is to reduce FP test results.

Chemometrics for resolving spectral data of cephalosporines and tracing their residue in waste water samples

Chemometrics approaches have been used in this work to trace cephalosporins in aquatic system. Principal component regression (PCR), partial least squares (PLS), multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS), and artificial neural networks (ANN) were compared to resolve the severally overlapped spectrum of three selected cephalosporins; cefprozil, cefradine and cefadroxil. The analytical performance of chemometric methods was compared in terms of errors. Artificial neural networks provide good recoveries with lowest error. Satisfactory results were obtained for the proposed chemometric methods whereas ANN showed better analytical performance. The qualitative meaning in MCR-ALS transformation provided very well correlations between the pure and estimated spectra of the three components. This multivariate processing of spectrophotometric data could successfully detect the studied antibiotics in waste water samples and compared favorably to alternative costly chromatographic methods.

Performance and microbial community of an expanded granular sludge bed reactor in the treatment of cephalosporin wastewater

In this study, the anaerobic treatment and microbial characteristics of high-concentration cephalosporin wastewater were studied. A pilot-scale expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor was designed to treat cephalosporin wastewater, whose diameter, height and effective volume were 0.5 m, 4.9 m, 0.92 m³, respectively. With mixed high-concentration cephalosporin wastewater and municipal wastewater as a substrate, the anaerobic reactor was started and operated 414 days. An average COD removal efficiency of 72% was achieved at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 9.96 kg COD/(m³·d), with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 25 h. The average methane content reached 82%. Methanobacterium and Methanomassiliicoccus were predominant archaea in the granular sludge for each of the organic loading rates, and the predominant methane-producing pathway was hydrogenotroph and methylotroph. Those results demonstrated that the EGSB reactor could treat high-concentration cephalosporin wastewater with a unique methane-producing pathway.

Investigating the environmental risks from the use of spray-dried cephalosporin mycelial dreg (CMD) as a soil amendment

Cephalosporin mycelial dreg (CMD) is a by-product of the pharmaceutical industry. Spray-drying is widely used for the dewatering process prior to the application of CMD as a soil amendment. However, the potential environmental behaviors and risks of spray-dried CMD amendment remain unclear. Here, a lab-scale incubation experiment was conducted to investigate the salinity, phytotoxicity, introduced antibiotics, heavy metals and the potential impacts of resistance genes in CMD-amended soil. Spray-dried CMD amendment generally increased soil salinity and only high dosed soils showed phytotoxic effects at the end of the incubation period, implying the physiological damage to plant growth. The introduced antibiotics quickly degraded over time, indicating a relatively low environmental persistence. Heavy metal slightly increased in soil receiving spray-dried CMD, and regulations should be developed to avoid metal accumulation. A decreased diversity and distinct patterns of β-lactam resistance genes as well as a dose-effect of their enrichment were observed in CMD-amended soil, which might be partially explained by the specific metals and introduced antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance genes in soil may be a valuable tool for evaluating the environmental risk associated with use of CMD as a soil amendment.

Cephalosporin antibiotics in the aquatic environment: A critical review of occurrence, fate, ecotoxicity and removal technologies

Due to their widespread occurrence in the aquatic environment, human and veterinary cephalosporin antibiotics have been studied as water pollutants. In order to characterize environmental risks of this compound class, this review evaluates relevant data about physicochemical properties, occurrence, ecotoxicity and degradation of cephalosporins. Although application of cephalosporins is rather low compared to other antibiotics and their environmental life-time is believed to be short (i.e. days), the available data is insufficient to draw conclusions on their environmental relevance. Few studies concerning the fate of cephalosporins in soil are available, while hydrolysis and photo-degradation are suggested as the main attenuation processes in the aquatic environment. Cephalosporins have been detected in different aqueous matrices in concentrations ranging from 0.30 ng L^-1 to 0.03 mg L^-1, with sewage and wastewater being the main matrices with positive findings. For wastewater treatment purposes, several technologies have been tested for the abatement of cephalosporins, including photolysis and adsorption. In most cases, the technology employed led to complete or significant removal (>95%) of parental drugs but few authors reported on cephalosporins' metabolites and transformation products. Furthermore, the present ecotoxicological data are insufficient for comprehensive ecological risk quotient calculations. Considering the total of 53 cephalosporins, effective values (EC, LC, NOAEC, NOAEL, etc.) are only available for around 30% of parental drugs and are very scarce for cyanobacteria, which is considered to be the most sensitive group of organisms to antibiotics. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that cephalosporins' transformation products can be more toxic and more persistent than the parental drugs. Few investigations considering this possibility are available. Consequently, more effort on ecotoxicological data generation and verification of biological inactivation of cephalosporins-related products is needed. Likewise, the lack of natural depletion rates and knowledge gaps on mixture effects for cephalosporins' degradation and toxicity have to be overcome.

[Determination of six cephalosporin residues in milk by QuEChERS-ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry]

A simple, rapid and sensitive method for the simultaneous determination of six cephalosporin (cephalexin, cephapirin, cefotaxime, cefazolin, cefalonium and cefquinome) residues in milk was developed by QuEChERS coupled with ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS).The milk samples were extracted with 10 mL acetonitrile containing 1%(v/v) acetic acid, and then centrifuged for 10 min.The supernatant was cleaned up with 100 mg C18 adsorbent powder.The analytes were separated on a reversed phase HSS T3 column (100 mm×2.1 mm, 1.8 μm) using acetonitrile and water containing 0.1%(v/v) formic acid as mobile phases with gradient elution.An electrospray ionization (ESI) source was used in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode.The analytes were quantified using an external standard method.The linear relationships of the six cephalosporins were good and the correlation coefficients (r) were greater than 0.999.The limits of detection (LODs) and the limits of quantification (LOQs) for the analytes were in the range of 0.2-0.6 μg/kg and 0.8-2 μg/kg, respectively.The recoveries of the target analytes were between 75.1% and 94.4% at spiked levels of 8, 16, 80 μg/kg.The relative standard deviations (RSDs) were no more than 8.3%(n=6).The method is simple and sensitive, and can be suitable for the analysis of the cephalosporin residues in milk.

Analytical method development and validation of spectrofluorimetric and spectrophotometric determination of some antimicrobial drugs in their pharmaceuticals

In this study, three novel, sensitive, simple and validated spectrophotometric and spectrofluorimetric methods have been proposed for estimation of some important antimicrobial drugs. The first two methods have been proposed for estimation of two important third-generation cephalosporin antibiotics namely, cefixime and cefdinir. Both methods were based on condensation of the primary amino group of the studied drugs with acetyl acetone and formaldehyde in acidic medium. The resulting products were measured by spectrophotometric (Method I) and spectrofluorimetric (Method II) tools. Regarding method I, the absorbance was measured at 315nm and 403nm with linearity ranges of 5.0-140.0 and 10.0-100.0μg/mL for cefixime and cefdinir, respectively. Meanwhile in method II, the produced fluorophore was measured at λ_em 488nm or 491nm after excitation at λ_ex 410nm with linearity ranges of 0.20-10.0 and 0.20-36.0μg/mL for cefixime and cefdinir, respectively. On the other hand, method III was devoted to estimate nifuroxazide spectrofluorimetrically depending on formation of highly fluorescent product upon reduction of the studied drug with Zinc powder in acidic medium. Measurement of the fluorescent product was carried out at λ_em 335nm following excitation at λ_ex 255nm with linearity range of 0.05 to 1.6μg/mL. The developed methods were subjected to detailed validation procedure, moreover they were used for the estimation of the concerned drugs in their pharmaceuticals. It was found that there is a good agreement between the obtained results and those obtained by the reported methods.

Electrochemical treatment of penicillin, cephalosporin, and fluoroquinolone antibiotics via active chlorine: evaluation of antimicrobial activity, toxicity, matrix, and their correlation with the degradation pathways

Antibiotics are pharmaceuticals widely consumed and frequently detected in environmental water, where they can induce toxic effects and development of resistant bacteria. Their structural variety makes the problem of antibiotics in natural water more complex. In this work, six highly used antibiotics (at 40 μmol L^-1) belonging to three different classes (penicillins, cephalosporins, and fluoroquinolones) were treated using an electrochemical system with a Ti/IrO₂ anode and a Zr cathode in the presence of NaCl (0.05 μmol L^-1). The attack of electrogenerated active chlorine was found to be the main degradation route. After only 20 min of treatment, the process decreased more than 90% of the initial concentration of antibiotics, following the degradation order: fluoroquinolones > penicillins > cephalosporins. The primary interactions of the degrading agent with fluoroquinolones occurred at the cyclic amine (i.e., piperazyl ring) and the benzene ring. Meanwhile, the cephalosporins and penicillins were initially attacked on the β-lactam and sulfide groups. However, the tested penicillins presented an additional reaction on the central amide. In all cases, the transformations of antibiotics led to the antimicrobial activity decreasing. On the contrary, the toxicity level showed diverse results: increasing, decreasing, and no change, depending on the antibiotic type. In fact, due to the conservation of quinolone nucleus in the fluoroquinolone by-products, the toxicity of the treated solutions remained unchanged. With penicillins, the production of chloro-phenyl-isoxazole fragments increased the toxicity level of the resultant solution. However, the opening of β-lactam ring of cephalosporin antibiotics decreased the toxicity level of the treated solutions. Finally, the application of the treatment to synthetic hospital wastewater and seawater containing a representative antibiotic showed that the high amount of chloride ions in seawater accelerates the pollutant degradation. In contrast, the urea and ammonium presence in the hospital wastewater retarded the removal of this pharmaceutical.

Constructed wetlands for the removal of metals from livestock wastewater - Can the presence of veterinary antibiotics affect removals?

The presence of emergent antibiotics, in livestock wastewater may affect constructed wetlands (CWs) performance in the removal of other pollutants. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of two antibiotics commonly used in livestock industry, enrofloxacin and ceftiofur, on metal removal by CWs. Microcosms (0.4m×0.3m×0.3m), simulating CWs, were constructed with Phragmites australis to treat livestock wastewater spiked or not with 100µg/L of enrofloxacin or ceftiofur (individually or in mixture). Wastewater was treated during 20 one-week cycles. After one-week cycle wastewater was removed and replaced by new wastewater (with or without spiking). At weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, 14, 18 and 20, treated wastewater was analysed to determine the removal rates of metals (Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn) and of each antibiotic. At weeks 1, 8 and 20 portions of the plant root substrate were collected and metals determined. At the end of the experiment metal levels were also determined in plant tissues. Removal rate of Fe from wastewater was 99%. Removal rates of Cu and Zn were higher than 85% and 89%, respectively, whereas for Mn removal rates up to 75% were obtained. In general, no significant differences were observed through time in the removals of the different metals, indicating that the systems maintained their functionality during the experimental period. Antibiotics did not interfere with the system depuration capacity, in terms of metals removals from wastewater, and ceftiofur even promoted metal uptake by P. australis. Therefore, CWs seem to be a valuable alternative to remove pollutants, including antibiotics and metals, from livestock wastewaters, reducing the risk the release of these wastewaters might pose into the environment, although more research should be conducted with other antibiotics in CWs.

Biodegradation of the veterinary antibiotics enrofloxacin and ceftiofur and associated microbial community dynamics

Fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins are two classes of veterinary antibiotics arising as pollutants of emerging concern. In this work, the microbial degradation of two representative antibiotics of both these classes, enrofloxacin (ENR) and ceftiofur (CEF), is reported. Biodegradation of the target antibiotics was investigated by supplementing the culture medium with ENR and CEF, individually and in mixture. Microbial inocula were obtained from rhizosphere sediments of plants derived from experimental constructed wetlands designed for the treatment of livestock wastewaters contaminated with trace amounts of these antibiotics. Selected microbial inocula were acclimated during a period of 5months, where the antibiotics were supplemented every three weeks at the concentration of 1mgL^-1, using acetate as a co-substrate. After this period, the acclimated consortia were investigated for their capacity to biodegrade 2 and 3mgL^-1 of ENR and CEF. Complete removal of CEF from the inoculated culture medium was always observed within 21days, independently of its concentration or the concomitant presence of ENR. Biodegradation of ENR decreased with the increase in its concentration in the culture medium, with defluorination percentages decreasing from ca. 65 to 4%. Ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin were detected as biodegradation intermediates of ENR in the microbial cultures supplemented with this antibiotic, indicating that defluorination of at least part of ENR in these cultures is not an immediate catabolic step. Abiotic mechanisms showed high influence in the removal of CEF, affecting less ENR degradation. The acclimation process with the target antibiotics led to significant shifts in the structure and diversity of the microbial communities, predominantly selecting microorganisms belonging to the phyla Proteobacteria (e.g. Achromobacter, Variovorax and Stenotrophomonas genera) and Bacteroidetes (e.g. Dysgonomonas, Flavobacterium and Chryseobacterium genera). The results presented in this study indicate that biodegradation can be an important mechanism for the environmental removal of the tested compounds.

Molecular and Quantum Mechanical Study for the Separation of Cefprozil in the Presence of Its Alkaline Degradation Product Using RP-HPLC with UV Detection

A reversed-phase HPLC method (RP-HPLC) with UV detection was developed and validated for the quantitative determination of cefprozil, a second-generation cephalosporin. Due to β-lactam ring instability under alkaline conditions, this RP-HPLC method was applied for the determination of cefprozil in the presence of its possible degradation product. The interactions that govern the separation process with stationary phase were investigated at both molecular and quantum mechanical levels. Moreover, electrostatic potential maps were generated to determine the sites of interaction with mobile phase. The suggested method was validated in compliance with International Conference on Harmonization guidelines and successfully applied for the determination of cefprozil in its commercial pharmaceutical formulation.

Acute and Genotoxic Profile of a Dimeric Impurity of Cefotaxime

The manufacturing and storage of cefotaxime produces different impurities of various concentrations, which may influence the efficacy and safety of the drugs. Because no report of toxicity data is available on the impurities of cefotaxime, the present acute and genotoxicity studies were designed and conducted to provide the information for establishing the safety profile and qualification of the dimeric impurity. Histidine-requiring mutants of Salmonella typhimurium TA97a, TA98, TA100, TA102, and TA1535 strains, with or without metabolic activation (S-9), were used for point-mutation tests. Neither increase in numbers of revertants, indicative of mutagenic activity, nor inhibition of bacterial growth, indicative of cytotoxicity, was observed when the dimeric impurity of cefotaxime at concentrations of 0.62, 1.85, 5.56, 16.67, and 50 μg/plate was incorporated into plates containing S. typhimurium bacterial strains. Cultures of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells at a cell density of 2 × 105 cells per culture were exposed to the dimeric impurity of cefotaxime at the concentration of 11.25, 22.5, and 45 mg per culture, with or without metabolic activation, and harvested at 18 h after exposure. No chromosomal aberrations in the cultured mammalian cells were recorded. Acute intramuscular administration of the dimeric impurity of cefotaxime in Sprague-Dawley rats did not result in any clinical signs and gross pathological changes up to 2000 mg/kg-body weight. The results of these studies indicated that the dimeric impurity of cefotaxime is nonmutagenic in Ames test, nonclastogenic in vitro, and acutely nontoxic in rats.

Distribution and persistence of cephalosporins in cephalosporin producing wastewater using SPE and UPLC-MS/MS method

An investigation to study the distribution and persistence of cephalosporins in the cephalosporin producing wastewater was carried out in this paper. The target cephalosporins included ceftriaxone (CRO), cefalexin (CEF), cefotaxime (CTX), cefazolin (CZO), cefuroxime (CXM), cefoxitin (CFX) and cefradine (CF). A rapid and reliable detection method for cephalosporins was established based on solid phase extraction and ultra-performance liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry. In the cephalosporin producing wastewater effluent (CPWWeff), the limit of quantification for the targets ranged from 27.5ng/L to 131.8ng/L, and the recoveries for all of the analytes ranged from 73% to 102%. The mean concentrations of the seven cephalosporins were 12.85-141.55μg/L and 0.05-24.38μg/L in cephalosporin producing wastewater influent and effluent, respectively. Although high removal efficiencies were achieved for the cephalosporins (78.8-99.7%), up to 1.9kg of cephalosporins was discharged per day from the investigated C-WWTP. The degradation processes of CRO, CEF, CZO and CXM followed first-order kinetics in CPWWeff under all of the testing conditions. The degradation rates of tested cephalosporins were accelerated by high temperature and light. Persistence of CXM was the highest among the four tested cephalosporins in CPWWeff.

Feasibility study of recycling cephalosporin C fermentation dregs using co-composting process with activated sludge as co-substrate

Composting is a potential alternative for cephalosporin C fermentation dregs (CCFDs) compared with incineration process or landfill because of its advantage of recovering nutrients. In this research, CCFDs and activated sludge (AS) were co-composted to analyze the feasibility of recycling the nutrients in CCFDs. A pilot-scale aerobic composting system with an auto-control system was used in this research, and the maturity and security of the compost product were evaluated. The temperature of the composting mixtures was maintained above 55°C for more than 3 days during the composting, indicating that co-composting of CCFDs and AS could reach the compost maturity standard, and the seeds germination index (GI) increased from 17.61% to 68.93% by the end of the composting process (28 days). However, the degradation rate of cephalosporin C (CPC) was only 6.58% during the composting process. Monitoring the quality of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the composts showed that the log copy of blaTEM in the composts increased from 2.15 in the initial phase to 6.37 after 28 days. Long-term investigation of CPC degradation and ARGs variation was conducted for the composts; CPC could still be detected after the maturity phases. A removal efficiency of 49.10% could be achieved in 110 days, while the log copy of ARGs increased to 7.93. Although a higher GI value (>80.00%) was observed, the risk of recycling the CCFDs compost product into land is still high.

[Fingerprint Properties of Cephalosporin Pharmaceutical Wastewater]

Fluorescence spectrum is unique for each water sample, and is called “aqueous fingerprint”. Aqueous fingerprint could indicate the contamination in water and thus is a new technology for early warning. Cephalosporin is one of the most commonly used antibiotics worldwide yet with environmental hazards. The production of cephalosporin in China is growing every year. Therefore, the study of aqueous fingerprint of cephalosporin pharmaceutical wastewater is significantly important for both monitoring the discharge of pharmaceutical wastewater and protecting the aquatic environment. In this study we investigated the properties of water fingerprint of cephalosporin pharmaceutical wastewater. There existed 6 peaks in the fingerprints. According to the emission wavelength, these peaks could be divided into two groups: the first group included the peaks locating at excitation wavelength/emission wavelength of 230/350, 275/350，315/350 nm and the second group consisted of the peaks locating at excitation wavelength/emission wavelength of 225/405, 275/410 and 330/420 nm respectively. The highest intensity was found at excitation wavelength/emission wavelength of 230/350 nm. In each group, the fluorescence intensity of the peaks with shorter excitation wavelength is higher. pH could significantly change the position and intensity of the peaks. When pH rose, the peak intensity of first group decreased and that of the second group increased. The intensity decrease is called fluorescence quenching and the intensity increase is called fluorescence sensitizing. The sensitizing and quenching was probably related to the fluorescence organic components with acid and alkaline radical groups in the wastewater. Because if a fluorescent substance contains weak acid or base groups, both the molecular configuration and ionic configurations exist in the solution at the same time. The spatial structure of these configurations are different. This makes the luminescent properties of the configurations different. When pH changes, the ratio of molecular configuration and ionic forms also changes, which causes the change of location and intensity of the fluorescence peaks. Above all, the properties of aqueous fingerprint of cephalosporin pharmaceutical wastewater is distinct and distinguishable. The properties of aqueous fingerprint can be used as a novel tool to identify the appearance of cephalosporin pharmaceutical wastewater.

A Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for the Detection of Antimicrobial Agents from Seven Classes in Calf Milk Replacers: Validation and Application

Calf milk replacers are low-cost feeds that contain available, digestible protein. During their reconstitution, however, the addition of drugs, such as antibiotics, could make them a very simple route for illicit treatment for therapeutic, preventive, or growth-promoting purposes. We developed an HPLC-MS/MS method, preceded by a unique extraction step, able to identify 17 antibiotics from seven classes (penicillins, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides, cephalosporins, amphenicols, and lincosamides) in this matrix. Prior to solid phase extraction (SPE), the sample underwent deproteinization and defatting. The method was fully validated according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. Decision limits (CCα) and detection capability (CCβ) were in the ranges of 0.13-1.26 and 0.15-1.47 ng/mL, respectively. Thirty-eight samples were finally analyzed, showing the occasional presence of marbofloxacin (six samples) and amoxicillin (one sample).

Stability Study and Kinetic Monitoring of Cefquinome Sulfate Using Cyclodextrin-Based Ion-Selective Electrode: Application to Biological Samples

Two novel cefquinome sulfate (CFQ)-selective electrodes were performed with dibutyl sebacate as a plasticizer using a polymeric matrix of polyvinyl chloride. Sensor 1 was prepared using sodium tetraphenylborate as a cation exchanger without incorporation of ionophore, whereas 2-hydroxy propyl β-cyclodextrin was used as ionophore in sensor 2. A stable, reliable, and linear response was obtained in concentration ranges 3.2 × 10(-5) to 1 × 10(-2) mol/L and 1 × 10(-5) to 1 × 10(-2) mol/L for sensors 1 and 2, respectively. Both sensors could be sufficiently applied for quantitative determination of CFQ in the presence of degradation products either in bulk powder or in pharmaceutical formulations. Sensor 2 provided better selectivity and sensitivity, wider linearity range, and higher performance. Therefore it was used successfully for accurate determination of CFQ in biological fluids such as spiked plasma and milk samples. Furthermore, an online kinetic study was applied to the CFQ alkaline degradation process to estimate the reaction rate and half-life with feasible real-time monitoring. The developed sensors were found to be fast, accurate, sensitive, and precise compared with the manufacturer's reversed-phase chromatographic method.

The radiolytic studies of cefpirome sulfate in the solid state

The possibility of applying radiation sterilization to cefpirome sulfate was investigated. The lack of changes in the chemical structure of cefpirome sulfate irradiated with a dose of 25 kGy, required to attain sterility, was confirmed by UV, FT-IR, Raman, DSC and chromatographic methods. Some radical defects with concentration no more than over a several dozen ppm were created by radiation. The antibacterial activity of cefpirome sulfate for two Gram-positive and three Gram-negative strains was changed. The radiation sterilised cefpirome sulfate was not in vitro cytotoxic against fibroblast cells.

New valid spectrofluorimetric method for determination of selected cephalosporins in different pharmaceutical formulations using safranin as fluorophore

A new validated spectrofluorimetric method has been developed for the determination of some cephalosporins namely; cefepime, cefaclor, cefadroxil, cefpodoxime and cefexime. The method was based on the reaction of these drugs with safranin in slightly alkaline medium (pH 8.0), to form ion-association complexes. The fluorescent products were extracted into chloroform and their fluorescence intensities were measured at 544-565 nm after excitation at 518-524 nm. The reaction conditions influencing the product formation and stability were investigated and optimized. The relative fluorescence intensity was proportional to the drug concentration in the linear ranges of 0.15-1.35, 0.35-1.25, 0.35-1.25, 0.20-1.44 and 0.20-1.25 μg/mL for cefepime, cefaclor, cefadroxil, cefpodoxime proxetil and cefexime, respectively. The detection limits were 40, 100, 100, 60 and 70 ng/mL, respectively. The performance of the developed method was evaluated in terms of Student's t-test and variance ratio F-test to find out the significance of proposed methods over the reference spectrophotometric method. Various pharmaceutical formulations were successfully analyzed using the proposed method and the results were in good agreement with those of the previously reported methods.

Ratio manipulating spectrophotometry versus chemometry as stability indicating methods for cefquinome sulfate determination

Spectral resolution of cefquinome sulfate (CFQ) in the presence of its degradation products was studied. Three selective, accurate and rapid spectrophotometric methods were performed for the determination of CFQ in the presence of either its hydrolytic, oxidative or photo-degradation products. The proposed ratio difference, derivative ratio and mean centering are ratio manipulating spectrophotometric methods that were satisfactorily applied for selective determination of CFQ within linear range of 5.0-40.0 μg mL(-1). Concentration Residuals Augmented Classical Least Squares was applied and evaluated for the determination of the cited drug in the presence of its all degradation products. Traditional Partial Least Squares regression was also applied and benchmarked against the proposed advanced multivariate calibration. Experimentally designed 25 synthetic mixtures of three factors at five levels were used to calibrate and validate the multivariate models. Advanced chemometrics succeeded in quantitative and qualitative analyses of CFQ along with its hydrolytic, oxidative and photo-degradation products. The proposed methods were applied successfully for different pharmaceutical formulations analyses. These developed methods were simple and cost-effective compared with the manufacturer's RP-HPLC method.

Stability studies of cefoselis sulfate in the solid state

The process of degradation was studied by using an HPLC-DAD method. Two degradation products were identified with a hybrid ESI-Q-TOF mass spectrometer. The influence of temperature and relative air humidity (RH) on the stability of cefoselis sulfate was investigated. In the solid state at increased RH the degradation of cefoselis sulfate was an autocatalytic reaction of the first order with respect to substrate concentration while in dry air was first-order reaction depending on the substrate concentration. The kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of degradation were calculated.

Different approaches in manipulating ratio spectra applied for the analysis of Cefprozil in presence of its alkaline-induced degradation product: a comparative study

Four simple, accurate and precise stability-indicating spectrophotometric methods manipulating ratio spectra were developed and validated for simultaneous determination of Cefprozil (CZ) and its alkaline-induced degradation product (DCZ) without prior separation namely; ratio difference, mean centering, derivative ratio using Savitsky-Golay filter and continuous wavelet transform. The accuracy, precision and linearity ranges of the proposed methods were determined. The methods were validated and the specificity was assessed by analyzing synthetic mixtures containing the drug and its degradate. The four methods were applied for the determination of the cited drug in tablets and the obtained results were statistically compared with those of a reported method. The comparison showed that there are no significant differences between the proposed methods and the reported method regarding both accuracy and precision.

DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF THE STABILITY-INDICATING LC-UV METHOD FOR DETERMINATION OF CEFOZOPRAN HYDROCHLORIDE

The stability-indicating LC assay method was developed and validated for quantitative determination of cefozopran hydrochloride (CZH) in the presence of degradation products formed during the forced degradation studies. An isocratic, RP-HPLC method was developed with C-18 (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 µm) column and 12 mM ammonium acetate-acetonitrile (92:8, v/v) as a mobile phase. The flow rate of the mobile phase was 1.0 mL/min. Detection wavelength was 260 not and temperature was 30°C. Cefozopran hydrochloride as other cephalosporins was subjected to stress conditions of degradation in aqueous solutions including hydrolysis, oxidation, photolysis and thermal degradation. The developed method was validated with regard to linearity, accuracy, precision, selectivity and robustness. The method was applied successfully for identification and determination of cefozopran hydrochloride in pharmaceuticals and during kinetic studies.

A pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic analysis of ceftaroline prophylaxis in patients with external ventricular drains

BACKGROUND

Ceftaroline is a broad-spectrum cephalosporin antibiotic with activity against drug-resistant bacteria, including strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and may be useful to prevent and treat ventriculostomy-related infections (VRIs). The purpose of this study was to analyze the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of prophylactic ceftaroline in neurosurgical patients with an external ventricular drain (EVD).

METHODS

Adult patients in the neurosurgical intensive care unit with an EVD were given prolonged prophylaxis with ceftaroline. Serum and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) were obtained simultaneously at 2, 6, and 12 h after initiation of the fourth dose of ceftaroline and concentrations were measured by a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry assay. Time-kill curves against isolates of coagulase-negative S. aureus, methicillin-sensitive S. aureus, MRSA, and Streptococcus pneumoniae were determined in serum and CSF at each collection time point.

RESULTS

A total of five patients with a mean age of 63 y and mean weight of 83 kg were enrolled. The mean CSF:serum penetration ratios of ceftaroline were 0.005 (0.5%), 0.021 (2.1%), and 0.043 (4.3%) at 2, 6, and 12 h, respectively. The mean ceftaroline exposure ratio area under the curve (AUC)csf/AUCserum) was 0.011 (1.1%). Bactericidal activity at each collection time point was observed against each strain of staphylococci from serum samples and a penicillin-sensitive strain of S. pneumoniae from CSF samples.

CONCLUSION

This investigation suggests that ceftaroline could have clinical utility for the prevention of VRIs in patients with EVDs.

Development and validation of stability-indicating HPLC method for determination of cefpirome sulfate

The stability-indicating LC assay method was developed and validated for quantitative determination of cefpirome sulfate (CPS) in the presence of degradation products formed during the forced degradation studies. An isocratic HPLC method was developed with Lichrospher RP-18 column, 5 μm particle size, 125 mm x 4 mm column and 12 mM ammonium acetate-acetonitrile (90 : 10 v/v) as a mobile phase. The flow rate of the mobile phase was 1.0 mL/min. Detection wavelength was 270 nm and temperature was 30 degrees C. Cefpirome sulfate as other cephalosporins was subjected to stress conditions of degradation in aqueous solutions including hydrolysis, oxidation, photolysis and thermal degradation. The developed method was validated with regard to linearity, accuracy, precision, selectivity and robustness. The method was applied successfully for identification and determination of cefpirome sulfate in pharmaceuticals and during kinetic studies.

A series of pharmacokinetic studies of ceftaroline fosamil in select populations: normal subjects, healthy elderly subjects, and subjects with renal impairment or end-stage renal disease requiring hemodialysis

Ceftaroline fosamil is a parenteral cephalosporin indicated for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections and community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. Ceftaroline, the active component of ceftaroline fosamil, exhibits broad-spectrum bactericidal activity against gram-positive organisms, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae, as well as common gram-negative pathogens. The objective of the studies presented herein was to establish the pharmacokinetic profile of ceftaroline in healthy subjects and special populations of interest, such as elderly subjects, subjects with renal impairment, or subjects with end-stage renal disease on intermittent hemodialysis. The mean half-life of ceftaroline in healthy subjects was approximately 2.6 hours, and urinary excretion was the primary route of elimination. Ceftaroline Cmax and AUC values increased in proportion to dose increases within the range of 50-1000 mg, demonstrating an approximately linear pharmacokinetic profile following intravenous infusion. The pharmacokinetic parameters of ceftaroline were modestly altered in elderly subjects compared with younger adults, which was attributed to decreased renal function in elderly subjects. Ceftaroline pharmacokinetic parameters varied with different degrees of renal impairment, resulting in recommended dosage adjustments for patients with moderate to severe impairment. Ceftaroline fosamil was generally well tolerated regardless of age or severity of renal impairment.

Determination of ceftiofur metabolite desfuroylceftiofur cysteine disulfide in bovine tissues using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry as a surrogate marker residue for ceftiofur

Ceftiofur is a widely used cephalosporin β-lactam antibiotic with frequently reported residue violations. This paper reports a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for determining a ceftiofur metabolite, desfuroylceftiofur cysteine disulfide (DCCD), in bovine kidney, liver, and muscle tissues. Incurred tissue samples were obtained from dosed animals and analyzed to evaluate the utility of the method. For kidney, the target tissue, the method utilized a simple extraction with phosphate buffer followed by solid phase extraction (SPE) cleanup. For liver and muscle, acetonitrile and hexane were used to remove most proteins and fat from the initial buffer extract before the SPE cleanup. Method accuracy was between 97 and 107%, and the coefficient of variation was between 3.4 and 11.0% for all three types of tissues. The relationship between the new and regulatory methods for bovine kidney was established. It was concluded that DCCD is a suitable surrogate marker residue for ceftiofur in bovine kidney.

Stability-indicating HPLC method for the determination of cefquinome sulfate

A novel and sensitive stability-indicating RP-HPLC method for the quantitative determination of cefquinome sulfate has been developed. Chromatographic separation and quantitative determination were performed using a high-performance liquid chromatograph with UV detection. As the stationary phase a LiChroCART RP-18 column (5 microm particle size, 125 mm x 4 mm, Merck, Darmstadt, Germany) was used. The mobile phase consisted of 10 volumes of acetonitrile and 90 volumes of an 0.02 M phosphate buffer (pH = 7.0). The flow rate of the mobile phase was 1.0 mL/min. The eluents were monitored by a UV-VIS detector at 268 nm. The drug was subjected to stress conditions of hydrolysis, oxidation, photolysis and thermal degradation. Significant degradation was found under basic, oxidizing stress and UV light. The developed method was validated with respect to linearity, accuracy, precision and robustness.

Cefdinir

Cefdinir is a third-generation oral cephalosporin antibiotic. Nomenclature, formulae, elemental analysis, and appearance of the drug are mentioned. The uses and applications and the several methods described for its preparation of the drug are outlined. The profile contains the physical characteristics including: pKa value, solubility, X-ray powder diffraction, melting point, and differential scanning calorimetry. The ultraviolet spectrum, vibrational spectrum, nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H and (13)C NMR) spectra and the mass spectrum and fragmentation patterns of cefdinir together with the corresponding figures and/or tables are all produced. This profile includes the monographs of the Japanese pharmacopeia and the United States pharmacopeia. The several reported analytical methods that had been reported of the analysis of cefdinir include: spectrophotometric, polarographic, voltammetric, and chromatographic methods. The pharmacokinetics and stability of the drug are also provided. About 80 references are listed at end of this comprehensive profile.

High surface area Ag-TiO2 nanotubes for solar/visible-light photocatalytic degradation of ceftiofur sodium

Titanium dioxide nanotubes (TiO2 NTs) with very high surface area (469 m(2)/g) have been synthesized through a simple hydrothermal method and their surface has been modified using silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). The Ag NPs deposited TiO2 NTs (Ag-TiO2 NTs) show an extended optical response from UV to visible region coupled with a surface plasmon resonance band and thus can be utilized as a plasmonic photocatalyst. The photoluminescence intensity of TiO2 NTs is lower than that of TiO2 nanoparticles due to the delocalization of photogenerated electrons along the one dimensional nanotubes which reduces the rate of charge recombination. The Langmuir adsorption constant of Ag-TiO2 NTs (for ceftiofur sodium adsorption) is twice that of P25 TiO2. The Ag-TiO2 NTs exhibit excellent photocatalytic activity toward the degradation of ceftiofur sodium (CFS) due to high surface area and mesoporosity of TiO2 NTs. The addition of peroxomonosulfate in the photocatalytic system greatly amplifies the CFS degradation owing to the simultaneous generation of both OH and SO4(-). The catalyst retains its photocatalytic activity at least up to four consecutive cycles.

Identifying genetic susceptibility to sensitization to cephalosporins in health care workers

Exposure to cephalosporins could cause occupational allergic diseases in health care workers (HCWs). We evaluated the prevalence of serum specific IgE and IgG antibodies to cephalosporin-human serum albumin (HSA) conjugate and to identify potential genetic risk factors associated with sensitization to cephalosporins in exposed HCWs. The study population consisted of 153 HCWs who had been exposed to antibiotics in a single university hospital and 86 unexposed healthy controls. A questionnaire survey of work-related symptoms (WRS) was administered. A skin-prick test (SPT) was performed, and serum-specific IgE and IgG antibodies to 3 commonly prescribed cephalosporins were measured by ELISA. Four single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the candidate genes related to IgE sensitization were genotyped. The prevalence of WRS to cephalosporins was 2.6%. The prevalence rates of serum-specific IgE and IgG antibodies to cephalosporins were 20.3% and 14.7%, respectively. The FcεR1β-109T > C polymorphism was significantly associated with IgE sensitization to cephalosporins in HCWs (P = 0.036, OR = 3.553; CI, 1.324-9.532). The in vitro functional assay demonstrated that the T allele of FcεR1β-109T had greater promoter activity than did the C allele (P < 0.001). The FcεR1β-109T > C polymorphism may be a potential genetic risk factor for increased IgE sensitization to cephalosporins.

Influence of impurities on the specific optical rotation of cefozopran

The impurities of cefozopran hydrochloride are analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV absorbance and optical rotation (OR) detection. The results show that the impurities can affect the specific optical rotation of the cefozopran product. Due to the different composition of impurities, the Chinese cefozopran hydrochloride product has a specific optical rotation different from the Japanese product. The relationship between impurity limits and specific optical rotation of cefozopran hydrochloride is revealed. The results provide a scientific rationale for setting the limit of specific optical rotation of cefozopran hydrochloride.

[Identification of impurity peaks in the HPLC chromatogram by LC-MS and two-dimensional chromatographic correlation spectroscopy]

A novel qualitative analytical method by using two-dimensional chromatographic correlation spectroscopy techniques for recognizing impurity peaks of HPLC methods of quality control and LC-MS chromatographic system was established. The structures of major degradation products of ceftizoxime and cefdinir were identified by LC-MS and MassWorks application; the standard chromatographic and spectral data of the degradation impurities were obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The impurity peaks of two-dimensional chromatography were matched by comparison of spectra and calculating correlation coefficients. Peaks in chromatography can be identified accurately and rapidly in different chromatographic systems such as column and mobile phase changed. The method provides a new way and thought to identify the peaks in quality control of impurities without reference impurity substances.

Voltammetric determination of cefpirome at multiwalled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon sensor based electrode in bulk form and pharmaceutical formulation

A new, simple and low cost voltammetric method for the determination of cefpirome in pharmaceutical preparations has been developed using multiwalled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrode (MWCNT), which showed stable response with enhanced selectivity and sensitivity over the bare glassy carbon electrode. A multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) is used for the simultaneous determination of cefpirome by differential pulse voltammetry and square wave voltammetry. Results indicated that cathodic peak of cefpirome is greatly improved at MWCNT modified GC electrode as compared with the bare GC electrode showing excellent electrocatalytic activity towards cefpirome reduction. Linear calibration curves are obtained over the concentration range 100-600 μg mL(-1) in Britton Robinson buffer at pH 4.51 with limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) are 0.647 μg mL(-1) and 2.159 μg mL(-1) using SWV and 5.540 μg mL(-1) and 18.489 μg mL(-1) using DPV, respectively. The described method is rapid and can be successfully applied for the determination of cefpirome in bulk form and pharmaceutical formulations.

HPLC determination of cefprozil in tablets using monolithic and C18 silica columns

Cefprozil (CPZ) is a second-generation semi-synthetic cephalosporin antibiotic that commonly exists as the mixture of Z and E diastereoisomers, at the ratio of approximately 9:1. A novel reversed-phase HPLC method for the determination of CPZ in tablets was described. The separation of CPZ diastereoisomers and caffeine (internal standard) was carried out by applying the same analytical and instrumental conditions on two stationary phases, which have different surface chemistries. The columns used in the study were monolithic silica Merck Chromolith Performance RP-18e and conventional C18 silica Phenomenex Synergi Hydro RP columns. In total, 10 μL aliquots of samples were injected into the system and eluted using water-acetonitrile (90:10, v/v) solution, which was pumped through the column at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The analyte peaks were detected at 200 nm using diode array detector with high specificity. CPZ diastereoisomers and caffeine were measured within 13 min using the C18 column, whereas <5 min was required for the monolithic one. Validation studies were performed according to official recommendations. Value of a monolithic column for the assay of diastereoisomers in pharmaceutical tablets was evaluated for the first time and found as a powerful alternative to highly efficient C18 columns.

Anaerobic stabilization and conversion of transformed intermediates of antibiotic pharmaceutical effluent in a fluidized bed reactor

The formulation and implementation of regulatory standards for the ultimate disposal and reuse of transformed products of antibiotic drugs and solvents have been a pending issue in the waste management of pharmaceutical industries especially in the developing countries like India. A case study has been identified and the current issues in one of the major pharmaceutical industry (manufacturing cephalosporin drugs) located in Chennai, India, has been discussed for the possible implementation of anaerobically transformed intermediates of antibiotic pharmaceutical waste sludge. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of bioaugmentation on the convertibility of anaerobically transformed intermediates of antibiotic pharmaceutical waste sludge into residuals and biocompost. Cephalosporin is a common name refers to cephradine (C16H19N3O4S) and cephalexin (C16H17N3O4S.H2O). Based on the critical examination of results, the industry is looking for the alternatives of either direct disposal of 7-amino-3-deacetoxycephalosporanic acid (7-ADCA) and phenyl acetic acid or for further degradation and disposal, which will essentially require additional cost and maintenance. The present regulatory standard implemented in India does not envisage such disposal alternatives and hence this would invite suggestions and recommendations of the expertise for the possible implementation on the pending issue in the antibiotic based pharmaceutical industries. The presence of cephalosporin increases total strength (Chemical Oxygen Demand) of the effluent and indirectly increases the cost of the treatment. Hence the biotransformation of cephalosporin either alone or in combination with other energetic compounds, offers the potential for an economical and environment friendly disposal alternative for the anaerobically transformed intermediates of antibiotic pharmaceutical waste sludge.

Sensitive chemiluminescence determination of thirteen cephalosporin antibiotics with luminol-copper(II) reaction

A new chemiluminescence reaction, the luminol-Cu(2+) reaction, was investigated for the determination of thirteen (13) cephalosporin antibiotics, namely cefalexin, cefadroxil, cefradine, cefazolin sodium, cefaclor, cefuroxime axetil, cefotaxime sodium, cefoperazone sodium, ceftriaxone sodium, ceftazidime, cefetamet pivoxil hydrochloride, cefixime, and cefpodoxime. It was found that, without adding any special oxidant, strong chemiluminescent (CL) signal could be produced from the reaction of the alkaline luminol with the above-mentioned antibiotics in the presence of Cu(2+). The experimental conditions for the reaction were carefully optimized with flow-injection mode. The detection limits are 0.3 ng/mL cefalexin, 3 ng/mL cefadroxil, 0.3 ng/mL cefradine, 0.02 μg/mL cefazolin sodium, 0.8 ng/mL cefaclor, 0.02 μg/mL cefuroxime axetil, 5 ng/mL cefotaxime sodium, 0.02 μg/mL cefoperazone sodium, 0.8 ng/mL ceftriaxone sodium, 1 ng/mL ceftazidime, 0.08 ng/mL cefetamet pivoxil hydrochloride, 0.8 ng/mL cefixime, and 2 ng/mL cefpodoxime. The proposed method was validated by direct application to commercial formulations and spiked milk samples containing cefradine. A possible reaction mechanism is also discussed.

Biotic and abiotic degradation of four cephalosporin antibiotics in a lake surface water and sediment

Cephalosporins are widely used veterinary and human antibiotics, but their environmental fate and impacts are still unclear. We studied degradation of four cephalosporins (cefradine, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, and cefepime) from each generation in the surface water and sediment of Lake Xuanwu, China. The four cephalosporins degraded abiotically in the surface water in the dark with half-lives of 2.7-18.7d, which were almost the same as that in sterilized surface water. Under exposure to simulated sunlight, the half-lives of the cephalosporins decreased significantly to 2.2-5.0d, with the maximal decrease for ceftriaxone from 18.7d in the dark to 4.1d under the light exposure. Effects of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and nitrate on photodegradation of the cephalosporins were compound-specific. While DOM (5 mg L(-1)) stimulated the photodegradation of only cefradine (by 9%) and cefepime (by 34%), nitrate (10 microM) had effects only on cefepime (stimulation by 13%). Elimination rates of the cephalosporins in oxic sediment (half-lives of 0.8-3.1d) were higher than in anoxic sediment (half-lives of 1.1-4.1d), mainly attributed to biodegradation. The data indicate that abiotic hydrolysis (for cefradine, cefuroxime, and cefepime) and direct photolysis (for ceftriaxone) were the primary processes for elimination of the cephalosporins in the surface water of the lake, whereas biodegradation was responsible for the elimination of the cephalosporins in the sediment. Further studies are needed on chemical structure, toxicity, and persistence of transformation products of the cephalosporins in the environment.

Validation of the betaeta-s.t.a.r. 1 + 1 for rapid screening of residues of beta-lactam antibiotics in milk

The 2-min protocol (1 + 1) for the betaeta-s.t.a.r. (manufactured by Neogen Corporation, Lansing, MI, USA) was validated at the Technology and Food Science Unit of the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. The test was very selective for the group of beta-lactam compounds: the only interference found was by clavulanic acid at 2500 microg kg(-1) and above. The modified protocol (betaeta-s.t.a.r. 1 + 1) detected all beta-lactams with a maximum residue limit (MRL) in milk, but not all these compounds were detected at their respective MRL. The detection of cefalexin (detection capability = 6000 microg kg(-1); MRL = 100 microg kg(-1)) and penethamate (detection capability = 80 microg kg(-1); MRL = 4 microg kg(-1)) was especially poor, and also ceftiofur was only detected from 500 microg kg(-1) (MRL = 100 microg kg(-1)). The repeatability of the reader and of the test was very good. The test was very robust: test results were not significantly influenced by small changes in the test protocol, by the milk composition or by the type of milk. The test was also suitable to test the milk of animal species other than cow. Favourable results were obtained in testing monitoring samples, in two national ring trials, and in an international proficiency test. The betaeta-s.t.a.r. 1 + 1 is a very fast, simple, and reliable test that could be used at the farm level to prevent tanker milk contamination by beta-lactams.

Development of an ultraviolet spectrophotometric method for the determination of ceftiofur sodium powder

A UV spectrophotometric method was developed for determination of ceftiofur sodium in the drug substance and sterile powder for injection. The method validation, which yielded good results, included evaluation of the range, linearity, intra- and interday precision, accuracy, recovery, specificity, robustness, LOQ, and LOD. The UV spectrophotometric determinations were performed at 292 nm. Good linearity was obtained between 2.5 and 20.0 microg/mL. A prospective validation showed that the method is linear (r = 0.9999) and precise, with RSD values of 0.3% for product A and 0.4% for product B. The intra- and interday precision values were < 2% for all samples analyzed. Comparison of UV spectrophotometry and LC by analysis of variance and Student's t-test showed no significant difference between methodologies. Moreover, the accuracy and precision obtained with the UV method correlated well with the values obtained with the LC method, and this correlation suggests that UV spectrophotometric analysis can be an inexpensive, reliable, and less time-consuming alternative to chromatographic analysis. The results demonstrated the validity of the proposed method as a simple and useful alternative for the determination of ceftiofur in routine QC analyses.

Kinetic spectrophotometric determination of certain cephalosporins using oxidized quercetin reagent

A simple, precise and accurate kinetic spectrophotometric method for determination of cefoperazone sodium, cefazolin sodium and ceftriaxone sodium in bulk and in pharmaceutical formulations has been developed. The method is based upon a kinetic investigation of the reaction of the drug with oxidized quercetin reagent at room temperature for a fixed time of 30 min. The decrease in absorbance after the addition of the drug was measured at 510 nm. The absorbance concentration plot was rectilinear over the range 80-400 microg mL(-1) for all studied drugs. The concentration of the studied drugs was calculated using the corresponding calibration equation for the fixed time method. The determination of the studied drugs by initial rate, variable time and rate-constant methods was feasible with the calibration equations obtained but the fixed time method has been found to be more applicable. The analytical performance of the method, in terms of accuracy and precision, was statistically validated; the results were satisfactory. The method has been successfully applied to the determination of the studied drugs in commercial pharmaceutical formulations. Statistical comparison of the results with a well established reported method showed excellent agreement and proved that there is no significant difference in the accuracy and precision.

[Determination of 9 cephalosporin drug residues in beef by ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry]

A confirmative method to determine 9 cephalosporin residues in beef by ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was developed. The sample was homogenized and extracted with acetonitrile and water for 1 min at 14,000 r/min, centrifuged at 10,000 r/min and 4 degrees C for 10 min. A total of 2 mL saturated sodium chloride solution was added to avoid foaming during the acetonitrile evaporation, the acetonitrile was evaporated below 37 degrees C using a rotary evaporator, and then cleaned up on an Oasis HLB (500 mg, 6 mL) SPE column by washing with 5 mL water and eluting with acetonitrile-water (7:3, v/v). The eluate was blown to dryness under a stream of nitrogen and adjusted to 3.0 mL with water. The separation was carried out on an ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column within 5 min, analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS system with external standard method. The limits of quantification (LOQs) of cefuroxime, ceftiofur and cefalonium were 10, 0.5 and 0.5 microg/kg, respectively; the LOQs of other cephalosporins were 1.0 microg/kg. The recoveries of cephalosporins ranged from 74.2% to 119% and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) ranged from 2.9% to 15% for the spiked beef sample. The method is quick, easy, very sensitive and suitable for the determination of cephalosporin residues in beef.

Validation of the SL3 beta-Lactam Test for screening milk in compliance with U.S. pasteurized milk ordinance: performance tested method 040701

The SL3 beta-Lactam Test is a 3 min, receptor-based lateral flow Rapid One Step Assay (ROSA) that detects 5 of 6 beta-lactam drugs approved for dairy cattle in the United States. The method was evaluated through the AOAC Research Institute Performance-Tested Method program following a U.S. Food and Drug Administration protocol. Three combined lots detected penicillin G 4.2 parts per billion (ppb), ampicillin 8.7 ppb, amoxicillin 7.8 ppb, cephapirin 16.0 ppb, and ceftiofur (total metabolites) 51 ppb at least 90% of the time, with 95% confidence as determined by dose response probit analysis. These detection levels are less than safe level/tolerances but not more than 50% less. Lot repeatability was within 20%. Incurred residues were detected comparably or more sensitively to fortified samples due to the cumulative effect of biologically active metabolites. There were no interferences from somatic cells at 1 M/mL, bacterial cells 500 000 colony-forming units/mL, or 30 other non-beta-lactam drugs. These performances met approval conditions of the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments. Ruggedness conditions were incorporated into public health procedures for annual laboratory proficiency and certification.

Residue depletion of cefquinome in swine tissues after intramuscular administration

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with ultraviolet (UV) detection was developed for the detection of cefquinome (CEQ) residues in swine tissues. The limit of detection (LOD) of the method was 5 ng g(-1) for muscle and 10 ng g(-1) for fat, liver, and kidney. Mean recoveries of CEQ in all fortified samples at a concentration range of 20-500 ng g(-1) were 80.5-86.0% with coefficient of variation (CV) below 10.3%. Residue depletion study of CEQ in swine was conducted after five intramuscular injections at a dose of 2 mg kg(-1) of body weight with 24 h intervals. CEQ residue concentrations were detected in muscle, fat, liver, and kidney using the HPLC-UV method at 265 nm. The highest CEQ concentration was measured in kidney tissue during the study period, indicating that kidney was the target tissue for CEQ. CEQ concentrations in all examined tissues were below the accepted maximum residue limit (MRL) recommended by the Committee for Veterinary Medical Products of European Medical Evaluation Agency (EMEA) at 3 days post-treatment.