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This work focuses on applying a combined process combining electro-Fenton (EF) pretreatment with biological degradation to mineralize the antiviral Ribavirin in an efficient, economical and ecological manner. First, the main experimental parameters affecting the efficiency of the electro-Fenton process, namely applied current intensity, Fe(II) catalyst concentration and initial Ribavirin concentration were evaluated and optimized. Indeed, the mineralization rate reaches maximum residual values of 99% after 4 hours of electrolysis applying a current of 200 mA. This mineralization is accompanied by an increase in biodegradability, evaluated from the BOD5/COD ratio, which goes from 0.04 at the beginning of treatment (1 h) to 0.45 after 2 hours of electrolysis, demonstrating the feasibility of a biological treatment. In addition, the energy efficiency decreased when the treatment time was extended due to the limitation of mass transport. Thus, the feasibility of coupling electro-Fenton and biological treatment has been successfully demonstrated on a laboratory-scale was, achieving a 96.66% removal rate by the Bio-EF process. A Box-Behnken design based on response surface methodology was applied to develop a model for predicting Rib removal rate. The interaction of factors such as Rib concentration (X1), catalyst concentration (X2) and electrolysis time (X3) was analyzed to identify optimal operating conditions. The model results obtained are statistically significant with an R2 of 0.99, indicating that the proposed model is significant and relevant. In addition, the iso-response curves obtained enabled us to determine the optimal experimental conditions required for effective mineralization of the targeted antiviral. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Electro-Fenton process is an electrochemical advanced oxidation method based on electrocatalytic in situ production of hydroxyl radicals (•OH). The decontamination of water polluted by Oxytetracycline (OTC) as being a toxic and persistent organic contaminant was carried out by the Electro-Fenton process (EF). Using a platinum anode and a carbon felt, many experiments have been carried out while studying the effect of several parameters on the efficiency of EF such as the applied current, the concentration of the catalyst, and the initial concentration of OTC. The degradation kinetics were studied and monitored by HPLC during electrolysis using an OTC initial concentration of 0.03 mM, 500 mA as applied current, and 0.1 mM of Fe2+ as optimal parameters. As for the mineralization, the chemical oxygen demand COD gave a reduction rate greater than 97% for 500 mA and 0.2 mM of Fe2+. The identification of some intermediate compounds was carried out by HPLC and LC-MS/MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to assess the quality of Albendazole tablets (Alb) sampled in three countries from West Africa, several physical and chemical tests were performed on tablets at normal conditions. A simple and economic HPLC method has been developed, validated and used for the simultaneous determination of Albendazole (Alb) content, as well as its impurities and the uniformity of its content. The stability-indicating HPLC method was performed on a Symmetry C18-5µm 250 mm × 4.6 mm column with a gradient elution using a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile and sodium acetate buffer. The flow rate was set at 1 mL.min−1 and the eluent was monitored at 295nm. The method was validated for specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, robustness and detection and quantification limits, in accordance with International Conference on Harmonisation Quality 2 (ICH Q2) guidelines. This method was performed on different Alb samples (originals and generics) products collected from Senegal, Niger and Mali. The obtained results showed that, the contents of the generic tablets from Niger and Mali comply with the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) monograph acceptance criteria. However, more than 20% of the generic tablets don’t meet the USP monograph impurity limits. In conclusion, the described analytical method is simple, sensitive and accurate. Thus, it could be useful for manufacturing and quality control assays.

The development of green and environmentally friendly analytical methods for agri-food products is an essential element to be treated by green analytical chemistry. In this study, UV-Visible spectroscopy, combined with a mathematical and statistical or chemometrics algorithm, has been developed to monitor honey quality. Partial Least Squares Regression (PLS-R) and Support Vector Machine Learning Regression (SVM-R) showed an adequate quantification of the percentage of impurity. The use of these models demonstrates a high ability to predict the quality of honey. R-square’s high value shows this ability, and the low value of root mean square error of calibration and cross-validation (RMSECV, RMSEC). The results indicate that UV-Visible spectroscopy allied with the Chemometrics algorithms can provide a quick, non-destructive, green, and reliable method to control the quality and predict honey’s adulteration level.

Background: Accurate determination of active pharmaceutical ingredients and impurities is essential for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of medications. This study focuses on the validation of a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for quantifying atorvastatin and its impurities, addressing a critical aspect of pharmaceutical analysis., Objective: The primary objective is to conduct a comprehensive validation study for the HPLC method, covering specificity assessment, response function establishment, and a detailed analysis of precision, trueness, and tolerance intervals. The emphasis is on demonstrating the method's precision, accuracy, and stability-indicating capabilities across various concentrations and compounds., Methods: The HPLC method is validated through rigorous assessments, including specificity, response function establishment, and analyses of precision, trueness, and tolerance intervals. Induced degradation experiments are conducted to explore atorvastatin's behavior under extreme conditions. Insights into the compound's synthesis and degradation pathways are provided through a proposed mechanism for intramolecular esterification., Results: The results affirm the precision, accuracy, and stability-indicating capabilities of the validated HPLC method. The method effectively differentiates between atorvastatin and its impurities, showcasing its suitability for pharmaceutical quality control., Conclusions: The validated HPLC method emerges as a robust and reliable tool for atorvastatin analysis, contributing significantly to pharmaceutical research and quality control. Its application ensures the safety and efficacy of medications, reinforcing its role in pharmaceutical analysis., Highlights: This study not only validates a crucial HPLC method for atorvastatin analysis but also provides insights into the compound's behavior under extreme conditions and its synthesis and degradation pathways. The validated method serves as a cornerstone in pharmaceutical research and quality control, ensuring medication safety and efficacy., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of AOAC INTERNATIONAL. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

In this study, seven isoniazid-hydrazone derivatives (3a-g) were synthesized and their structures elucidated by chromatographic techniques, and then the antiproliferative effects of these compounds on various cancer cells were tested. The advanced anticancer mechanism of the most potent compound was then investigated. Antiproliferative activities of the synthesized compounds were evaluated on human breast cancer MCF-7, lung cancer A-549, colon cancer HT-29, and non-cancerous mouse fibroblast 3T3-L1 cell lines by XTT assay. Flow cytometry analysis were carried out to determine cell cycle distribution, apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential, multi-caspase activity, and expression of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. The XTT results showed that all the title molecules displayed cytotoxic activity at varying strengths in different dose ranges, and among them, the strongest cytotoxic effect and high selectivity were exerted by 3d against MCF-7 cells with the IC 50 value of 11.35 µM and selectivity index of 8.65. Flow cytometry results revealed that compound 3d induced apoptosis through mitochondrial membrane disruption and multi-caspase activation in MCF-7 cells. It also inhibited the cell proliferation via inhibition of expression of PI3K/AKT and arrested the cell cycle at G0/G1 phase. In conclusion, all these data disclosed that among the synthesized compounds, 3d is notable for in vivo anticancer studies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Monitoring impurities in drug products is a principal requirement of pharmaceutical regulatory authorities all over the world to ensure drug safety. For this reason, there is a great need for analytical QC of dugs products., Objective: In this study, a simple, efficient, and direct HPLC method was developed for the determination of three impurities of diclofenac., Methods: The HPLC method was developed using a mobile phase which consisted of an HPLC grade mixture, acetonitrile-0.01M phosphoric acid adjusted to pH 2.3 (1 + 3, by volume)., Results: The separation was performed in 15 min. The calibration curves of the three impurities were linear; the correlation coefficients were 0.999 at concentrations of 0.00015-0.003 µg/mL., Conclusion: The validation of this method shows that it meets all validation criteria. This shows the reliability of this method for the routine control of diclofenac impurities., Highlights: The validation of a robust HPLC method for the determination of diclofenac impurities is of great importance for the pharmaceutical industry to control its products., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of AOAC INTERNATIONAL. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: The authentication of the geographical origin of virgin olive oils (VOO) generally requires the use of sophisticated and time-consuming analytical techniques. There is a need for quick and simple analytical techniques to predict the origin of olive oils., Objective: This study aims to examine the physico-chemical data of olive oils collected in six regions of Morocco during two consecutive years 2020 and 2021, and also to evaluate the ability of FT-IR in combination with discrimination tools to study the geographical origin of Moroccan olive oils., Method: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used in this study as an emerging analytical technique to express a unique "fingerprint." A preliminary processing of the ATR-FTIR spectral data was performed by preprocessing algorithm to reduce the noise and the effect of signal variation as well as to minimize the effects of light scattering to extract the maximum analytical information from the spectra. A multivariate statistical procedure based on principal component analysis (PCA) coupled with linear discriminant analysis (LDA) as well as partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was developed to provide a powerful classification approach., Results: Based on the PCA, six clusters were identified. The application of PCA-LDA and PLS-DA procedures demonstrate a powerful capacity in predicting the geographic origin of olive oils; this capacity is shown by the high value of correct classification rate (CCR), varying between 84.09 and 100%., Conclusions: The suggested procedure has given reliable results for the classification of olive oils according to their geographical origin, with advantages such as being fast, inexpensive, and not requiring any prior separation process., Highlights: The performance of this approach is significantly faster and possesses a higher degree of selectivity and sensitivity. The implementation of this technique for routine analysis of olive oil would save significant time, resources, and solvents., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of AOAC INTERNATIONAL. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Argan oil is one of the purest and rarest oils in the world, so that the addition of any further product is strictly prohibited by international regulations. Consequently, it is necessary to establish reliable analytical methods to ensure its authenticity. In this study, three multivariate approaches have been developed and validated using fluorescence, UV-visible, and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform mid-infrared (FT-MIR) spectroscopies., Results: The application of a partial least squares discriminant analysis model showed an accuracy of 100%. The quantification of adulteration have been evaluated using partial least squares (PLS) regression. The PLS model developed from fluorescence spectroscopy provided the best results for the calibration and cross-validation sets, as it showed the highest R 2 (0.99) and the lowest root mean square error of calibration and cross-validation (0.55, 0.79). The external validation of the three multivariate approaches by the accuracy profile shows that these approaches guarantee reliable and valid results of 0.5-32%, 7-32%, and 10-32% using fluorescence, FT-MIR and UV-visible spectroscopies respectively., Conclusion: This study confirmed the feasibility of using spectroscopic sensors (routine technique) for rapid determination of argan oil falsification. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: Hypertension is a critical health problem; it is a prevalent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Many treatments to combat hypertension are available, however many patients are resistant to the standard therapeutic approaches. The association of two or more substances in a fixed-dose combination is effective and tolerated as a substitute for the standard therapeutic approach., Objective: The new ultra performance liquide chromatography method was developed and validated to assay a combination of eight antihypertensive drugs including a diuretic: hydrochlorothiazide, dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker: Amlodipine and angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers (sartans): valsartan, candesartan, eprosartan, olmesartan, losartan, and irbesartan in the pharmaceutical matrix., Methods: Chromatographic separation was performed on an Acquity® UPLC C18 1.7 µm 2.1 × 100 mm column, with a gradient of buffer solution and acetonitrile, in the proportion of (80:20 v/v)., Results: Good resolution was obtained, and an optimal analysis time of less than 5 min was achieved. The method was validated according to the International Conference on Harmonization guidelines following the classical approach and accuracy profile, and it is shown to be suitable for intended applications. The method was successfully used for quality control laboratories and the determination of these drugs combinations in pharmaceutical dosage forms., (© AOAC INTERNATIONAL 2020. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

In clinical treatment, the analytical quality assessment of the delivery of chemotherapeutic preparations is required to guarantee the patient's safety regarding the dose and most importantly the appropriate anticancer drug. On its own, the development of rapid analytical methods allowing both qualitative and quantitative control of the formulation of prepared solutions could significantly enhance the hospital's workflow, reducing costs, and potentially providing optimal patient care. UV-visible spectroscopy is a nondestructive, fast, and economical technique for molecular characterization of samples. A discrimination and quantification study of three chemotherapeutic drugs doxorubicin, daunorubicin, and epirubicin was conducted, using clinically relevant concentration ranges prepared in 0.9% NaCl solutions. The application of the partial least square discriminant analysis PLS-DA method on the UV-visible spectral data shows a perfect discrimination of the three drugs with a sensitivity and specificity of 100%. The use of partial least square regression PLS shows high quantification performance of these molecules in solution represented by the low value of root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) and root mean square error of cross validation (RMSCECV) on the one hand and the high value of R -square on the other hand. This study demonstrated the viability of UV-visible fingerprinting (routine approach) coupled with chemometric tools for the classification and quantification of chemotherapeutic drugs during clinical preparation., Competing Interests: The author (s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (Copyright © 2021 Aimen El Orche et al.)

Background: Counterfeit medicines are an increasing scourge that are difficult to identify and they have become industrialized and widespread through highly organized illegal channels., Objective: This research aims to develop a robust method to determine four phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors in counterfeit drugs based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography., Method: Experimental design methodology (DOE) and design space (DS) recommended by ICH Q8 were used side-by-side in the development phase to define the optimal parameters as well as the robustness of the chromatographic method. Moreover, both the uncertainty and risk profile derived from the β-content and γ-confidence tolerance interval were investigated during the validation phase to examine the performance of this method., Results: Successful chromatographic results, in a high resolution between the four active ingredients and an optimal analysis time of less than 1.6 min, were achieved at the end of the optimization phase. In addition, validation results show a low risk of future measurements outside acceptance limits set at 5%., Conclusions: Our procedure was successfully applied in the routine phase to identify 23 illicit formulations of an erectile dysfunction drug., Highlights: An efficient method for the characterization of 4 authorized phosphodiesterase in less than 1.6 min was established. A DS approach was applied to test the performance of this analytical method during analytical development. A risk profile was then carried out to approve the validity of the analytical method through the uncertainty profile approach., (© AOAC INTERNATIONAL 2020. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

This work targets mainly the quality control of electronic cigarette liquids. It relies on an analytical control of a "32-product" sample made of several types of e-cigarette liquids taken from various supermarkets and tobacconist's offices in Morocco. All along this study, we made sure to check both the conformity of the nicotine level indicated in the packaging of each product and the existence of any other components inside the product, especially toxic or unknown impurities. The method used for this study is known under the name of high-performance liquid chromatography. For statistical analysis, we used Student's t -test for a single sample in order to analyze the relative differences between nicotine quantity reported in the product and the one measured during our experiment. Finally, we used linear regression test to determine the relationship between the nicotine level accuracy on the packaging and the level of toxic impurities in the products. The differences between the nicotine concentrations reported in the packages and the measured ones varied from -100% to +3.3%. The study showed that 31% of analyzed products have an accurate indication of the level of nicotine on the packaging. However, 47% of the studied products showed more than 20% difference between measure and packaging indication. In all analyzed samples, the level of impurities altered from 0 to 32.6%. Furthermore, the level of the nicotine breakdown products did not exceed 2% of the nicotine content in pretty much all of the samples. The actual nicotine content of electronic cigarette refill liquids is not always as precise as what is stated on the packaging; in addition to the level of impurities detected in several brands and that exceeds the European Pharmacopoeia standards, some may even present a risk of causing toxicological damage., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest in publication of this research., (Copyright © 2020 Ismail Bennani et al.)

In order to evaluate the antioxidant properties of aqueous and methanol extracts of needles and berries of Juniperus oxycedrus subsp. oxycedrus ( Joo ) species, various antioxidant capacity assessment tests (free radical scavenging assays (DPPH• and ABTS•+ tests), ferrous ions (Fe 2+ ) chelating activity and reducing power assay (FRAP) were conducted. In all of the tests, the extracts exhibited strong antioxidant activity. Furthermore, in-vitro cytotoxic activity assays of the methanolic extracts showed potent cytotoxic effects against two breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-468 and MCF-7), with no cytotoxicity towards normal cells (PBMCs). Reactive oxygen species generation was presumed to be a potential reason for the observed cytotoxic effects. According to all the above, and considering its appropriate composition of mineral elements and phenolic compounds, Joo could offer a beneficial and natural source of bioactive compounds that can be either used on the preventive side as it could potentially be used in the clinic without toxicity.

The interaction of oil shale, as a widespread sedimentary rock, with common antibiotics ofloxacine, oxytetracycline, and ciprofloxacine was studied. The selected Moroccan deposit and its thermally treated forms were fully characterized from a chemical and structural point of view, indicating the prevalence of quartz as a mineral component together with aluminum- and iron-rich phase that are converted into Al-doped iron oxide phases upon heating. The presence of 4 wt% organics was also detected, which was removed at 550 °C without significant loss of specific surface area. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir equation were found the most adequate to reproduce the kinetics and isothermal sorption experiments. These analyses enlighten the contribution of the organic matter on antibiotic retention as well as the key role of hydrophobic interactions on the molecule-mineral surface interactions. Our results emphasize the possible contribution of raw oil shale in the accumulation of antibiotics in soils and suggest that thermally treated oil shell powders can constitute cheap mineral sorbents for environmental cleaning.

Scolymus hispanicus or the Golden Thistle, locally known as 'Guernina' or 'Taghediwt', is one of the most appreciated wild vegetables in Morocco. This study aims to characterise the functional chemical and pharmacological variability of Scolymus hispanicus parts (roots, stems, leaves and flowers). The chemical analysis revealed higher content of α-tocopherol in the flowers (2.79 ± 0.07 mg/100 g) and lead to the identification of 3 flavonoids and 13 phenolic acids, with high content of gallic acid in leaves (187.01 ± 10.19 mg/kg); chlorogenic (936.18 ± 92.66 mg/kg) and caffeic (4400.14 ± 191.43 mg/kg) acids in flowers, roots were much more higher in sinapic acid (0.25 ± 0.03 mg/kg) compared to the other parts. Moreover, Scolymus hispanicus ethanolic extracts exhibited interesting antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, promising anti-amylase and anti-glucosidase activities and relevant diuretic effect that confirms its traditional uses.

The present study investigates the feasibility of using electro-Fenton (EF) process for the oxidative degradation of antibiotic levofloxacin (LEV). The EF experiments have been performed in an electrochemical cell using a carbon-felt cathode. The effect of applied current in the range 60-500 mA and catalyst concentration in the range 0.05-0.5 mM on the kinetics of oxidative degradation and mineralization efficiency have been investigated. Degradation of LEV by hydroxyl radicals was found to follow pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics. The absolute rate constant for oxidative degradation of LEV by hydroxyl radical has been determined by a competition kinetics method and found to be (2.48 ± 0.18) × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1). An optimum current value of 400 mA and a catalyst (Fe(2+)) concentration of 0.1 mM were observed to be optimal for an effective degradation of LEV under our operating conditions. Mineralization of aqueous solution of LEV was performed by the chemical oxygen demand analysis and an almost mineralization degree (>91%) was reached at the end of 6 h of electrolysis. A number of intermediate products have been identified using high performance liquid chromatography and liquid chrmatography-mass spectrometry analyses. Based on these identified reaction intermediates, a plausible reaction pathway has been suggested for the mineralization process. The formation and evolution of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] ions released to the medium during the process were also discussed.

Oxidative degradation of the antimicrobial agent ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CIP) has been investigated using electro-Fenton (EF) treatment with a constant current in the range 60-500 mA. The process generates highly oxidant species OH in situ via electrochemically monitored Fenton reaction. The EF experiments were performed using cells with a carbon felt cathode and Pt anode. Effect of applied current and catalyst concentration on the kinetics of oxidative degradation and mineralization efficiency have been investigated. Degradation of CIP followed pseudo-first order reaction kinetics. The rate constant of the oxidation of CIP by OH has been determined to be (1.01 ± 0.14) × 10(10) M(-1) s(-1) by using competitive kinetics method. An optimum current of 400 mA and a catalyst concentration of Fe(2+) at 0.1mM are found to be optimal for an effective degradation of CIP under our operating conditions. A remarkably high degree of mineralization (>94%) was obtained at 6h of treatment under these conditions. A number of stable intermediate products have been identified using HPLC and LC-MS/MS analyses. Based on the identified reaction intermediates, a plausible reaction pathway was proposed for the mineralization process. The high degree of mineralization obtained in this work highlights the potential application of EF process in the efficient removal of fluoroquinolone based drugs in aqueous medium., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Analytical methods capability evaluation can be a useful methodology to assess the fitness of purpose of these methods for their future routine application. However, care on how to compute the capability indices have to be made. Indeed, the commonly used formulas to compute capability indices such as Cpk, will highly overestimate the true capability of the methods. Especially during methods validation or transfer, there are only few experiments performed and, using in these situations the commonly applied capability indices to declare a method as valid or as transferable to a receiving laboratory will conduct to inadequate decisions. In this work, an improved capability index, namely Cpk-tol and the corresponding estimator of proportion of non-conforming results (π(Cpk-tol)) have been proposed. Through Monte-Carlo simulations, they have been shown to greatly increase the estimation of analytical methods capability in particular in low sample size situations as encountered during methods validation or transfer. Additionally, the usefulness of this capability index has been illustrated through several case studies covering applications commonly encountered in the pharmaceutical industry. Finally a methodology to determine the optimal sample size required to validate analytical methods is also given using the proposed capability metric., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The analytical transfer is a complete process that consists in transferring an analytical procedure from a sending laboratory to a receiving laboratory. After having experimentally demonstrated that also masters the procedure in order to avoid problems in the future. Method of transfers is now commonplace during the life cycle of analytical method in the pharmaceutical industry. No official guideline exists for a transfer methodology in pharmaceutical analysis and the regulatory word of transfer is more ambiguous than for validation. Therefore, in this study, Gauge repeatability and reproducibility (R&R) studies associated with other multivariate statistics appropriates were successfully applied for the transfer of the dissolution test of diclofenac sodium as a case study from a sending laboratory A (accredited laboratory) to a receiving laboratory B. The HPLC method for the determination of the percent release of diclofenac sodium in solid pharmaceutical forms (one is the discovered product and another generic) was validated using accuracy profile (total error) in the sender laboratory A. The results showed that the receiver laboratory B masters the test dissolution process, using the same HPLC analytical procedure developed in laboratory A. In conclusion, if the sender used the total error to validate its analytical method, dissolution test can be successfully transferred without mastering the analytical method validation by receiving laboratory B and the pharmaceutical analysis method state should be maintained to ensure the same reliable results in the receiving laboratory.