Flow-through optosensor combined with photochemically induced fluorescence for simultaneous determination of binary mixtures of sulfonamides in pharmaceuticals, milk and urine

A sensitive and selective flow-through optosensor implemented with photochemically induced fluorescence (PIF) is proposed for the simultaneous determination of mixtures sulfamethoxazole/sulfanilamide and sulfathiazole/sulfanilamide. The resolution was accomplished by placing in the flow system a minicolumn filled with an appropriate solid support. Whereas one of the sulfonamides is not retained in the minicolumn and is determined by measuring its native fluorescence on the solid surface of the sensing microbeads in the detection area, the other one is retained and, after its elution, it is photochemically converted into a strongly fluorescent photoproduct which is transitorily retained on the sensing support in the flow cell and monitored. Linear calibration graphs were obtained over a concentration range of 2–3 orders of magnitude. The detection limits for the determination of sulfamethoxazole, sulfanilamide and sulfathiazole are 8.1, 2.9 and 5.7 ng mL⁻¹, respectively. The method was applied to pharmaceuticals, milk and human urine. The recovery of sulfamethoxazole from pharmaceuticals was 102.5% indicating no interference from trimethoprim which is not photochemically active. The recoveries for urine and milk samples fortified with sulfonamides at levels between 0.1 and 0.7 μg mL⁻¹ agreed within 95.0–107.5% of spiked levels.     

Simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of cadmium, copper and zinc

A method for the simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of cadmium, copper and zinc based on the formation of their complexes with 1,5-bis(di-2-pyridylmethylene)thiocarbonohydrazide is proposed. The absorption curves of these complexes overlap severely in the scanning range 380–480 nm. The analyte concentrations are calculated by a least squares fit of the pure spectra to the mixture spectra. A linear determination range of 0.1–1.7 μg/ml for cadmium, 0.1–1.3 μg/ml for copper and 0.2–1.2 μg/ml for zinc were obtained. The effect of interference was studied. The method has been applied to the determination of these metal ions in various type of materials.     

Using a piezoelectric flow immunosensor for determining sulfamethoxazole in environmental samples

A mass-sensitive piezoelectric flow immunosensor for determining sulfo preparations in liquid media was proposed. This sensor included a piezoelectric quartz resonator with silver electrodes on the silanized surface of which sulfamethoxazole-protein conjugates were immobilized. The binding constants of antibodies with the conjugate sulfamethoxazole were determined, and the most active complementary pairs were chosen. The selectivity of determining sulfamethoxazole in the presence of its structural analogues was evaluated based on the cross reaction percentages. A procedure for the flow-injection determination of sulfamethoxazole was developed using the piezoelectric immunosensor as a detector; the detection limit of sulfamethoxazole was 0.15 ng/mL. The procedure was tested in determining sulfamethoxazole in soil and natural water.     

Fast simultaneous determination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole by capillary zone electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection

The association of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole is a very effective with antibiotic properties, and commonly used in the treatment of a variety of infections. Due to the importance in diseases treatment of humans and also of animals, the development of methods for their quantification in commercial formulations is highly desirable. In the present study, a rapid method for simultaneous determination of these compounds using CE with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection was developed. A favorable working region for both analytes was from 12.5 to 200 μmol/L (linear responses with R > 0.999 for N = 5). Other parameters calculated were sensitivity (1.28 ± 0.10/1.45 ± 0.11) min/(μmol L), RSD (4.5%/2.0%), and LOD (1.1/3.3) μmol/L for trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole, respectively. Under this condition, the total run time was only 2.6 min. The proposed method was applied to the determination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole in commercial samples and the results were compared to those obtained by using a HPLC pharmacopoeia method. This new method is advantageous for quality‐control analyses of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole in pharmaceuticals samples, because it is rapid and precise. Moreover, it is less laborious and demands minimum amounts of reagents in comparison to the recommended method.     

Comparison of Micellar and Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography for Determination of Sulfamethoxazole and Trimethoprim

A simple, sensitive, and precise micellar liquid chromatographic method for simultaneous analysis of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, with ultraviolet detection at 245 nm, has been developed, validated, and used for determination of the compounds in commercial pharmaceutical products. The compounds were well separated on a Hypersil ODS reversed-phase column at 35°C by use of a mobile phase consisting of 0.1M sodium dodecyl sulfate in a 2:98 (V/V) mixture of 1-butanol and pH 3.0 phosphate buffer solution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min^?1. A comparative study of the performance of reversed-phase liquid chromatography with aqueous-organic or micellar-organic mobile phases for separation of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim is reported. The study showed that micellar liquid chromatography (MLC) and reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP HPLC) are of similar efficiency, sensitivity, and selectivity for determination of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim.     

AgNP-decorated SBA-15 for MWCNT Paste Modified Electrode: A Sensor for Simultaneous Voltammetric Determination of Paracetamol and Sulfamethoxazole

A new electrochemical sensor based on a carbon nanotube paste electrode modified with a Santa Barbara Amorphous material (SBA-15) decorated with silver nanoparticles, namely CNT/SBA/Ag-PE, was developed. It was successfully applied for individual and simultaneous determination of both paracetamol (PC) and sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) medicines. The electrode exhibited a linear dynamic range of 0.12–110 μmol L⁻¹ for paracetamol and 0.06–70 μmol L⁻¹ for sulfamethoxazole, and detection limits of 38 and 19 nmol L⁻¹, respectively. The proposed sensor offered high sensitivity, fast response time and the potential for detecting both drugs simultaneously. The CNT/SBA/Ag-PE enabled the simultaneous determination of PC and SMZ in urine samples with high recovery rates.     

Sequential injection spectrophotometric determination of trace amounts of iodide by its catalytic effect on the 4,4'-methylenebis(N,N-dimethylaniline)-chloramine-T reaction

A simple and sensitive sequential injection spectrophotometric procedure is proposed for the determination of trace amounts of iodide in pharmaceutical preparations. The method is based on the catalytic effect of iodide on the (tetra base) 4,4′-methylenebis(N,N-dimethylaniline)-chloramine-T reaction in acidic solution. The method involves a sequential aspiration of 255 μl sample/standard followed by 170 μl tetra base and then 128 μl chloramine-T solutions into a carrier stream to be stacked inside a holding coil and flow reversed through a reaction coil towards a detector. The resulting colored compound is measured at 600 nm using an UV/Vis-spectrophotometer. All the parameters that affect the reaction were evaluated and the calibration curve is linear over a range of 0.1–6.0 μg l⁻¹ of iodide concentration with detection limit of 0.05 μg l⁻¹. A sample throughput of 80 samples per hour and relative standard deviation of less than 2.0% was achieved. The method is successfully applied for the determination of iodide in three different samples (tablets).     

Simultaneous Differential Pulse Voltammetric Determination of Sulfamethoxazole and Trimethoprim on a Boron‐Doped Diamond Electrode

The performance of hydrogen‐ (HT) and oxygen‐terminated (OT) boron‐doped diamond (BDD) electrodes (electrochemically pretreated) on the simultaneous differential pulse voltammetric determination of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim in pharmaceutical products is presented. Under the optimum analytical experimental conditions, the HT‐BDD electrode presented two well‐defined oxidation peaks at 920 and 1100 mV vs. Ag/AgCl for sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, respectively. On the other hand, when the OT‐BDD electrode was used, the sulfamethoxazole oxidation current peak was decreased twenty fold. The calculated LOD values for sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim using the HT‐BDD electrode were 3.65 μg L^?1 and 3.92 μg L^?1, respectively. The results obtained in the simultaneous determination of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim in three different commercial formulations were similar to those obtained using a standard HPLC method at 95% confidence level.     

Simultaneous determination of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim in human plasma by capillary zone electrophoresis

A capillary electrophoretic method for the simultaneous determination of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim in plasma was developed. Sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim extracted from human plasma with ethyl acetate were analyzed at 20 kV and 25 degrees C using 15 mm phosphate buffer (pH 6.2) as the electrolyte. The detection was by UV at 220 nm. The run time was 8.0 min and the limit of quantification was 10.00 microg/mL for sulfamethoxazole and 2.00 microg/mL for trimethoprim. The recovery was >99% for both compounds. This method enabled the detection of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim in plasma of patients after oral ingestion of their combined formulation. The present simple and rapid method is applicable to drug monitoring in immunocompromised patients who are taking the combined formulation of these compounds for the treatment or prophylaxis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.     

A selective voltammetric method for uric acid detection at Nafion(R)-coated carbon paste electrodes

A square-wave voltammetric method together with Nafion®-coated carbon paste electrodes were used for the selective determination of uric acid in the presence of a high concentration of ascorbic acid. Since the oxidation potential of uric acid is about 200 mV more positive than that of ascorbic acid at the Nafion®-coated carbon paste electrode, the selectivity can be greatly improved simply by applying an electrolysis potential of +0.4 V vs. Ag/AgCl where only ascorbic acid is oxidised. The acceptable tolerance of ascorbic acid concentration for the determination of uric acid is as high as 1.5 mM. With 30 s of electrolysis time, a linear calibration curve is obtained over the 0–50 μM range in 0.05 M citrate buffer solution, pH 4.0, with slope (μA/μM) and correlation coefficient of 0.34 and 0.9984, respectively. The detection limit (3σ) is 0.25 μM. The practical analytical utility is illustrated by selective measurements of uric acid in human urine without any preliminary treatment.     

The fluorometric determination of o-phthalic acid

A fluorometric procedure for the determination of o-phthalic acid by conversion to fluoresceln is described. The optimum amount of o-phthalic acid for application of the method is 50–5000 μg. The determination can be carried out with a relative error of less than 5% even when significant quantities of common o-phthalic acid contaminants are present.     

Indirect ultraviolet determination of silver with nickelocyanide ion by flow injection analysis

A flow-injection method for the ultraviolet spectrophotometric determination of silver, based on its reaction with nickelocyanide ion, Ni(CN)²⁻₄, in ammoniacal buffer medium (pH 10) and subsequent measurement of the decrease in the absorption of the Ni(CN)²⁻₄ complex at 275 nm is described. The calibration graph is linear in the range 10–400 μm silver. At a sampling rate of about 60 samples h⁻¹ with 35 μl sample injections, precision was about 1% relative standard deviation. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of silver in some common silver minerals.     

Indirect determination of cyclamate by an on-line continuous precipitation-dissolution flow system

A continuous-flow procedure is proposed for the indirect determination of sodium cyclamate by an atomic absorption spectrometric method in artificial sweeteners mixtures and soft drinks. Sulfamic group is oxidized to sulfate and it is continuously precipited with lead ion in a flow manifold. The lead sulfate formed is retained on a filter, washed with diluted ethanol and dissolved in ammonium acetate for on-line atomic absorption determination of lead, the amount of which in the precipitate is proportional to that of cyclamate in the sample. The proposed method allows the determination of sodium cyclamate in the range 1–90 μg ml⁻¹ with a relative standard deviation of 3.1% at a rate of ca. 35 samples per h. The 3σ detection limit is 0.25 μg ml⁻¹. The method is very selective, no compounds normally found in the analysed samples and other artificial sweeteners had any effect on the determination of cyclamate.     

Supported liquid membranes for the determination of vanillin in food samples with amperometric detection

A supported liquid membrane system has been developed for the extraction of vanillin from food samples. A porous PTFE membrane is impregnated with an organic solvent, which forms a barrier between two aqueous phases. The analyte is extracted from a donor phase into the hydrophobic membrane and then back extracted into a second aqueous solution, the acceptor. The determination (100–1400 μg ml⁻¹ vanillin) was performed using a PVC-graphite composite electrode versus Ag/AgCl/3MKCl at +0.850 V placed in a wall-jet flow cell as amperometric detector. The solid sample is directly placed in the membrane unit without any treatment, and the analyte was extracted from the sample, passes through the membrane and conduced to the flow cell by the acceptor stream. The limit of detection (3σ) was 44 μg ml⁻¹. The method was applied to the determination of vanillin (9–606 μg g⁻¹) in food samples.     

Flow-through fluorescence immunosensor for atrazine determination

A new flow-through fluoroimmunosensor for atrazine determination based on the use of protein A immobilized on controlled pore glass as immunoreactor is reported. The support, placed in the optical path of the flow cell, allows the ‘in situ’ quantification of atrazine by on-line antigen–antibody binding upon successive injections of both substances. The immunosensor has a detection limit of 2.1 μg l⁻¹, a sample speed of about 10 samples per hour, and provides high reproducibility both within-day (3.2% for 5 μg l⁻¹ and 2.2% for 30 μg l⁻¹) and between days. The optimum working concentration range was 2.1–50 μg l⁻¹. Possible interferences of other triazines like simazine, desethylatrazine (DEA) and desisopropylatrazine (DIA) were evaluated. Simazine and DIA were not cross-reactive; however, the cross-reactivity for DEA was CR=7.7%. The proposed immunosensor was successfully applied to the determination of atrazine in drinking water and citrus fruits.     

Silicon determination by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry after generation of volatile silicon tetrafluoride

A method for the determination of silicon by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) is described. The procedure is based on a discontinuous generation of volatile silicon tetrafluoride in concentrated sulphuric acid medium after injecting 125 μl of 0.1%, w/v sodium fluoride solution into 100 μl of the sample. The gaseous silicon tetrafluoride is fed directly into the ICP torch by a flow of 250 ml min⁻¹ Ar carrier gas. The calibration curve was linear up to at least 100 μg ml⁻¹ of Si(IV) and the absolute detection limit was 9.8 ng working with a solution volume of 100 μl. The relative standard deviation for six measurements of 10 μg ml⁻¹ of Si(IV) was 2.32%. The method was applied to the determination of silicon in water and iron ores.     

Evaluation of ammonia as diluent for serum sample preparation and determination of selenium by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

A method for the determination of total selenium in serum samples by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry was evaluated. The method involved direct introduction of 1:5 diluted serum samples (1% v/v NH₄OH+0.05% w/v Triton X-100^®) into transversely heated graphite tubes, and the use of 10 μg Pd+3 μg Mg(NO₃)₂ as chemical modifier. Optimization of the modifier mass and the atomization temperature was conducted by simultaneously varying such parameters and evaluating both the integrated absorbance and the peak height/peak area ratio. The latter allowed the selection of compromise conditions rendering good sensitivity and adequate analyte peak profiles. A characteristic mass of 49 pg and a detection limit (3s) of 6 μg 1⁻¹ Se, corresponding to 30 μg l⁻¹ Se in the serum sample, were obtained. The analyte addition technique was used for calibration. The accuracy was assessed by the determination of total selenium in Seronorm™ Trace Elements Serum Batch 116 (Nycomed Pharma AS). The method was applied for the determination of total selenium in ten serum samples taken from individuals with no known physical affection. The selenium concentration ranged between 79 and 147 μg l⁻¹, with a mean value of 114±22 μg l⁻¹.     

Kinetic spectrophotometric method for rapid determination of trace formaldehyde in foods

A simple and sensitive kinetic-spectrophotometric method was developed for the determination of ultra trace amount of formaldehyde in food samples. The method was based on the oxidation of rhodamine B (RhB) by potassium bromate in sulfuric acid medium (formaldehyde as catalyst). The reaction was monitored by measuring the decrease in absorbance of the dye at 515 nm after 6 min. The developed method allowed the determination of formaldehyde in the range of 10–100 μg L⁻¹ with good precision, accuracy and the detection limit was down to 2.90 μg L⁻¹. The relative standard deviations for the determination of 10 and 60 μg L⁻¹ of formaldehyde were 3.0% and 1.9% (n = 10), respectively. The method was found to be sensitive, selective and was applied to the determination of formaldehyde in foods with satisfactory results.     

Determination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (co-trimoxazole) in body fluids of man by means of high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole and its metabolite and a series of structurally related sulfonamides is described. The half-life time of elimination of sulfamethoxazole and its metabolite N4-acetylsulfamethoxazole is 9 h for both compounds. The renal excretion rate of sulfamethoxazole depends strongly on the urinary pH. The renal excretion rate of the metabolite N4-acetylsulfamethoxazole is not dependent on the urinary pH.     

Spectrophotometric determination of maneb by ternary complex formation with PAR and CTAB

A rapid, simple, direct, and sensitive method has been developed for the determination of maneb (manganese ethylenebisdithiocarbamate) based on the formation of manganese-4-(2′-pyridylazo) resorcinol complex by a ligand displacement reaction, which is rendered water soluble by a cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) by the formation of an ion association complex. Beer's law is obeyed over the concentration range 0.08–2.4 μg/ml of the final solution at 500 nm in pH range 8–12. The molar absorptivity and Sandell's sensitivity are calculated to be 8.84 × 10⁴ l.mol⁻¹.cm⁻¹ and 0.003 μg/cm², respectively. The developed method has been applied to the determination of maneb in commercial formulations, synthetic mixture, grain samples and vegetables.