High-Throughput Analysis of Sofalcone in Human Plasma by Use of Automated 96-Well Protein Precipitation and LC-MS-MS

A sensitive and selective method for the determination of sofalcone in human plasma was established by use of protein precipitation and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Plasma samples were transferred into 96-well plate using an automated sample handling system and spiked with 10 L of 2 g mL^–1 internal standard solution (d₃-sofalcone). 0.5 mL of acetonitrile was added to the 96-well plate and the plasma samples were then vortexed for 30 sec. After centrifugation, the supernatant was transferred into another 96-well plate and completely evaporated at 40 °C under a stream of nitrogen. The dry residue was reconstituted with mobile phase. All sample transfer and protein precipitation was automated through the application of both the PerkinElmer MultiPROBE II HT and TOMTEC Quadra 96 workstation. The limit of quantitation of sofalcone was 2 ng mL^–1 using a sample volume of 0.2 mL for the analysis. The reproducibility of the method was evaluated by analyzing five samples at nine quality control (QC) levels over the nominal concentration range from 2 ng mL^–1 to 1000 ng mL^–1. Validation of the method showed that the assay has good precision and accuracy. Sofalcone and internal standard produced a protonated precursor ion ([M+H]⁺) at m/z 451 and 454, and both gave a corresponding product ion at m/z 315. The high sample throughput of the method has been successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of sofalcone in human plasma.     

Determination of Glimepiride in Human Plasma by LC-MS-MS and Comparison of Sample Preparation Methods for Glimepiride

A sensitive and selective method for quantitation of glimepiride in human plasma was established using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Three different methods for the sample preparation of glimepiride and an internal standard were investigated (liquid-liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction and protein precipitation). Glipizide was used as an internal standard. Compounds were separated on a C₁₈ column with 80% acetonitrile and 20% deionized water (adjusted to pH 3.5 with acetic acid), as mobile phase at a flow rate of 200 L min^–1. By use of multiple reaction monitoring mode in MS-MS with liquid-liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction, glimepiride and glipizide were detected without severe interference from the human plasma matrix. Glimepiride produced a protonated precursor ion ([M+H]⁺) at m/z 491 and a corresponding product ion at m/z 352, and the internal standard produced a protonated precursor ion ([M+H]⁺) at m/z 446 and a corresponding product ion at m/z 321. The limit of quantitation was 0.1 ng mL^–1, 0.5 ng mL^–1 and 1.0 ng mL^–1 when using liquid-liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction and protein precipitation, respectively. The validation, reproducibility, stability, and recovery of the different sample preparation methods were comparable and all the methods gave reliable results. The method has been successfully applied to pharmacokinetic study of glimepiride in human plasma.     

Study of donepezil binding to serum albumin by capillary electrophoresis and circular dichroism

The interaction between human serum albumin (HSA) and the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor donepezil, has been studied by means of capillary electrophoresis frontal analysis (CE/FA) and circular dichroism. CE/FA enabled rapid and direct estimation of the quantity of free donepezil present at equilibrium with a physiological level of serum albumin (600 mol L^–1). Application of Scatchard analysis enabled estimation of the binding parameters of HSA towards donepezil, such as association constant and number of binding sites on one protein molecule. Furthermore, due to enantioseparation ability shown by HSA on donepezil in CE mode, displacement experiments were carried out using ketoprofen and warfarin as coadditives to the HSA based running buffer. The addition of these compounds reduced the enantioresolution of donepezil by HSA only when used at high concentration. These data were confirmed and corroborated by circular dichroism (CD) experiments. Using CD, bilirubin was also applied as a ligand specific to site III of HSA. The observed behaviour suggested that donepezil could be considered a ligand with independent binding to sites I and II; although site III is not the highest affinity site, indirect interaction (i.e. cooperative binding) can be assumed.     

Structural investigation of dibromobis(benzimidazole)Zn(II) complex

The molecular structure of the title complex [ZnBr₂(C₇H₆N₂)₂] was investigated by X-ray diffraction and IR spectroscopy methods. Molecules of zinc(II) complex crystallize in the triclinic crystal system with cell constants a=7.526(2) Å, b=7.8971(8) Å, c=13.431(1) Å, Z=2 and V=791.3(2) Å³. In the molecular structure, the Zn atom is coordinated tetrahedrally by two Br⁻ anions and two benzimidazole ligands. Intramolecular steric repulsions between Br⁻ anions and benzimidazole groups have been caused to cis configuration around the central metal atom.     

Photophysical studies of some dyes in aqueous solution of triton X-100

The spectral (both absorption and fluorescence) and photoelectrochemical studies of a few selective dyes, namely, anionic erythrosin B, neutral riboflavin and cationic safranin O have been carried out in aqueous solution of triton X-100, a neutral surfactant. The results show that the ionic dyes, erythrosin B and safranin O form 1:1 electron donor-acceptor (EDA) or charge-transfer (CT) complexes with triton X-100 both in the ground and excited states, whereas neutral dye riboflavin in its excited state forms 1:1 complex with triton X-100. In these complexes, the dyes act as electron acceptors whereas triton X-100 acts as an electron donor. The fluorescence spectra of erythrosin B and safranin O in presence of triton X-100 show enhancement of fluorescence intensity with red and blue shifts respectively while riboflavin shows normal quenching of fluorescence. A good correlation has been found among photovoltage generation of the systems consisting of these dyes and triton X-100, spectral shift due to complex formation and thermodynamic properties of these complexes.     

ADSORPTION OF 2,4-D ON MODIFIED HYPERCROSSLINKED POLYSTYRENE （NDA-99） AND XAD-4 RESIN

The adsorption behavior of pesticide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in aqueous solution has been investigated using a hypercrosslinked polystyrene adsorbent (NDA-99) modified by dimethylamine group as well as a nonionic macroporous adsorbent (XAD-4). The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were employed to fit the experimental data to describe adsorption mechanism. It shows that NDA-99 resin exhibits an adsorption affinity for 2,4-D higher than XAD-4 resin owing to its exceptional micropore structure and the amine group of the hypercrosslinked matrix.Further studies indicate that the hydrogen bonding interaction and the stronger π-π conjugation play a significant role in the course of the adsorption of 2,4-D on NDA-99 resin, which is in agreement with the IR spectroscopic results and the △E values of HOMO (the highest occupied molecular orbit) of adsorbent and LUMO (the lowest unoccupied molecular orbit) of adsorbate calculated from the MINDO/3 model.     

A Novel Proton Transfer Self‐Associated Compound from Dipicolinic Acid and Guanidine and Its Cadmium(II) Complex: Synthesis,Characterization, Crystal Structure,and Solution Studies

A novel 1:2 proton transfer self‐associated compound LH₂ , (GH⁺)₂(pydc^2—), was synthesized from the reaction of dipicolinic acid, pydcH₂, (2, 6‐pyridinedicarboxylic acid), and guanidine hydrochloride, (GH⁺)(Cl^—). The characterization was performed using IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. LH₂ · H₂O crystallizes in the space group C2/c of the monoclinic system and contains eight molecules per unit cell. The unit cell dimensions are: a = 26.480(5)Å, b = 8.055(2)Å, c = 14.068(3)Å. The first coordination complex (GH)₂[Cd(pydc)₂] · 2H₂O, was prepared using LH₂ and cadmium(II) iodide, and characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and X‐ray crystallography. The crystal system is triclinic with space group P1¯ with one molecule per unit cell. The unit cell dimensions are: a = 8.5125(7)Å, b = 11.0731(8)Å, c = 13.2404(10)Å. The cadmium(II) atom is six‐coordinated with a distorted octahedral geometry. The two pydc^2— units are almost perpendicular to each other. The protonation constants of the building blocks of the pydc‐guanidine adduct, the equilibrium constants for the reaction of pydc^2— with guanidine and the stoichiometry and stability of the Cd²⁺ complex with LH₂ in aqueous solution were accomplished by potentiometric pH titration. The solution studies strongly support a self‐association between pydc^2— and GH⁺ with a stoichiometry for the Cd^II complex similar to that observed for the isolated crystalline complex. In fact, the [Cd(pydc)₂]^2— complex was found as the most abundant species in solution (> 90 %) at a pH >5.     

Extraction of kinetic information from single-molecule experiments.

We discuss two possible approaches for extracting kinetic information from single-molecule experiments. The first approach is based on computing correlation functions from measured fluorescence signals, and the second on studying the statistics of on and off times of the same fluorescence signal. We show that in both cases it is possible to extract kinetic information about the nature of intramolecular fluctuations of the single molecule. We show that for single-molecule kinetics the intramolecular fluctuations produce stochastic memory effects which lead to new dynamic features that do not exist in traditional chemical kinetics. In particular, we investigate a new type of chemical oscillations in correlation functions observed experimentally by Edman and Rigler (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2000, 97, 8266).