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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the administration of ritonavir (RIT)-boosted nirmatrelvir (NMV) on May 25, 2023, for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in patients who are at high risk of developing severe COVID-19. In accordance with sustainability and environmental friendliness, simple, eco-friendly, and sustainable spectrophotometric methods were established for concurrently estimating RIT and NMV in newly launched copackaged pills. The suggested solutions for resolving the spectral overlap between RIT and NMV involve the following mathematical methods: the first derivative method (1D), second derivative method (2D), and dual-wavelength zero-order method (DWZ). When ethanol was used as a green dilution solvent, the linearity range was adjusted (10–250 µg/mL) for both drugs. The procedures resulted in a high correlation coefficient (not less than 0.9996) and satisfactory levels of detection and quantification. Additionally, method validation was performed in accordance with International Council for Harmonization norms. Moreover, a detailed ecological and sustainability evaluation protocol was established to confirm the greenness and whiteness of the methods. Finally, the proposed method, along with previously reported methods for analysing NMV and RIT, were reviewed analytically and ecologically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SARS-CoV-2 virus sets up a global catastrophe, and countries all around the world made significant efforts to halt the spread. Nirmatrelvir (NMV) was lately approved by the FDA as a safe and well-tolerated oral direct-acting antiviral medication for SARS-CoV-2 virus infection. Therefore, a fast completely validated stability indicating method was established-for the first time- for NMV determination. The study used NaOH, HCl, neutral, H2O2, and sunlight to test NMV stability under various stress conditions followed by kinetics degradation investigation and derivation of Arrhenius plot. The analysis was performed using Agilent Zorbax Eclipse-C18 column (5 µm, 4.6 × 250 mm) with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile: 50 mM ammonium acetate, pH = 5 (50:50, v/v, respectively) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min with 5 min run time. Diode array detector (DAD) was set at 225 nm to quantify NMV at the concentration range of 5–500 µg/mL with LOD and LOQ of 0.6 and 2 µg/mL, respectively. Method's greenness was assessed using different metrics including Analytical Eco-Scale, Greenness Assessment Procedure Index, GAPI, and Analytical Greenness, AGREE. A thorough study of stress stability revealed that NMV was more susceptible to alkaline hydrolysis compared with acid hydrolysis. In contrast, it was found that NMV remained stable when subjected to oxidative, neutral, and sun-induced degradation conditions. Moreover, acid and alkali-induced hydrolysis were found to follow pseudo first order kinetics. Consequently, the half lifetime of the studied degradation conditions at room temperature were calculated using the Arrhenius plot. The mechanism of the degradation pathways under stress circumstances was proposed using LC–MS-UV. Toxicities of the proposed degradation products were assessed using ProTox-II, along with the parent medication NMV, and were shown to be hardly hazardous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastrointestinal tract disorders constitute a heavy burden to healthcare providers. To eradicate Helicobacter pylori infection, different triple therapy protocols have been proposed. Among which are combinations of proton pump inhibitors (e.g., omeprazole), histamine‐2 receptor antagonists (e.g., famotidine), along with antibiotics (e.g., amoxicillin). In this work, a sensitive and accurate high‐performance thin‐layer chromatographic method was developed for the simultaneous determination of amoxicillin, metronidazole, and famotidine in bulk powder and laboratory‐prepared combined‐tablet mixtures. Complete separation of the cited compounds was achieved using pre‐coated silica gel plates with a mixture of methanol:chloroform:toluene:water:glacial acetic acid (5:2:1.5:0.5:0.1 v/v/v/v/v) as the mobile phase. The method was fully validated as per the international conference of harmonization guidelines. Good linearity, a correlation coefficient of 0.9991, was obtained in the concentration ranges 0.1–1.6 μg/band (amoxicillin), 0.1–0.9 μg/band (metronidazole), and 0.1–0.9 μg/band (famotidine). Since the method allowed the determination of the three compounds in combined tablets with a high degree of selectivity, accuracy, precision, with cost‐effectiveness, it could be used for regular quality control. Moreover, the applicability of the proposed method was extended to the determination of the ternary mixture in simulated gastric juice. Method greenness was assessed using different green metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iced teas (ITs), also known as ready-to-drink teas, have gained much popularity among many nations. The modulatory effect of tea beverages on CYP3A4 increases the possibility of their potential interactions with many coadministered medications. Being a substrate of CYP3A4, sorafenib (SOR), the first-line therapy for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, shows a great probability to exhibit pharmacokinetic (PK) interaction with ITs. For this purpose, different groups of Wistar rats were given oral doses of SOR (40 mg/kg), along with different types of ITs. The concentration of SOR in rat plasma was determined using UPLC-MS/MS. Chromatographic analysis was performed on a C18 analytical column, Acquity UPLC BEH™ (100 × 1.0 mm, i.d., 1.7 μm particle size), using erlotinib (ERL) as an internal standard. Isocratic elution was performed with a mobile phase consisting of two solvents: solvent A (water with 0.1% formic acid) and solvent B (acetonitrile with 0.1% formic acid), in a ratio of 30 : 70, v/v, respectively. Quantitation was performed using MRM of the transitions from protonated precursor ions [M+H]+ to product ions at m/z 465.12 > 252.02 (SOR) and m/z 394.29 > 278.19 (ERL). The method was fully validated as per the FDA guidance for bioanalytical method validation in the concentration range of 2.5–500 ng/mL. Different PK parameters were calculated for SOR in all rat groups and groups administered with ITs and SOR, compared with groups with simply water and SOR. Experimental data revealed that ITs caused a general reduction in SOR bioavailability; an approximate reduction of 30% was recorded for all types of tested ITs. These data indicate that ITs could affect the PK profile of SOR in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A capillary electrophoretic method coupled to a diode array detector (CE-DAD) was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of metformin hydrochloride (MET), the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor saxagliptin hydrochloride (SAX), and the sodium glucose co-transporter (SGLT 2) inhibitor dapagliflozin (DAP). The proposed method was used for the determination of these drugs in binary antidiabetic combinations namely, SAX/MET, combination I, DAP/MET, combination II, and SAX/DAP, combination III. CE separation was performed on a fused silica capillary with background electrolyte consisting of 30 mM phosphate buffer (pH 6.0) with a high voltage of 30 kV, a pressure of 20 mbar, and an injection time of 40 s. The compounds were detected at 203 nm for SAX/DAP and 250 nm for MET. The method was linear in the concentration range of 10–200 µ g/mL (SAX), 1.25–50 µ g/mL (DAP), and 7.5–1000 µ g/mL (MET). Full validation of the proposed method was performed as per the ICH guidelines. The obtained errors and deviation values did not exceed 2% assessing good accuracy and precision, respectively. The stability-indicating potential of the proposed method was proved under different stress-degradation conditions. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of the three binary combinations in their tablets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dasatinib (DAS) is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) used in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia and in the management of ulcerative colitis (UC). Since some nutraceuticals (e.g. curcumin, olive oil, and cocoa extract) could alter the function of ABC transporters and /or CYP450 enzymes, DAS bioavailability could potentially be affected following their co-administration. This work aims at studying the possibility of PK interaction between DAS and the selected nutraceuticals in UC rats using UPLC- MS/MS. Chromatographic analysis was carried out using BEH C 18 column (Waters) with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and 50% aqueous methanol, 65:35, v/v, each with 0.1% formic acid and using erlotinib (ERL) as an internal standard (IS). DAS quantitation was carried out using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) with positive ionization of the transitions at m/z 488.03 > 400.92 (DAS), and m/z 394.29 > 278.19 (ERL). Method validation was assessed as per the FDA guidelines for bioanalytical methods for DAS determination within the concentration range 1–500 ng/mL. No significant effect on the oral bioavailability of DAS was reported with any of the studied nutraceuticals. Thus, the concomitant administration of these nutraceuticals with DAS could be considered safe with a necessity to perform more detailed clinical investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green tea (GT) is one of the most consumed beverages worldwide. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) belong to the oral targeted therapy that gained much interest in oncology practice, among which are erlotinib (ERL) and lapatinib (LAP). Since green tea polyphenols (GTP) are known to be inhibitors of receptor tyrosine kinases, GTE could likely potentiate the anticancer effect of TKIs, but with a possibility of pharmacokinetic (PK) interaction with co-administered TKIs. In this study, the effect of GTE on the PK of ERL/LAP in rats was studied. UPLC–ESI–MS/MS method has been developed and validated for the quantification of ERL and LAP in rat plasma, using gefitinib (GEF) as the internal standard. Plasma samples were treated extensively by protein precipitation (PPT) followed by solid phase extraction (SPE) using octadecyl C 18/14% cartridges. Chromatographic analysis was carried out on Acquity UPLC BEH™ C18 column with a mobile phase consisting of water: acetonitrile (20: 80, v/v), each with 0.15% formic acid. Quantification was performed in the positive electrospray ionization (ESI + ) mode with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) of the transitions m / z 394.29 → 278.19 (ERL), m / z 581.07 → 365.13 (LAP), and m / z 447.08 → 128.21 (GEF). The method was fully validated as per the FDA guidelines showing linearity over the range of 0.4–1000 (ERL) and 0.6–1000 (LAP) ng/mL with very low lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 0.4 and 0.6 ng/mL for ERL and LAP, respectively. The applicability of the method was extended to perform a comparative study of the PK of ERL/LAP following short-term and long-term administration of GTE, compared with their single oral administration. The results revealed that a significant reduction in the oral bioavailability was recorded with both ERL and LAP following the ingestion of GTE particularly for short-term administration. A reduction in C max (AUC) by 67.60% (69.50%) and 70.20% (73.96%), was recorded with short-term administration of GTE, compared with only 16.03% (21.09%) and 13.53% (22.12%) reduction for ERL and LAP, respectively, with long-term administration. Thus patients taking TKIs should preferably avoid drinking GT or ingesting GTE capsules during the period of treatment with TKIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tamoxifen (TAM) is a non-steroidal estrogen receptor antagonist that enhances erlotinib (ERL)-induced cytotoxicity in the treatment of NSCLC. ERL and TAM are metabolized by CYP3A4 enzymes. In addition, both drugs have the potential of altering the enzymatic activity through either inhibition (ERL) or induction (TAM). Thus it was expected that pharmacokinetics (PK) drug–drug interactions (DDIs) could be encountered following their co-administration. In this respect, a bioanalytical UPLC–MS/MS method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of ERL and TAM in rat plasma samples, using ondansetron (OND) as an internal standard (IS). Plasma samples were prepared using mixed mode cationic solid phase extraction (SPE) STRATA™ −X-C 33 μm cartridges with good extraction recovery of both drugs from rat plasma (E r % from −13.92 to −3.32). The drugs were separated on a Waters BEH™ C18 column with an isocratic elution using a mobile phase composed of a mixture of acetonitrile and water, each with 0.15% formic acid, in the ratio of 80: 20, v/v. Quantitation was carried out using the positive ionization mode with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) at m / z 394.20 > 278.04 (ERL), m / z 372.25 > 72.01 (TAM), and m / z 294.18 > 170.16 (OND). The method was fully validated as per the FDA guidelines over the concentration range of 0.2–50 ng/mL with very low lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 0.2 ng/mL for both ERL and TAM. The intra- and inter-day assay precision (in terms of relative standard deviation, RSD) and accuracy (in terms of percentage relative error, % E r ) were evaluated for both drugs and the calculated values evaluated at four different concentration levels were within the acceptable limits (<15%) for concentrations other than LLOQ and 20% for LLOQ. The method was successfully applied to the study of possible PK-DDI following the oral administration of ERL and TAM in a combination, compared to their single administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sensitive and selective ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous analysis of selected tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs)(gefitinib GEF, erlotinib ERL), corticosteroids (dexamethasone DEX, prednisolone PRED), and the antiemetic ondansetron (OND) in rat plasma samples. After the addition of domperidone (DOM) as internal standard (IS), spiked plasma samples were prepared using the solid phase extraction (SPE) C 18 cartridges. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Waters BEH C18 column with an isocratic elution using a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile and water, each with 0.1% formic acid, (80: 20, v/v), at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. Quantitation of the analytes was performed using the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with the positive ionization mode at m / z 447.25 > 128.08 (GEF), m / z 394.20 > 278.04 (ERL), m / z 393.30 > 147.04 (DEX), m / z 361.29 > 147.02 (PRED), m / z 294.18 > 170.16 (OND), and m / z 426.26 > 175.07 (DOM). The method was validated over the concentration range of 0.025–100 (GEF, ERL, OND) and 0.05–100 ng/mL plasma (PRED, DEX) with very low lower limit of quantification of 0.025 (GEF, ERL, OND) and 0.05 ng/mL (DEX, PRED). The intra- and inter-day precision (RSD%) evaluated at four different concentration levels were within the acceptable limits (<15%). The method provided good extraction recovery of all analytes from rat plasma (E r % from −14.05 to −1.08). The validated method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic studies following the oral administration of selected combinations of the studied drugs. This study can be readily applied in therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in patients receiving these drug combinations as well as investigation of possible drug interactions between TKIs and DEX/PRED/OND. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capillary electrophoresis with a diode array detector was employed for the determination of luteolin and apigenin in plant extracts. The experimental factors affecting the elution of the analytes were carefully optimized. The final analysis was achieved utilizing a fused silica capillary (58 cm effective length, 75 μm ID) and a background electrolyte solution consisting of borax buffer (20 mM, pH 10.0) and methanol (90: 10, v/v) with a 23 kV driving voltage and detection at 210 nm. The method was fully validated as per the guidelines of the International Conference on Harmonization for Analytical Procedures. The relationship between peak area and concentration was linear between 3 and 800 μg/mL for both compounds with detection limits of 1.05 for luteolin and 0.53 μg/mL for apigenin. The method was employed for the determination of the analytes in extracts of thyme and parsley. Both compounds were resolved from interfering peaks that were present in the extracts. Recovery studies were performed by fortifying the extracts with standards and demonstrated good accuracy with recovery values between 97.29 and 104.88% for luteolin and 96.89 and 105.18% for apigenin. Thyme and parsley were shown to contain high concentrations of luteolin and apigenin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A novel method was developed for the simultaneous determination of guaifenesin (GUA) and ketorolac tromethamine (KET) enantiomers in plasma samples. Since GUA probably increases the absorption of coadministered drugs (e.g., KET), it would be extremely important to monitor KET plasma levels for the purpose of dose adjustment with a subsequent decrease in the side effects. Enantiomeric resolution was achieved on a polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phase, amylose-2, as a chiral selector under the normal phase (NP) mode and using ornidazole (ORN) as internal standard. This innovative method has the advantage of the ease and reliability of sample preparation for plasma samples. Sample clean-up was based on simply using methanol for protein precipitation followed by direct extraction of drug residues using ethanol. Both GUA and KET enantiomers were separated using an isocratic mobile phase composed of hexane/isopropanol/trifluoroacetic acid, 85:15:0.05 v/v/v. Peak area ratios were linear over the range 0.05-20 µg/mL for the four enantiomers S (+) GUA, R (-) GUA, R (+) KET, and S (-) KET. The method was fully validated according to the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines in terms of system suitability, specificity, accuracy, precision, robustness, and solution stability. Finally, this procedure was innovative to apply the rationale of developing a chiral high-performance (HPLC) procedure for the simultaneous quantitative analysis of drug isomers in clinical samples. Chirality 26:629-639, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple, fast, inexpensive, and reliable capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method for the determination of a mixture of miconazole nitrate (MCZ) and hydrocortisone acetate (HCZ) in a cream formulation has been developed and validated. Optimum conditions were sodium dihydrogen phosphate buffer (50 mM, pH 4) and 30 kV applied voltage in a 85 cm x 75 µm id capillary. Direct UV detection at 230 nm led to adequate sensitivity without interference from the sample excipients. MCZ and HCZ migrated in approximately 165 and 415 s, respectively. The analytical curves had a coefficient of correlation, r, of 0.9999 and 0.9996 for MCZ and HCZ, respectively. The LOD and LOQ were 0.28 and 0.93 µg/mL for MCZ and 0.38 and 1.27 µg/mL for HCZ, respectively. Thus, excellent accuracy and precision were obtained. Recoveries varied from 98 to 102%, and intraday and interday precision, calculated as the RSD, were less than 2.0% for each drug. The proposed CZE method displayed advantageous performance characteristics and can be considered suitable for QC of the MCZ and HCZ cream formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel, fast, sensitive and specific technique using capillary electrophoresis coupled to a diode array detector has been developed for the separation and simultaneous determination of two antimigraine mixtures in tablet formulation. The two combinations are ergotamine tartrate (ERG), caffeine (CAF) and paracetamol (PAR) with either domperidone (DOM), combination (I) or metoclopramide (MET), combination (II). The proposed method utilized a fused silica capillary (55 cm × 75 µm i.d.) and background electrolyte composed of phosphate buffer (25 mM, pH 9.8). The separation was achieved at 20 KV applied voltage and at 25°C. The described method was linear over the range of 1–80 and 2–100 µg/mL for CAF and MET, respectively, and 1–80 µg/mL for DOM, ERG and PAR. Intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviation (n = 5) was ≤1.10%. The limits of detection of CAF and PAR were 0.20 and 0.10 µg/mL, respectively, and 0.50 µg/mL for MET, DOM and ERG. Other aspects of analytical validation were also evaluated. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of the two combinations in their tablets. Therefore, the proposed method is suitable for the routine control of these ingredients in multicomponent dosage forms. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses a research study on the use of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) with photodiode array detector in validating methods for simultaneously determining atenolol (ATE), amiloride hydrochloride (AMI) and chlorthalidone (CHL). The three drugs were separated through HPTLC in the first method and HPLC separation was performed. Results showed how three drugs in forms of degradates were determined with HPLC method.

Abstract: An efficient chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of triamterene (TRI) and xipamide (XIP) in urine samples, based on high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector (HPLC–DAD) has been developed. The HPLC separation was performed on a RP stainless-steel C-18 analytical column (250mm×4.6mm, 5μm) with a gradient elution system of 0.05M phosphate buffer adjusted to pH 4.0 and methanol as the mobile phase. The method was used to determine the urinary excretion profile and to calculate different urinary pharmacokinetic parameters following oral dose of their combination compared with single oral doses of each drug and hence comparing their bioavailability. Quantitation was performed using chlorthalidone as internal standard. The calibration graphs of each drug were rectilinear in the range of 0.2–40μg/mL urine for TRI and 0.2–15μg/mL urine for XIP. An HPLC–DAD method was also successfully developed for the simultaneous determination of the investigated drugs in pharmaceutical preparations. The methods were validated in terms of linearity, accuracy, precision, selectivity, limits of detection and quantitation and other aspects of analytical validation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A series of regioisomeric dimethoxyphenethylamines have a mass spectra essentially equivalent to the drug substance 2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2,5-DMPEA). These substances have a molecular weight of 181, and major fragment ions in their electron ionization mass spectra at m/z 151/152. The trifluoroacetyl, pentafluoropropionyl, and heptafluorobutryl derivatives of these primary amines were prepared and evaluated by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection (GC–MS). The mass spectra for these derivatives do not show unique fragment ions to allow the specific identification of a particular isomer. Thus, GC–MS does not provide for the confirmation of identity of any one of the six isomers to the exclusion of the other five compounds. However, GC–MS does divide the compounds into two groups depending on the mass of the base peak. GC with infrared detection provides direct confirmatory data for the identification of 2,5-DMPEA from the other regioisomers involved in the study. Perfluoroacylated derivatives of the six regioisomeric dimethoxyphenethylamines were successfully resolved via capillary GC on a non-polar stationary phase consisting of 50% phenyl and 50% methyl polysiloxane (Rxi-50). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: This manuscript discusses the application of chemometrics to the handling of HPLC response data using the internal standard method (ISM). This was performed on a model mixture containing terbutaline sulphate, guaiphenesin, bromhexine HCl, sodium benzoate and propylparaben as an internal standard. Derivative treatment of chromatographic response data of analyte and internal standard was followed by convolution of the resulting derivative curves using 8-points sin x i polynomials (discrete Fourier functions). The response of each analyte signal, its corresponding derivative and convoluted derivative data were divided by that of the internal standard to obtain the corresponding ratio data. This was found beneficial in eliminating different types of interferences. It was successfully applied to handle some of the most common chromatographic problems and non-ideal conditions, namely: overlapping chromatographic peaks and very low analyte concentrations. For example, a significant change in the correlation coefficient of sodium benzoate, in case of overlapping peaks, went from 0.9975 to 0.9998 on applying normal conventional peak area and first derivative under Fourier functions methods, respectively. Also a significant improvement in the precision and accuracy for the determination of synthetic mixtures and dosage forms in non-ideal cases was achieved. For example, in the case of overlapping peaks guaiphenesin mean recovery% and RSD% went from 91.57, 9.83 to 100.04, 0.78 on applying normal conventional peak area and first derivative under Fourier functions methods, respectively. This work also compares the application of Theil''s method, a non-parametric regression method, in handling the response ratio data, with the least squares parametric regression method, which is considered the de facto standard method used for regression. Theil''s method was found to be superior to the method of least squares as it assumes that errors could occur in both x- and y-directions and they might not be normally distributed. In addition, it could effectively circumvent any outlier data points. For the purpose of comparison, the results obtained using the above described internal standard method were compared with the external standard method for all types of linearity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Gas chromatography with infrared detection (GC–IRD) provides direct confirmatory data for the identification of the drug of abuse; 3,4-MDMA and its regioisomer; 2,3-MDMA, from a set of seven tertiary amines which have an isobaric or regioisomeric relationship with the MDMAs. These compounds include three ring substituted regioisomers of 2-dimethylamino-1-(methoxyphenyl)ethanone, two ring regioisomers of N,N-dimethyl-2-(methoxymethylphenyl)ethanamine in addition to N,N-dimethyl-2-(2,3- and 3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)ethanamine. The major mass spectral fragments for each of these unique isomers occur at equivalent mass and all have equal molecular weight. Thus, gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection (GC–MS) does not provide sufficient information for the confirmation of identity of any one of these isomers to the exclusion of the other compounds. The infrared spectra for these compounds allow for identification of any one of these amines. This differentiation is accomplished without the aid of chemical derivatization. The IR spectra served to divide the studied compounds into four groups depending on their absorption bands in the region 2700–3100cm−1. Moreover, compounds with different ring substitution pattern within each group can be differentiated by several bands in the 700–1700cm−1 region. These regioisomeric substances are well resolved by GC on Rtx-1 stationary phase and the vapor-phase infrared spectra clearly differentiate among this set of compounds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The mass spectrum of the drug of abuse 2,5-dimethoxyamphetamine (2,5-DMA) is characterized by an imine fragment base peak at m/z 44 and additional fragments at m/z 151/152 for the dimethoxybenzyl cation and radical cation, respectively. Five positional ring isomers of dimethoxyamphetamines (DMA) have an isomeric relationship to 2,5-DMA. All six compounds have the same molecular weight and produce similar EI mass spectra. This lack of mass spectral specificity for the isomers in addition to the possibility of chromatographic coelution could result in misidentification. The lack of reference materials for the potential imposter molecules constitutes a significant analytical challenge. Perfluoroacylation of the amine group reduced the nitrogen basicity and provided individual fragmentation pathways for discrimination between these compounds based on some unique fragment ions and the relative abundance of common ions. GC–IRD studies provided additional structure–IR spectra relationships and yielded confirmation level identification for each of the six regioisomeric dimethoxyamphetamines. The amines and their perfluoroacylated derivatives were resolved by capillary gas chromatography and the amines showed excellent resolution on the more polar stationary phase, Rtx-200. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Gas chromatography with infrared detection (GC–IRD) provides direct confirmatory data for the identification of the psychoactive designer drug 3-trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine (3-TFMPP) from the regioisomeric 2- and 4-trifluoromethylphenylpiperazines. These three regioisomeric substances are well resolved by GC and the vapor phase infrared spectra clearly differentiate among the three trifluoromethylphenyl substitution patterns. However, the mass spectra for the three regioisomeric 2-, 3-, and 4-trifluoromethylphenylpiperazines are identical and do not provide structural confirmation for one of the three isomers to the exclusion of the other two compounds. Perfluoroacylation of the secondary amine nitrogen for each of the three regioisomers was conducted in an effort to individualize their mass spectra. The resulting derivatives were resolved by GC and their mass spectra showed some differences in relative abundance of fragment ions without the appearance of any unique fragments for specific confirmation of structure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An efficient multiresidue method for the simultaneous determination of metronidazole (MET) and spiramycin (SPY) in tilapia fish muscle, based on high performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (HPLC-UV), has been developed. The drugs were extracted with 0.2% orthophosphoric acid–methanol (6:4), and the extracts were cleaned up on a solid phase extraction cartridge, C18 Sep-Pak® light column. The LC separation was performed on a RP stainless-steel C-18 analytical column (150mm×4.6mm, 5μm) with a gradient elution system of 0.05M phosphate buffer adjusted to pH 2.4–acetonitrile as the mobile phase at the flow rate of 1.0mlmin−1. A wavelength programming was applied for the UV detection of the analytes. The method not only enabled the determination of the parent drugs, MET and SPY, but also permitted the determination of their metabolites, hydroxymetronidazole (HMET) and neospiramycin (NSPY). The calibration graphs for each drug were rectilinear in the range of 0.005–1.000μgg−1 for MET and HMET and 0.025–1.000μgg−1 for SPY and NSPY. With this method, the cited drugs with their metabolites were determined in fortified fish muscle tissues at levels of 0.025, 0.1 and 1.0μgg−1 with good accuracy and precision. LOD and LOQ obtained for each drug were as follows: 0.002 and 0.005μgg−1 for MET and HMET and 0.005 and 0.025μgg−1 for SPY and NSPY. Utilization of the method to successfully analyze tilapia fish muscle samples incurred with MET and SPY was described. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This manuscript discusses the application of chemometrics to the polarographic response data. It deals with convolution of signals using orthogonal polynomials in the determination of multi-component mixtures. The method was found beneficial in the resolution of partially overlapping square wave polarographic peaks of ternary mixtures of isoniazid (ISN), rifampicin (RIF) and pyrazinamide (PYR), in Britton Robinson buffer pH 7.0. The square wave polarographic analysis data were processed by orthogonal functions and the first-derivative methods. The procedure was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of the three drugs in their pharmaceutical preparations and biological fluids. This work also compares the application of Theil''s method, a non-parametric regression method, in handling the response data, with the least-squares parametric regression method, which is considered the de facto standard method used for regression. Theil''s method was found to be superior to the method of least squares as it assumes that errors could occur in both x- and y-directions and they might not be normally distributed. In addition, it could effectively circumvent any outlier data points. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new spectrophotometric method was developed for the simultaneous determination of ternary mixtures, without prior separation steps. This method is based on convolution of the double divisor ratio spectra, obtained by dividing the absorption spectrum of the ternary mixture by a standard spectrum of two of the three compounds in the mixture, using combined trigonometric Fourier functions. The magnitude of the Fourier function coefficients, at either maximum or minimum points, is related to the concentration of each drug in the mixture. The mathematical explanation of the procedure is illustrated. The method was applied for the assay of a model mixture consisting of isoniazid (ISN), rifampicin (RIF) and pyrazinamide (PYZ) in synthetic mixtures, commercial tablets and human urine samples. The developed method was compared with the double divisor ratio spectra derivative method (DDRD) and derivative ratio spectra-zero-crossing method (DRSZ). Linearity, validation, accuracy, precision, limits of detection, limits of quantitation, and other aspects of analytical validation are included in the text. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • UPLC–MS/MS method was developed for determination of ALK inhibitors in rat plasma. • Pharmacokinetic (PK) behavior of alectinib, ceritinib, and crizotinib were monitored. • Full validation of the method was performed as per FDA guidelines. • The method was applied to study the effect of bromelain on the PK of ALK inhibitors. Bromelain, the aqueous extract of pineapple, has been used as a food supplement with reported nutritional and therapeutic benefits. Bromelain has anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, and fibrinolytic effects. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitors, including alectinib (ALC), ceritinib (CER), and crizotinib (CRZ), have been efficiently used in the management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The solubility of ALC, CER, and CRZ is much higher at low acidic pH (pH 1) and it decreases as the pH increases affecting their absorption with a subsequent decrease in their bioavailability. It was thought that the intake of bromelain could result in a decrease in the bioavailability of ALC, CER, and CRZ due to bromelain-induced alkalizing effect following digestion. On the contrary, bromelain could possibly increase plasma exposure of the cited drugs due to its known muco-permeation enhancing effect. The therapeutic-anticancer effect of bromelain can be possibly increased/enhanced with concomitant intake of other anticancer medications or it can add to the value of food supplements for its known nutritional benefits. Thus, this work aims at studying the possibility of any PK interaction when bromelain was taken while on ALC/CER/CRZ therapy. In this work, a new UPLC–MS/MS method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of ALC, CER, and CRZ in rat plasma. Further application of the proposed method was performed to test the possibility of the PK interaction between bromelain and the selected ALK inhibitors in Wistar rats. Simple protein precipitation with acetonitrile was used for sample preparation. Chromatographic analysis was performed on Waters BEH™ C18 column with a mixture of acetonitrile/water containing 0.1 % formic acid (70: 30, v/v) as the mobile phase. The method permitted the analysis of ALC, CER, and CRZ in concentration ranges of 2−200, 0.4−200, and 4.0−200 ng/mL, respectively. Bromelain administration caused a significant decrease in plasma levels of CER and CRZ with lowered C max , AUC 0-t and AUC 0-∞ , along with an increase in the apparent clearance. However, no significant effect was noticed with ALC. Thus, attention should be paid to avoid the intake of bromelain with CER or CRZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helicobacter pylori has a big sway when peptic ulcers are concerned. For its eradication, different protocols have been approved. Among which, the tripartite therapy protocol which embraces vonoprazan as potassium competitive acid blocker in combination with amoxicillin and metronidazole as antibiotics. An environmentally benign HPLC method is addressed in order to simultaneously determine amoxicillin (AMX), metronidazole (MET) and vonoprazan (VPZ) in bulk powder and combined tablet mixture. Full separation of AMX, MET and VPZ is accomplished using C8 column, and a gradient mobile phase system, composed of methanol and phosphate buffer of a pH value of 5. Fine linearity in the concentration ranges 50–600 µg mL−1 amoxicillin, 50–400 µg mL−1 metronidazole and 10–100 µg mL−1 vonoprazan was denoted by the high correlation coefficient (0.9999). The method accuracy and precision are confirmed upon analyzing AMX, MET and VPZ triple therapy not only in their synthetic mixtures and combined tablet mixtures but also in their combined tablet mixtures in simulated gastric fluid. AMX, MET and VPZ triple therapy could be routinely analyzed in QC labs, in case of being co-formulated, using the presented method. Three different assessment tools were adopted revealing the benign environmental impact of presented method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cutting-edge combination of fluvoxamine (FVM) and ivermectin (IVM) has been presented as a proposed dosage form for the treatment of COVID-19 infections in early diagnosed patients. The main objective of this work is to develop simple, sensitive, and efficient methods for the synchronous quantification of FVM and IVM without any prior separation. Four green UV-methods were employed for the synchronous quantification, namely: Fourier functions convolution of absorption spectra, FFAS, Fourier functions convolution of derivative spectra of absorption curves, FFDS, Fourier function convolution of ratio spectra of absorption curves, FFRS and the dual-wavelength method, DWM. FFRS and DWM approaches can be able to reconcile the two components' significantly interfering spectrum presented in this commixture. Good linearity was checked in the range of 5–40, and 2.5–25 μg/mL for the FVM, and IVM, respectively. All approaches developed have been recommended in compliance with ICH principles. Furthermore, the approaches' greenness was predestined by "National Environmental Method Index" (NEMI), "Analytical GREEnness metric (AGREE)", the "Analytical Eco-Scale", and the "Green Analytical Procedure Index" (GAPI). In addition, spider diagram was utilized for the assessment of the greenness index of the solvent used. Beside greenness, the sustainability of our methods was investigated using the HEXAGON tool. Continuing the constant pursuit of greenness, drug-drug interactions (DDIs) between FVM & IVM were predicted by insilico tools to ensure the safety of the suggested mixture as a preliminary step before invitro and in vivo studies. Because they were deemed sustainable, affordable, and successful, the suggested UV-methods may be used for routine quality control investigations of the indicated formulations FVM & IVM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Amphetamine type stimulants (ATS) are the second most popular illegal drugs used worldwide, after cannabis. The production of ATS has increased across the world, including the Middle East. Fenethylline (Captagon™), amphetamine derivative, sold as a street drug usually contains several adulterants and diluents. In Saudi Arabia, like other countries, samples of illicit ATS are submitted to laboratories to test for the adulterated compounds. Objective: The objective of the proposed study was to apply gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for fenethylline profiling of seized samples collected from the Saudi market (n = 55). Methodology: The GC/MS analysis was performed on a general purpose column (30 m × 0.25 mm i.d) coated with 0.25 µm cross bond, 5% diphenyl dimethyl polysiloxane (Rtx-5MS). The mass was operated in the electron impact mode. Results and discussion: Analyzed samples gave positive results for amphetamine in the concentration range between 1.35% and 37.32% of the powder, caffeine in the range between 22.74 and 44.92%, in addition to different concentrations of levoglucosenone, theophylline, D-allose, lidocaine, methamphetamine, dextromethorphan, and other adulterants. Finally, the presence of other substances in fenethylline street samples could result in intoxication. This significantly contributes to the potential risk of drug addiction among public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SARS-CoV-2 virus triggered a worldwide crisis, with world nations putting up massive efforts to halt its spread. Molnupiravir (MLN) was the first oral, direct-acting antiviral drug approved for nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 infection with favorable safety and tolerability profile. This study aims at determination of MLN and N4-hydroxycytidine (NHC), its main degradation product and its main metabolite, using sensitive, simple, and green HPLC–DAD method. Moreover, under different stress conditions using NaOH, HCl, neutral, H2O2, dry heat and sun light, the method was applied for MLN assay along with kinetics degradation investigation. The linearity range for MLN and NHC were both 0.1–100 µg/mL with LOD and LOQ of 0.013 & 0.043 and 0.003 & 0.011 µg/mL, for MLN and NHC, respectively. MLN was found to be extremely vulnerable to alkali hydrolysis compared with acid and dry heat degradation. In contrast, MLN was stable under conditions of oxidative, neutral, and sunlight-induced deterioration. Acid and alkali-induced degradation followed pseudo first-order kinetics model. In addition, LC–MS-UV was used to suggest the mechanism of the stress-induced degradation route and to characterize the eluted degradation products. Toxicities of both MLN and its degradation products were evaluated using ProTox-II and they were found to be negligibly harmful. The proposed HPLC–DAD was effectively used for the analysis of MLN in commercial pharmaceutical formulations. The proposed method for MLN determination after greenness and whiteness appraisal was found to be superior compared to the reported methods for MLN analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel, fast, sensitive, and specific capillary electrophoresis (CE) technique coupled to a diode array detector has been developed for the separation and simultaneous determination of carvedilol (CRV) and hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) in two combination formulations. The proposed method utilized a fused silica capillary (55 cm X 75 µm id) and the background electrolyte solution phosphate buffer (12.5 mM, pH 7.4)-methanol (95 + 5, v/v). The separation was achieved at 30 kV applied voltage and 24°C. Atorvastatin (80 µg/mL) was chosen as the internal standard. The described method was linear over the range of 1-200 and 0.2-150 µg/mL for CRV and HCT, respectively. Intraday and interday RSD (n = 6) was =1.4%. The LOD values of CRV and HCT were 0.26 and 0.07 µg/mL, respectively. The validated CE method was successfully applied to the analysis of two commercial tablet dosage forms. Forced degradation studies were performed on bulk samples of the two drugs using thermal, photolytic, hydrolytic, and oxidative stress conditions, and the stressed samples were analyzed by the proposed method. Degradation products produced as a result of stress studies did not interfere with the determination of CRV and HCT; the assay could, therefore, be considered stability-indicating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies were carried out to investigate the charge-transfer (CT) reaction of ROS-Ca, as a n-electron donor with various π-acceptors: tetracyanoethylene, p-chloranilic acid, 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone, 2,3,5,6-tetrabromo-1,4-benzoquinone, 1,3,5- trinitrobenzene, 2,3,5,6-tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone, 7,7,8,8-tetracyano-quinodimethane, and 2,4,7-trinitro-9-fluorenone. Different colored CT complexes were obtained. The reaction mechanism and site of interaction were determined by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometric techniques and computational molecular modeling. The formation of the colored complexes was utilized in the development of simple, rapid and accurate spectrophotometric methods for the determination of ROS-Ca. Under the optimum reaction conditions, linear relationships with good correlation coefficients (0.9984-0.9995) were found between the absorbances and the concentrations of ROS-Ca in the range of 2-200 μg mL-1. The limits of detection ranged from 0.41 to 12.24 μg mL-1. No interference could be observed from the additives commonly present in the tablets or from the drugs that are co-formulated with ROS-Ca in its combined formulations. The methods were successfully applied to the analysis of tablets with good accuracy and precision; the recovery percentages ranged from 99.54-100.46 ± 1.58-1.82%. The results were compared favorably with the reported method. The proposed methods are practical and valuable for routine application in quality control laboratories for determination of ROS-Ca in its bulk form and tablets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two HPLC methods are introduced in this paper for the simultaneous determination of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), combination I, and of cytarabine (CYT) and etoposide (ETO), combination II, as co-administered drugs. In both combinations, a 250 mm×4.6 mm C-18 column is used. The mobile phase for combination I consists of a mixture of acetonitrile and 0.05 M disodium hydrogenphosphate (50:50, v/v) containing 0.1% sodium laurylsulfate (SLS) adjusted to pH 3.7 at a flow rate 1 ml/min, with UV detection at 260 nm and ambient temperature. For combination II, the mobile phase consists of a mixture of 0.02 M sodium dihydrogenphosphate aqueous solution adjusted to pH 6.0 (with 0.2 M orthophosphoric acid or sodium hydroxide) and acetonitrile in a ratio of (7:3) at a flow rate 1 ml/min, with UV detection at 254 nm and ambient temperature. The methods also permitted the determination of methyl hydroxybenzoate (MHB) which is used as a preservative in DOX vials, combination I, and of benzyl alcohol (BZA) preservative in ETO vials, combination II. The proposed HPLC methods were successfully applied to the determination of the investigated drugs, of the two combinations, both in injection solutions and spiked human plasma samples with high precision and accuracy. Linearity, validation, accuracy, precision, limits of detection, limits of quantitation, and other aspects of analytical validation are presented in the text. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Neratinib (NER) and pelitinib (PEL) are irreversible tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) that have been recently employed in cancer treatment. Apigenin (API), among other flavonoids, is known to have antioxidant, anti-proliferative, and carcinogenic effect. API can potentiate the antitumor effect of chemotherapeutic agents and/or alleviate the side effects of many anticancer agents. Since TKIs are mostly metabolized by CYP3A4 enzymes and that API could alter the enzymatic activity, potential drug interactions could be expected following their co-aministration. In the present study, a bioanalytical UPLC–MS/MS method has been developed and validated for the quantification of NER and PEL in rat plasma, using domperidone (DOM) as an internal standard. Sample preparation was carried out using solid phase extraction (SPE) with C18 cartridges with good extraction recovery of not less than 92.42% (NER) and 89.73% (PEL). Chromatographic analysis was performed on a Waters BEH C18 column with a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile and water, (70:30, v/v), each with 0.1% formic acid. Quantitation was performed using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) of the transitions from protonated precursor ions [M+H] + , at m / z 557.30 (NER), m / z 468.21 (PEL), and at m / z 426.27 (DOM), to selected product ions at m / z 112.05 (NER), m / z 395.22 (PEL), and at m / z 175.18 (DOM). The method was fully validated as per the FDA guidelines over the concentration range of 0.5–200 ng/mL with very low lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 0.5 ng/mL for both NER and PEL. The intra- and inter-day assay precision and accuracy were evaluated for both drugs and the calculated values of percentage relative standards deviations (%RSD) and relative errors (%E r ) were within the acceptable limits (<15%) for concentrations other than LLOQ and 20% for LLOQ. The applicability of the method was extended to study the possibility of drug interactions following the oral co-administration of NER/PEL with API. Thus, this study could be readily applied in therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of cancerous patients receiving such drug combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper discusses the usefulness of artificial neural networks (ANNs) for response surface modelling in HPLC method development. In this study, the combined effect of pH and mobile phase composition on the reversed-phase liquid chromatographic behaviour of a mixture of salbutamol (SAL) and guaiphenesin (GUA), combination I, and a mixture of ascorbic acid (ASC), paracetamol (PAR) and guaiphenesin (GUA), combination II, was investigated. The results were compared with those produced using multiple regression (REG) analysis. To examine the respective predictive power of the regression model and the neural network model, experimental and predicted response factor values, mean of squares error (MSE), average error percentage (Er %), and coefficients of correlation (r) were compared. It was clear that the best networks were able to predict the experimental responses more accurately than the multiple regression analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents different HPLC methods for the simultaneous determination of some guaiphenesin-containing cough-cold preparations. Three pharmaceutically available combinations were analyzed: salbutamol sulfate (SAL) and guaiphenesin (GUA), combination I; ascorbic acid (ASC), paracetamol (PAR) and guaiphenesin (GUA), combination II; and theophylline anhydrous (THE), guaiphenesin (GUA) and ambroxol hydrochloride (AMB), combination III. A 250×4.6mm C-18 column was used for all combinations. The mobile phase for the three combinations consisted of a mixture of methanol and 0.01M aqueous phosphate buffer solution. The pH of the mobile phase was adjusted to 3.2, 6.2 and 3.8 for combinations I, II and III, respectively. The proposed HPLC methods were successfully applied to the determination of the investigated drugs, both in synthetic mixtures and in pharmaceutical preparations, without any matrix interference and with high precision and accuracy. Different aspects of analytical validation are presented in the text. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This manuscript discusses the application of chemometrics to the handling of HPLC response data using a model mixture containing ascorbic acid, paracetamol and guaiphenesin. Derivative treatment of chromatographic response data followed by convolution of the resulting derivative curves using 8-points sin x i polynomials (discrete Fourier functions) was found beneficial in eliminating different types of interferences. This was successfully applied to handle some of the most common chromatographic problems and non-ideal conditions, namely: very low analyte concentrations, overlapping chromatographic peaks and baseline drift. For example, a significant change in the correlation coefficient of guaiphenesin, in case of baseline drift, went from 0.9978 to 0.9998 on applying normal conventional peak area and first derivative under Fourier functions methods, respectively. It also compares the application of Theil''s method, a non-parametric regression method, in handling the response data, with the least squares parametric regression method, which is considered the de facto standard method used for regression. Theil''s method was found to be superior to the method of least squares as it assumes that errors could occur in both x- and y-directions and they might not be normally distributed. In addition, it could effectively circumvent any outlier data points. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Study of the degradation reaction of methotrexate (MTX) in acidic solution was carried out. Optimization of the experimental parameters of MTX acid hydrolysis was investigated. Spectrofluorimetric method for determination of MTX through measurement of its acid-degradation product, 4-amino-4-deoxy-10-methylpteroic acid (AMP), was developed. Stability of the standard solution of MTX prepared in sulfuric acid was discussed in the view of accelerated stability analysis. Two other comparative spectroflourimetric methods based on measuring the fluorescence intensities from either a condensation reaction with acetylacetone–formaldehyde (Hantzsch reaction) or a reaction with fluorescamine were also described. Beer''s law validation, accuracy, precision, limits of detection, limits of quantification, and other aspects of analytical merit are presented in the text. The proposed methods were successfully applied for the analysis of MTX in pure drug and tablets dosage form. The sensitivity of the developed methods was favorable, so it was possible to be adopted for determination of MTX in plasma samples for routine use in high-dose MTX therapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]