Gas chromatography/mass spectrometric study of non-commercial C-4-substituted 1,4-dihydropyridines and their oxidized derivatives

A gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method for the qualitative and quantitative determination of the calcium-channel antagonists C-4-substituted 1,4-dihydropyridines, and their corresponding N-ethyl derivatives, is presented. Also, the electrochemical oxidation and the reactivity of the compounds with alkyl radicals derived from 2,2'-azobis-(2-amidinopropane) were monitored by GC/MS. Mass spectral fragmentation patterns for the C-4-substituted 1,4-dihydropy-ridine parent drugs were significantly different from those of their oxidation products, generated either by electrochemical oxidation or by reaction with alkyl radicals. However, for N-ethyl-1,4-dihydropyridine compounds it was not possible to detect the final products (pyridinium salts) using these experimental conditions.     

Voltammetric behaviour of bromhexine and its determination in pharmaceuticals

A complete electrochemical study and a novel electroanalytical procedure for bromhexine quantitation are described. Bromhexine in methanol/0.1 mol L⁻¹ Britton–Robinson buffer solution (2.5/97.5) shows an anodic response on glassy carbon electrode between pH 2 and 7.5. By DPV and CV, both peak potential and current peak values were pH-dependent in all the pH range studied. A break at pH 5.5 in E_P versus pH plot revealing a protonation–deprotonation (pK_a) equilibrium of bromhexine was observed. Spectrophotometrically, an apparent pK_a value of 4.3 was also determined.

An electrodic mechanism involving the oxidation of bromhexine via two-electrons and two-protons was proposed. Controlled potential electrolysis followed by HPLC–UV and GC–MS permitted the identification of three oxidation products: N-methylcyclohexanamine, 2-amino-3,5-dibromobenzaldehyde and 2,4,8,10-tetrabromo dibenzo[b,f][1,5] diazocine.

DPV at pH 2 was selected as optimal pH for analytical purposes. Repeatability, reproducibility and selectivity parameters were adequate to quantify bromhexine in pharmaceutical forms. The recovery was 94.50 ± 2.03% and the detection and quantitation limits were 1.4 × 10⁻⁵ and 1.6 × 10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹, respectively. Furthermore, the DPV method was applied successfully to individual tablet assay in order to verify the uniformity content of bromhexine. No special treatment of sample were required due to excipients do not interfered with the analytical signal. Finally the method was not time-consuming and less expensive than the HPLC one.     

Stability study of simvastatin under hydrolytic conditions assessed by liquid chromatography

In this work, a liquid chromatography stability-indicating method was developed and applied to study the hydrolytic behavior of simvastatin in different pH values and temperatures. The selected chromatographic conditions were a C18 column; acetonitrile-28 mM phosphate buffer solution, pH 4 (65 + 35) as the mobile phase; 251 degrees C column temperature; and flow rate 1 mL/min. The developed method exhibited an adequate repeatability and reproducibility (coefficient of variation 0.54 and 0.74%, respectively) and a recovery higher than 98%. Furthermore, the detection and quantification limits were 9.1 x 10(-7) and 2.8 x 10(-6) M, respectively. The degradation of simvastatin fitted to pseudo-first order kinetics. The degradation was pH dependent, being much higher at alkaline pH than at acid pH. Activation energy, kinetic rate constants (k) at different temperatures, the half life (t1/2) and the time for 10% degradation to occur (t90) values are also reported.     

Voltammetric behavior of zaleplon and its differential pulse polarographic determination in capsules

In this work both the electrochemical behavior and the analysis of the hypnotic pyrazolopyrimidine derivative zaleplon were studied. Zaleplon in ethanol-0.1M Britton Robinson buffer solution (30-70) showed 2 irreversible, well-defined cathodic responses in the pH range of 2-12 using differential pulse polarography (DPP), tast polarography, and cyclic voltammetry. From chronocoulometric studies, it was possible to conclude that one electron was transferred in each reduction peak or wave. For analytical purposes, the DPP technique working at pH 4.5 for peak I was selected, which exhibited adequate repeatability, reproducibility, and selectivity. The recovery was 99.97 +/- 1.52%, and the detection and quantitation limits were 5.13 x 10(-7)M and 1.11 x 10(-6)M, respectively. The DPP method was applied successfully to the individual assay of capsules in order to verify the content uniformity of zaleplon. Treatment of the sample is not required because the excipients do not interfere, the method is not time consuming, and it is less expensive than column liquid chromatography.     

Experimental and Computational Study of the Thermal Decomposition of 3‐Methyl‐3‐buten‐1‐ol in m‐Xylene Solution

An experimental study of the thermal decomposition of a β‐hydroxy alkene, 3‐methyl‐3‐buten‐1‐ol, in m‐xylene solution, has been carried out at five different temperatures in the range of 513.15–563.15 K. The temperature dependence of the rate constants for the decomposition of this compound in the corresponding Arrhenius equation is given by ln k (s^?1) = (25.65 ± 1.52) ? (17,944 ± 814) (kJ·mol^?1)·T^?1. A computational study has been carried out at the M05–2X/6–31+G(d,p) level of theory to calculate the rate constants and the activation parameters by the classical transition state theory. There is a good agreement between the experimental and calculated rate constants and activation Gibbs energies. The bonding characteristics of reactant, transition state, and products have been investigated by the natural bond orbital analysis, which provides the natural atomic charges and the Wiberg bond indices. Based on the results obtained, the mechanism proposed is a one‐step process proceeding through a six‐membered cyclic transition state, being a concerted and slightly asynchronous process. The results have been compared with those obtained previously by us (Struct Chem 2013, 24, 1811–1816) for the thermal decomposition of 3‐buten‐1‐ol, in m‐xylene solution. We can conclude that in the compound studied in this work, 3‐methyl‐3‐buten‐1‐ol, the effect of substitution at position 3 by a weakly activating CH₃ group is the stabilization of the transition state formed in the reaction and therefore a small increase in the rate of thermal decomposition.     

Structural and Kinetic Aspects of Blood Plasma Protein Adsorption on the Surface of Hydrophobic Polymers

Abstract

Due to the wide use of polymers in medicine, researchers are required to solve a very important problem–to understand the interaction between materials of nonphysiological origin and the surrounding biological liquids, and tissues, particularly blood.     

Synthesis of Some C‐3,4,5‐Substituted 2,6‐Dimethyl‐1,4‐dihydropyridines (4‐DHPs)

A series of C‐3,4,5‐substituted 2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐dihydropyridines (1,4‐DHPs) with pharmacological properties were prepared by a variation from the classical Hantzsch synthesis. The procedure involves treatment of the respective aldehyde with either ethyl‐3‐aminocrotonate or 3‐aminocrotonitrile in anhydrous acetic acid at temperatures not exceeding 60°C, thus minimizing by‐product formation. The structures of title compounds were elucidated by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, FTIR, and elemental analysis.     

Polarography of an acidic degradation product from cephalexin

2-Hydroxy-3-phenyl-6-methylpyrazine is identified as the product obtained by acidic degradation of cephalexin in the presence of formaldehyde. In 5M hydrochloric acid this product gives a well-defined reduction wave with a half-wave potential of -0.45 V vs. SCE. The wave is irreversible and diffusion-controlled. The diffusion current shows a linear relation with the cephalexin concentration and can be used for determination of cephalexin in plasma.