Stability study of the gastric floating dosage form of capecitabine

Since administration of capecitabine tablets leading to dose limiting makes the unfavorable toxicity, preparation of sustained-release tablets will overcome most of these side effects. The aim of this study was to prepare and study the stability of capecitabine sustained-release tablets. Sustained-release tablets of capecitabine were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, and infrared and ultraviolet spectroscopy techniques to determine the stability of the tablets. All tests carried out for tablets upon preparation as well as 6 and 12 months after preparation. The gradual decomposition of capecitabine sustained-release tablets stored at accelerated conditions (40 °C in 75 % of relative humidity) was indicated by decreasing values of peak purity and melting temperature, calculated from the Van’t Hoff equation. Except for the occurrence of one sharp peak for long-term stability and some sharp peaks in the accelerated condition, all peaks showed a crystallized nature. But the FTIR and UV results showed that there were no changes between the initial sustained-release tablets and stored tablets. Although the XRD results showed more peaks in the accelerated condition tablets, the crystalline form of capecitabine was maintained. These findings demonstrate that the capecitabine sustained-release tablet has excellent stability in normal and long-term storage conditions, with slight changes in the accelerated condition.     

Simultaneous determination of capecitabine and its metabolite 5-fluorouracil by column switching and liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometric method was developed and validated for the quantitation of capecitabine and its metabolite 5-fluorouracil in human plasma. The simultaneous determination of both analytes was achieved by a column switching method using a trapping column and two analytical columns with different stationary phases. Isocratic elution was used for the separation of capecitabine on a C18 column whereas 5-fluorouracil was separated using gradient elution on an non-polar carbon phase. The calibration curves were linear for both compounds with a correlation factor (R2) > 0.9993 for 5-fluorouracil and >0.9942 for capecitabine. The assay was validated in the concentration range 5.00-1000 ng ml(-1) for both compounds. The intra-day precision was better than 10% for 5-fluorouracil and better than 11% for capecitabine whereas the inter-day precision was better than 8% for 5-fluorouracil and better than 14% for capecitabine.     

A review of the bioanalytical methods for the quantitative determination of capecitabine and its metabolites in biological matrices

The bioanalysis of the oral anticancer drug capecitabine and its metabolites has been investigated extensively over the past years. This paper reviews methods for the bioanalysis of capecitabine and its metabolites. The focus of this review will be on sample pre-treatment, chromatography and detection. Furthermore, the choice of standards and analytical problems encountered during analysis of capecitabine and its metabolites in biological matrices will be discussed. The major challenges in the bioanalysis of capecitabine and its metabolites are the simultaneous extraction and analysis due to the differences in polarity of the analytes. Furthermore we evaluate currently described methods for the quantification of capecitabine and its metabolites. Future wishes and perspectives are stated that could serve as an inspiration for further development of assays for the quantification of capecitabine and its metabolites.     

Rapid and simultaneous determination of capecitabine and its metabolites in mouse plasma, mouse serum, and in rabbit bile by high-performance liquid chromatography

A rapid high-performance liquid chromatography method has been developed for simultaneous determination of capecitabine and its metabolites: 5'-deoxy-5-fluorocytidine (5'-DFCR), 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine (5'-DFUR) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). 5'-DFCR was synthesized by hydrolyzing capecitabine using commercially available carboxyl esterase (CES) and characterized by NMR, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis. Base-line separations between capecitabine, 5'-DFCR, 5'-DFUR and 5-FU were found with symmetrical peak shapes on a Discovery RP-amide C16 column using 10 mM ammonium acetate at pH 4.0 and methanol as the mobile phase. The retention times of capecitabine, 5'-DFCR, 5'-DFUR and 5-FU were 8.9, 5.0, 5.3 and 3.0 min, respectively. Linear calibration curves were obtained for each compound across a range from 1 to 500 microg ml(-1). The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations (%RSD) were <5%. A single-step protein precipitation method was employed for separation of the analytes from bio-matrices. Greater than 85% recoveries were obtained for capecitabine, 5'-DFCR, 5'-DFUR and 5-FU from bio-fluids including mouse plasma, mouse serum and rabbit bile.     

A rapid and simple HPTLC assay for therapeutic drug monitoring of capecitabine in colorectal cancer patients

Capecitabine is a prodrug of 5‐flurouracil, employed as a broad spectrum chemotherapeutic agent. It is also used as monotherapy or a combination chemotherapy agent for the treatment of colorectal cancer. Capecitabine is administered in combination with oxaliplatin and hence it is essential to determine that co‐administration does not affect its metabolism. To determine the plasma concentration of capecitabine a simple HPTLC method was developed and validated. Blood samples from 12 patients with colorectal cancer were collected and analyzed by the HPTLC method with a reference internal standard. Out of these 12 patients, six were treated with capecitabine monotherapy and another six were treated with capecitabine + oxaliplatin combination therapy. The results of analysis indicated that there was no significant drug–drug interaction and the co‐administration of oxaliplatin did not affect the metabolism of capecitabine. This method is sensitive, robust and specific and allows analysis of multiple samples simultaneously, making it suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring of capecitabine.     

Efficacy of the oral fluorouracil pro-drug capecitabine in cancer treatment: a review

Capecitabine (Xeloda) was developed as a pro-drug of fluorouracil (FU), with the aim of improving tolerability and intratumor drug concentrations through its tumorspecific conversion to the active drug. The purpose of this paper is to review the available information on capecitabine, focusing on its clinical effectiveness against various carcinomas. Identification of all eligible English trails was made by searching the PubMed and Cochrane databases from 1980 to 2007. Search terms included capecitabine, Xeloda and cancer treatment. Nowadays, FDA has approved the use of capecitabine as a first line therapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer when single-agent fluoropyrimidine is preferred. The drug is also approved for use as a single agent in metastatic breast cancer patients who are resistant to both anthracycline and paclitaxel-based regimens or when further anthracycline treatment is contraindicated. It is also approved in combination with docetaxel after failure of prior anthracycline-based chemotherapy. In patients with prostate, pancreatic, renal cell and ovarian carcinomas, capecitabine as a single-agent or in combination with other drugs has also shown benefits. Improved tolerability and comparable efficacy, compared with the intravenous FU/LV combination, in addition to its oral administration, make capecitabine an attractive option for the treatment of several types of carcinomas.     

Simultaneous LC-MS-MS Analysis of Capecitabine and its Metabolites (5′-deoxy-5-fluorocytidine, 5′-deoxy-5-fluorouridine, 5-fluorouracil) After Off-Line SPE from Human Plasma

A new single extraction procedure was developed to isolate capecitabine and its major metabolites (5′-deoxy-5-fluorocytidine, 5′-deoxy-5-fluorouridine, and 5-fluorouracil) from human plasma. The simultaneous extraction of the four analytes was performed on an Atoll XWP solid phase support. Separation and detection were by liquid chromatography (5 µm Atlantis C₁₈, 150 × 2.1 mm) and Turbospray Mass spectrometry in negative mode. To our knowledge, this report is the first to use these conditions for the simultaneous analysis of capecitabine and its metabolites.     

A new,validated HPLC‐MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of the anti‐cancer agent capecitabine and its metabolites: 5′‐deoxy‐5‐fluorocytidine, 5′‐deoxy‐5‐fluorouridine, 5‐fluorouracil and 5‐fluorodihydrouracil,in human plasma

A rapid and selective liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometric method was developed for the simultaneous determination of capecitabine and its metabolites 5′‐deoxy‐5‐fluorocytidine (5′‐DFCR), 5′‐deoxy‐5‐fluorouracil (5′‐DFUR), 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) and dihydro‐5‐fluorouracil (FUH₂) in human plasma. A 200 μL human plasma aliquot was spiked with a mixture of internal standards fludarabine and 5‐chlorouracil. A single‐step protein precipitation method was employed using 10% (v/v) trichloroacetic acid in water to separate analytes from bio‐matrices. Volumes of 20 μL of the supernatant were directly injected onto the HPLC system. Separation was achieved on a 30 × 2.1 mm Hypercarb (porous graphitic carbon) column using a gradient by mixing 10 mm ammonium acetate and acetonitrile–2‐propanol–tetrahydrofuran (1 : 3 : 2.25, v/v/v). The detection was performed using a Finnigan TSQ Quantum Ultra equipped with the electrospray ion source operated in positive and negative mode. The assay quantifies a range from 10 to 1000 ng/mL for capecitabine, from 10 to 5000 ng/mL for 5′‐DFCR and 5′‐DFUR, and from 50 to 5000 ng/mL for 5‐FU and FUH₂ using a plasma sample of 200 μL. Correlation coefficients (r²) of the calibration curves in human plasma were better than 0.99 for all compounds. At all concentration levels, deviations of measured concentrations from nominal concentration were between ?4.41 and 3.65% with CV values less than 12.0% for capecitabine, between ?7.00 and 6.59% with CV values less than 13.0 for 5′‐DFUR, between ?3.25 and 4.11% with CV values less than 9.34% for 5′‐DFCR, between ?5.54 and 5.91% with CV values less than 9.69% for 5‐FU and between ?4.26 and 6.86% with CV values less than 14.9% for FUH₂. The described method was successfully applied for the evaluation of the pharmacokinetic profile of capecitabine and its metabolites in plasma of treated cancer patients. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermal decomposition of manganese(II)bis(oxalato)nickelate(II)tetrahydrate

Summary A mixed metal oxalate, manganese(II)bis(oxalato)nickelate(II)tetrahydrate, has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectral and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) studies. Thermal decomposition studies (TG, DTG and DTA) in air showed that the compound decomposed mainly to Mn₂O₃, MnO₂ and NiO at ca.1000°C, via. the formation of several intermediates. DSC study in nitrogen upto 500°C showed the endothermic decomposition. The tentative mechanism for the thermal decomposition in air is proposed.     

Cadmium(II)bis(oxalato)cobaltate(II)- pentahydrate

A mixed metal carboxylate, cadmium(II)bis(oxalato)cobaltate(II)pentahydrate, has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectral, reflectance and X-ray powder diffraction studies. Thermal decomposition studies (TG, DTG and DTA) in air showed that the compound decomposed to CdCoO3 at 370°C through the formation of an anhydrous compound at ~194°C. Finally, CdCoO₂ is generated at 1000°C. DSC study in nitrogen up to 550°C showed the formation of a mixture of CdO and Co₃O₄ as end products. The kinetic parameters have been evaluated for the dehydration and decomposition steps using four non-mechanistic equations, i.e., Freeman and Carroll, Coats and Redfern, Flynn and Wall, MacCallum and Tanner equations. Using seven mechanistic equations, the rate controlling processes of the dehydration and decomposition mechanism are also inferred. The kinetic parameters, DH and DS obtained from DSC are discussed. IR and X-ray powder diffraction studies identified some of the decomposition products. A tentative mechanism for the decomposition in air is proposed. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Pyrolysis of Nickel Zirconyl Oxalate

Nickel zirconyl oxalate hexahydrate (NiZrOx) is δ prepared and characterised by I.R. spectral and chemical analysis. Its thermal decomposition has been investigated by employing TG, DTG, DTA and chemical analysis. End product was identified by X-ray diffraction studies. The decomposition proceeds through four steps i) dehydration of NiZrOx in two steps, ii) partial decomposition of oxalate to give an oxalate carbonate intermediate, iii) decomposition of oxalate to give a non-stoichiometric carbonate and iv) decomposition of this non-stoichiometric carbonate to give the end product a mixture of NiO+ZrO₂. On the basis of the results obtained, a tentative scheme for the decomposition of NiZrOx is proposed.     

Recent studies on the decomposition of the dolomite group by thermal analysis

Recent thermoanalytical investigations of the decomposition of the dolomite group are reviewed.Dolomite shows two DTA endotherms in CO₂ due to a two-step decomposition. It is well established that the higher decomposition temperature is very sensitive to atmospheric CO₂ partial pressure. However, there has been much discussion on whether or not the lower decomposition temperature depends on CO₂ pressure. Recent studies confirm that the lower decomposition temperature is shifted to a lower temperature on increasing CO₂ pressure, so that the lower and higher decomposition temperatures are shifted in opposite directions with changing CO₂ pressure. Regarding the mechanism of formation from dolomite in CO₂, a direct formation theory is supported.The decomposition mechanisms of ferroandolomite-ankerite and kutnahorite are much discussed. Recent studies indicate that these minerals decompose in two steps in a similar manner to dolomite itself in the atmosphere, in which the O₂ partial pressure is sufficiently low to maintain both Mn and Fe as bivalent cations.In addition, recent investigations on the effects on salts on the decomposition mechanism of dolomite are briefly reviewed.     

An APCI LC‐MS/MS method for routine determination of capecitabine and its metabolites in human plasma

The anticancer drug capecitabine and its metabolites [including the active metabolite 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU)] display high pharmacokinetic inter‐patient variability. Such variability, which may lead to treatment failure or toxicity, could need drug concentration measurement to individualize dosing regimen. However, usual assay methods are often long and fastidious. A simultaneous and cost‐effective method was thus developed for the determination of the concentrations of these compounds in human plasma. Compounds were extracted via a classic liquid–liquid extraction. Chromatographic analysis was performed on a C18 reverse phase column with detection by atmosphere pressure chemical ionization LC‐MS/MS. Our method allows a good chromatographic separation of the compounds and was fully validated following Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommendations (good selectivity, no carry‐over, linearity of the calibration curves without weighting, deviations from nominal concentrations of standard samples lower than 15%, intra‐ and inter‐assay precision and accuracy lower than 15%). Recovery and stability were also acceptable following the FDA guidelines. A matrix effect impairing the determination of 5‐FU was avoided by using a stable isotopic derivative of 5‐FU as internal standard. Interestingly, this method allows detection of TetraHydroUridine, an inhibitor of ex vivo degradation of metabolites, which is essential for the stability, the adequate conditioning of blood samples and for good laboratory practice, essential in routine determination. This method seems usable to routinely determine concentrations of capecitabine and its metabolites in blood and may be helpful in further studies aiming at performing therapeutic drug monitoring. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermal decomposition of nickel azide

The results on the thermal decomposition of anhydrous nickel azide prepared by reacting nickel azide solution with AnalaR Me₂CO are reported in the temperature range 490–525 K. The sample starts to decompose immediately after it is raised to the decomposition temperature and the rate of decomposition continuously decreases. The decomposition kinetics have been explained in terms of exponential decay law for α?0.19 and contracting volume law for α > 0.19. The domain of exponential decay law corresponds to the initial decomposition pertaining to surface nucleation and two dimensional surface growth of the product phase, while contracting volume law explains the growth of the product phase into the bulk. The role of defects has been explained by electrical conduction studies on the sample.     

Decomposition of Organometallic Complexes in the Mass Spectrometer

The reliable interpretation of mass spectra for the determination of molecular constitutions requires systematic studies on the fragmentation behavior of classes of compounds, since the large number of kinetic and energy parameters that determine the decomposition of excited polyatomic ions makes ab-initio predictions of spectra almost impossible. In this progress report, a number of general rules for the decomposition of organometallic complexes upon electron impact are discussed; a classification into decomposition types is also presented, and is illustrated by selected examples.     

Studies on thermal degradation of benzylidene malononitriles

Thermal decomposition studies have been carried out using flash vacuum thermolysis (FVT) to find out the decomposition temperature for benzylidene malononitriles (BMNs) including 2-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (cs), a widely used riot control agent. The FVT studies have been carried out in a specially designed all glass assembly at various temperatures ranging from 300 to 600°C. A number of rearranged products along with hydrogen cyanide were obtained as major decomposition products. The products were analysed and the structures were confirmed by GC/MS. the thermal behaviour of BMNs has also been investigated by TG under nitrogen atmosphere. These studies show that the pyrotechnic mixture for tear gas munitions should not have burst temperature above 300°C. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Thermal Decomposition of Poly-α-methylstyrene

Kinetic studies on the decomposition of poly-α-methylstyrene samples with molecular weights ranging from 3.7 × 10³ to to 2.0 × 10⁵ have been carried out with the differential thermo-gravimetric technique. Changes in molecular weight distributions with decomposition, at different temperatures, have been studied by gel-permeation chromatography. A depolymeriza-tion mechanism was shown to be responsible for the decomposition phenomenon. The order of reaction for this depolymerization reaction was found to be one. The values of the activation energy for samples of different molecular weights showed no specific trends; however, it would appear that polymers with relatively higher molecular weights have lower activation energies of decomposition. The proportions of the three steric forms, viz., isotactic, heterotactic, and syndiotactic, in the polymer before and after thermal treatments did not change, suggesting that stereoregularity has no apparent effect on the decomposition of poly-α-methylstyrene.     

Mechano-chemical Activation of Dolomite

Mechano-chemical activation is a widely used method for increasing the reaction activity of solids and, consequently, to accelerate solid phase reactions and to reduce the temperature of the subsequent thermal decomposition. Thermal decomposition of triboactivated calcium carbonate is a subject of different studies while dolomite decomposition has limited data. The present work represents a study of thermal stability and phase transitions of mechano-chemical activated dolomite under different conditions, namely using various amounts and kind of milling balls and the duration of activation. Temperatures of decomposition of MgCO₃ and CaCO₃ are specified. The study includes the determination of the thermal stability and the rate of thermal decomposition of activated dolomite. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Preparation,characterisation and thermal decomposition of barium zirconyl oxalate

Barium zirconyl oxalate hydrate (BZO) is prepared and characterised by chemical analysis and IR spectral studies. Thermal decomposition studies have been made using TG and DTA techniques. The decomposition has been found to proceed through four steps. The first step involves a two-stage dehydration (100–190°C, 190–260°C) and the second step the decomposition of oxalate (260–460°C). The third step involves the evolution of carbon monoxide present in the lattice and partial decomposition of carbonate. The fourth step involves the final stage decomposition of carbonate (760–920°C) giving barium zirconate as an end product. The identification of compounds at various stages has been done by IR spectra. The X-ray diffraction pattern of BZO confirms that it is a crystalline compound.     

The influence of the environment on the thermal decomposition of oxysalts

The environment can influence the thermal decomposition of an oxysalt by;

1. causing a change in the course of chemical decomposition or
2. causing an alteration in the physical nature of the solid product or solid intermediates.

The environment can also effect the equilibrium condition or the course of the kinetics. The use of special techniques such as thermogravimetry, differential thermal analysis, or differential scanning calorimetry to study the decomposition means that a special environment is imposed on the oxysalt and this effects the thermal decomposition process. The influence of the environment in changing the course of a chemical reaction can be illustrated by reference to the decomposition of zinc oxalate and nickel oxalate. The DTA shows that the decompositions are endothermic in inert atmospheres but exothermic in air or oxygen. The reasons are different however in each case. Thus although the product of decomposition of zinc oxalate is zinc oxide the change in character of the decomposition from endothermic to exothermic is due to the catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide in the presence of oxygen. The similar change in the character of nickel oxalate decomposition is however due to nickel formation in an inert atmosphere but nickel oxide in air or oxygen. The alteration in the physical nature of the solid products is illustrated by surface area measurements on solid residues from the decomposition of carbonates or oxalates. The kinetic and chemical equilibrium studies showing the influence of environment are illustrated by reference to dehydration studies, carbonate and oxalate decompositions.