Determination of Vecuronium Bromide in Pharmaceuticals: Development, Validation and Comparative Study of HPLC and CZE Analytical Methods

Vecuronium bromide is a neuromuscular blocking agent used for anesthesia to induce skeletal muscle relaxation. HPLC and CZE analytical methods were developed and validated for the quantitative determination of vecuronium bromide. The HPLC method was achieved on an amino column (Luna 150 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) using UV detection at 205 nm. The mobile phase was composed of acetonitrile:water containing 25.0 mmol L^?1 of sodium phosphate monobasic (50:50 v/v), pH 4.6 and flow rate of 1.0 mL min^?1. The CZE method was achieved on an uncoated fused-silica capillary (40.0 cm total length, 31.5 cm effective length and 50 μm i.d.) using indirect UV detection at 230 nm. The electrolyte comprised 1.0 mmol L^?1 of quinine sulfate dihydrate at pH 3.3 and 8.0% of acetonitrile. The results were used to compare both techniques. No significant differences were observed (p > 0.05).     

Determination of Copper in Human Urine by RP-LC After Pre-column Derivatization with Neocuproine and Use of Monolithic Column

A selective sensitive RP-LC–UV/VIS method with pre-column derivatization was developed for the determination of copper in human urine at a trace level. This method is based on the selective reaction of 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (neocuproine) with copper(I) to produce a yellow-orange hydrophobic complex in a neutral or slightly acidic buffer solution (adjusted to pH 5.9). Copper(II) was reduced to copper(I) ions by ascorbic acid as a weak reducer, which was added both to urine sample and mobile phase, respectively. A hydrophobic copper(I)–neocuproine chelate was determined by RP-LC–UV/VIS using a monolithic column Chromolith Performance RP-8e (100 × 4 mm I.D.) at 30.0 ± 0.1 °C with a methanol: aqueous buffer (pH 5.9, ammonium acetate and ascorbic acid 2.8 mmol L^?1) mobile phase at flow rate of 2.00 mL min^?1. Sample injection volume was 20 μL and detection was done at 453 nm. The method was validated over a concentration range of 0.09–11.50 μmol L^?1. The LOD of copper in human urine was found to be 0.07 μmol L^?1 concentration level, suitable for clinical analysis. The precision of the results, reported as the RSD, was below 4.6 % for copper concentration within range 0.5–5.0 μmol L^?1 in the spiked human urine samples.     

A Simple Method for Determination of Homologue Imidazolium Cations in Ionic Liquids Using IC with Direct Conductivity Detection

An investigation was carried out into the fast determination of five homologue imidazolium cations in ionic liquids by ion chromatography using a cation-exchange column and direct conductivity detection. Ethylenediamine, complex organic acid (citric acid, oxalic acid and tartaric acid) and organic modifiers (acetonitrile) were used as mobile phase. The influences of the eluent types, eluent concentration, eluent pH and column temperature on separation of the cations were discussed. Simultaneous separation and determination of the five homologue imidazolium cations in ionic liquids were achieved under an optimum condition. The optimized mobile phase was consisted of 0.25 mmol L^?1 ethylenediamine + 0.5 mmol L^?1 citric acid + 3% acetonitrile (v/v) (pH 4.1), set at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min^?1. The column temperature was 40 °C and detection limits were obtained in the range of 1.1–45.6 mg L^?1. The relative standard deviations of the chromatographic peak areas for the cations were <3.0% (n = 5). This method was successfully applied to separate imidazolium cations in ionic liquids produced by organic synthesis. The recoveries of spiked components were 92.5–101.9%.     

An Approach to Transfer Methods from HPLC to UHPLC Techniques in Some Carbapenems

Stability-indicating LC methods were developed and validated for the quantitative determination of doripenem, meropenem and tebipenem in the presence of their degradation products formed during forced degradation studies. Isocratic HPLC and UHPLC separations were performed with a core–shell Kinetex 1.7, 2.6 and 5 µm, all C18, 100A, 100 × 2.1 mm columns and the mobile phase composed of acetonitrile and 12 mmol L⁻¹ ammonium acetate in different ratios. The flow rates of the mobile phase were: 0.5 mL min⁻¹ for 1.7 µm column, and 1.0 mL min⁻¹ for 2.6 and 5 µm ones. Detection wavelength was 298 nm and temperature was set at 30 °C. All analysed drugs were exposed to stress conditions which caused their hydrolysis and thermal degradation. The methods were validated by evaluation of linearity, accuracy, precision, selectivity and robustness. Proposed methods were successfully applied for the determination of investigated antibiotics during kinetic studies in aqueous solutions and in the solid state. The advantages of chromatographic procedures which are based on the use of C18 stationary phases with different particle sizes in the analysis of selected carbapenems were discussed.

     

An Approach to Transfer Methods from HPLC to UHPLC Techniques in Some Carbapenems

Stability-indicating LC methods were developed and validated for the quantitative determination of doripenem, meropenem and tebipenem in the presence of their degradation products formed during forced degradation studies. Isocratic HPLC and UHPLC separations were performed with a core–shell Kinetex 1.7, 2.6 and 5 µm, all C18, 100A, 100 × 2.1 mm columns and the mobile phase composed of acetonitrile and 12 mmol L^?1 ammonium acetate in different ratios. The flow rates of the mobile phase were: 0.5 mL min^?1 for 1.7 µm column, and 1.0 mL min^?1 for 2.6 and 5 µm ones. Detection wavelength was 298 nm and temperature was set at 30 °C. All analysed drugs were exposed to stress conditions which caused their hydrolysis and thermal degradation. The methods were validated by evaluation of linearity, accuracy, precision, selectivity and robustness. Proposed methods were successfully applied for the determination of investigated antibiotics during kinetic studies in aqueous solutions and in the solid state. The advantages of chromatographic procedures which are based on the use of C18 stationary phases with different particle sizes in the analysis of selected carbapenems were discussed.     

Electroanalytical Characteristics of Lercanidipine and its Voltammetric Determination in Pharmaceuticals and Human Serum on Boron-Doped Diamond Electrode

The electrooxidative behavior and determination of lercanidipine (LRC) were investigated in aqueous acetonitrile medium at a boron-doped diamond electrode using voltammetric techniques. The LRC in selected supporting electrolyte presents a well-defined anodic response at 0.944 V, studied by the proposed method. The linear response was obtained in the ranges of 4 × 10^?6 to 2 × 10^?4 mmol L^?1 range in 0.5 mmol L^?1 sulfuric acid supporting electrolyte and 1 × 10^?5 to 8 × 10^?5 mmol L^?1 range in spiked serum sample for square wave voltammetric technique. No electroactive interferences from the excipients and endogenous substances were found in the pharmaceutical dosage form and in the biological sample, respectively.     

Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatographic Method for Determination of Daclatasvir Dihydrochloride and Study of Its Degradation Behavior

A simple and selective reversed-phase stability-indicating liquid chromatographic method has been developed and validated for the determination of daclatasvir in drug substance and drug product. Daclatasvir was subjected to acidic, alkaline, oxidative, thermal and photo-degradation study. The LC method was based on isocratic elution of daclatasvir and its degradation products on a reversed-phase C₁₈ Hypersil column using a mobile phase consisting of phosphate buffer (10 mM, 1 mL triethylamine L^?1): acetonitrile (60:40 v/v) at a flow rate of 2 mL min^?1. Quantitation was achieved with UV detection at 312 nm. Linearity, accuracy, and precision were found to be acceptable over the concentration range of 0.75–120 μg mL^?1, with regression coefficient value of 0.9999, and with limit of detection and quantitation of 0.148 and 0.447 μg mL^?1, respectively. Peak purity was checked for principle drug and its alkali induced degradation product, and the pathway of alkaline hydrolysis of daclatasvir was suggested by LC/MS.     

Validation of an HPLC Analytical Method for Determination of Pancuronium Bromide in Pharmaceutical Injections

Abstract

Pancuronium bromide is used with general anesthesia in surgery for muscle relaxation and as an aid to intubation. A high performance liquid chromatographic method was fully validated for the quantitative determination of pancuronium bromide in pharmaceutical injectable solutions. The analytical method was performed on an amino column (Luna® 150 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 µm). The mobile phase was composed of acetonitrile:water containing 50 mmol L^?1 of 1-octane sulfonic acid sodium salt (20:80 v/v) with a flow rate of 1.0 mL min^?1 and ultraviolet (UV) detection at 210 nm. The proposed analytical method was compared with that described in the British Pharmacopoeia.     

Simultaneous LC–UV–MS–MS Analysis of Nine Pivotal Metabolites in Human Serum: Application to Studies of Impaired Glucose Tolerance

A rapid, sensitive, and selective LC–UV–MS–MS method for simultaneous quantification of uric acid, creatinine, xanthine, creatine, hypoxanthine, adenosine, inosine, thymidine, and uridine in serum from patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) has been developed and validated. After precipitation of protein in the serum with methanol samples were evaporated with a stream of nitrogen then reconstituted with aqueous ammonia (0.002 mol L^?1). Chromatographic separation was performed on a C₁₈ column with methanol–buffer (8 mmol L^?1 ammonium acetate adjusted to pH 6.1 with glacial acetic acid) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8 mL min^?1. UV and MS–MS detection were used to quantify the metabolites on the basis of different concentrations and detector response. Linearity was excellent, with r ² no <0.998. Recovery, and intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviation (RSD) were >85, <10, and <10%, respectively. This reliable bioanalytical method enables evaluation of the levels of purines and pyrimidines in serum for IGT studies and diagnosis.     

Determination of Vitamins A and E Exploiting Cloud Point Extraction and Micellar Liquid Chromatography

Cloud point extraction and micellar chromatographic methods were developed for determination of vitamins A and E. The stationary phase was C18 and the mobile phase was 3.00% (w/v) SDS, 15.0% (v/v) butyl alcohol and 0.02 mol L^?1 phosphate buffer solution at pH 7.0. The retention times for vitamins A and E were 9.6 and 13.0, respectively. The extraction solution was 100 mmol L^?1 Triton X-100, 650 mg NaCl and 1.0% ascorbic acid at 70°C for 30 min. The method is precise (r.s.d. < 7%), the linear range was from 5.0 up to 360.0 mg L^?1 for both vitamins. Recovery test showed recuperation between 90.2 and 99.2%, and LOD and LOQ of 0.234 and 0.108 mg L^?1, 0.780 and 0.360 mg L^?1 to vitamins A and E were found.     

Development and Validation of a Stability-Indicating LC Method for Curcumin

A simple, isocratic, stability-indicating liquid chromatographic method for quantitative determination of curcumin was successfully developed. The chromatographic separations were achieved using a Hi-Q-Sil C18; 4.6 mm × 250 mm and 10 μm particle size column employing acetonitrile and acetate buffer (pH 3.0; 60: 40, v/v) as the mobile phase. The analyte was subjected to acidic, basic, oxidative, thermal and photo degradation. The method was validated with respect to linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection and limit of quantification. Curcumin was detected by UV-Vis detector at 425 nm whereas the degradation products were detected at 280 nm. The method was linear over the concentration range of 1–10 μg mL^?1. The limit of detection was found to be 0.06 μg mL^?1 and the quantification limit was 0.21 μg mL^?1. Considerable degradation of the analyte was observed when it was subjected to alkaline conditions. Accuracy, evaluated as recovery, was in the range of 97–103%. Intra-day precision and intermediate precision showed relative standard deviations <1% and <2% respectively.     

Electroanalytical performance of self-assembled monolayer gold electrode for chloramphenicol determination

Monolayers of 2-mercapto-5-methylbenzimidazole (MMB) were prepared on a polycrystalline gold electrode via a self-assembly process to produce a self-assembled monolayer. The resulting electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and applied to the determination of chloramphenicol (CAP) in a pharmaceutical formulation using flow injection analysis along with amperometric detection. The amperometric cell was operated at ?0.75 V (vs Ag/AgCl) at a flow rate of 3 mL min^?1. The method was applied to the determination of CAP in ophthalmic solutions, and its performance was compared to a previously validated HPLC method. The response to CAP is linear in the range from 0.050 to 1.000 µmol L^?1 (r?=?0.9990), and the limit of detection is 44 µmol L^?1.     

HPLC Separation of Nimesulide and Five Impurities using a Narrow-Bore Monolithic Column: Application to Photo-Degradation Studies

Nimesulide and its fine impurities were separated using the new narrow-bore FastGradient monolithic column (50 × 2.0 mm i.d.). The mobile phase was a mixture of NH₄H₂PO₄ (10 mmol L^?1, pH 7)/ACN (69:31 v/v) and UV detection was carried out at 230 nm. Depending on the flow rate of the mobile phase (0.5?C1.0 mL min^?1), efficient separation of the six compounds could be achieved within 5?C10 min. The developed HPLC method was validated in terms of linearity, limits of detection and quantitation, precision, selectivity, and accuracy. Application to the photo-stability of nimesulide revealed a ca. 50% degradation of the active pharmaceutical ingredient within 24 h. Impurity D was also identified at a maximum level of 0.46% (24 h).     

Attapulgite modified with 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde as selective solid-phase extractant for determination of copper(II) in environmental samples by ICP-OES

Attapulgite modified with 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde was prepared and applied to the separation, preconcentration and determination of Cu(II) in aqueous solutions by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Experimental conditions for effective adsorption of trace levels of Cu(II) were optimized using batch and column procedures. The optimum pH value for the separation of Cu(II) on the newly sorbent was 4.0 and complete elution of Cu(II) from the sorbent surface was carried out using 2 mL of 0.01 mol L^?1 HCl. The adsorption capacity for Cu(II) was 25.13 mg g^?1. The detection limits of the method defined by IUPAC were found to be 0.24 μg L^?1 with enrichment factor of 150. The method has been applied to the determination of Cu(II) in certified reference materials and natural water samples with satisfactory results.     

Rapid Determination of Cichoric Acid by Argentation Complex Chromatography and Study on Related Mechanisms of Coordination Simultaneously Used in Rapid Determination of Salvianolic Acid B

Cichoric acid is a water-soluble phenolic acid in Echinacea purpurea and has a high medicinal value. A rapid and novel argentation complex liquid chromatography method has been developed and validated for determination of cichoric acid in E. purpurea extract. The determination of cichoric acid was carried out on a Restek Pinnacle 11 C18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm), using acetonitrile-deionized water (38:62, v/v, with 6 mmol L^?1 AgNO₃ and 0.8% acetic acid) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min^?1 within 10 min. The wavelength was set at 326 nm. It improved the effect of determination by adding AgNO₃ in the mobile phase while cichoric acid coordinated with Ag⁺. The mechanism of coordination between cichoric acid and Ag⁺ has been studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The mechanism which improved the effect of determination of cichoric acid is analyzed and applied in the rapid determination of salvianolic acid B (Sal B) in Danshen extract solution which has been stored for half a year. The possible structures of the complex and complex ratio are all provided in this article. The experiments have facilitated the study of cichoric acid–Ag⁺ and Sal B–Ag⁺ complex and provide a theoretical basis for industrialized extraction of cichoric acid and Sal B in the future.     

Enantiomeric Separation of Moxifloxacin and Its (R,R)-Isomer by Ligand-Exchange Chiral Chromatography

A new stereospecific LC method for the separation and quantification of moxifloxacin and its (R,R)-enantiomer in bulk drug was developed and validated by ligand-exchange liquid chromatography on a reversed phase column using aqueous mobile phase containing the chiral reagent l-isoleucine-Cu(II). The UV detector was operated at 293 nm. The flow rate of mobile phase was set at 0.9 mL min^?1. The achiral ODS column offers good separation of the two enantiomers in less than 20 min. The test concentration was 1,000 μg mL^?1 in the mobile phase. This method was capable of detecting the (R,R)-enantiomer of moxifloxacin up to 0.1 μg mL^?1 for a 20 μL injection volume. The drug was subjected to stress conditions of hydrolysis, oxidation, photolysis and thermal degradation. There was no interference of degradants with the (R,R)-enantiomer in the developed method. The developed chiral RP-LC method was validated with respect to linearity, accuracy, precision and robustness. The percentage recovery for the (R,R)-enantiomer in bulk drug samples ranged from 98.1 to 104.4%. The test solution was found to be stable in the mobile phase for 48 h after preparation.     

Simultaneous determination of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, G2, ochratoxin A,and sterigmatocystin in traditional Chinese medicines by LC–MS–MS

In this paper we describe a rapid, simple, and cost-effective liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometric (LC–MS–MS) method for simultaneous analysis of aflatoxin B₁, B₂, G₁, and G₂, ochratoxin A, and sterigmatocystin in 25 traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). The method is based on single extraction with 84:16 (v/v) acetonitrile–water then analysis of the diluted crude extract without further clean-up. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a C₁₈ column, with a mobile phase gradient prepared from aqueous 4 mmol L^?1 ammonium acetate–0.1 % formic acid and methanol. Quantification of the analytes was by selective reaction monitoring (SRM) on a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer in positive-ionization mode. Special focus was on investigating and reducing matrix effects to improve accuracy. The established method was validated by determination of linearity (r?>?0.995), sensitivity (limits of quantification 1.6–25.0 ng L^?1), apparent recovery (84.8–110.6 %), extraction recovery (83.6–106.1 %), and precision (relative standard deviation ≤9.9 %) for two representative TCMs, Semen Armeniacae Amarae and Radix Pseudostellariae. The applicability of the method to TCMs other than these was further investigated, and 23 other TCMs with acceptable matrix effects (80.2–118.6 %) were screened. The validated method was finally used to assess mycotoxin contamination of 244 samples of 25 TCMs collected from local hospitals and TCM pharmacies. Aflatoxin B₁ and ochratoxin A were detected in 5.3 % of the samples. Sterigmatocystin, the most prevalent mycotoxin contaminant, was present in 26.2 % of the samples tested; this has not been reported previously. The results of this work imply greater attention should be devoted to evaluation of the potential hazard caused by sterigmatocystin in TCMs.     

LC–MS Method for the Sensitive Determination of Metoclopramide: Application to Rabbit Plasma, Gel Formulations and Pharmaceuticals

To support real biological sample application, a simple, selective and rapid LC–MS method has been developed and validated for the sensitive determination of metoclopramide in rabbit blood, ex vivo permeation studies and pharmaceutical dosage form. LC–MS analysis was performed isocratically on a Zorbax SB-C₁₈ column with a mobile phase consisting of methanol:ammonium acetate buffer (pH 3.0) 75:25 (v/v) at a flow rate of 0.70 mL min^?1. The outlet of the column was connected to a single quadrupole mass spectrometer with positive mass spectrometric detection. Ions were detected in the positive multiple reaction monitoring mode. The assay was linear over the concentration range of 1.25–200 pg μL^?1 with a limit of detection of 0.077 pg μL^?1 for standard solutions and 2.5–200 pg μL^?1 with a limit of detection of 0.42 pg μL^?1 for serum samples. The method is applicable, covering a variety of pharmaceutical and biological studies. Metoclopramide was extracted from rabbit blood by liquid–liquid extraction using ether as the extraction solvent. The reproducibility of the method was found to be between 0.96 and 1.98 % (RSD) values. The proposed method has been extensively validated for the determination of metoclopramide in all working media. The sample preparations, flow rate and run time of the analytical systems are not time consuming. Moreover, for the stability of metoclopramide, the effect of temperature, UV light, H₂O₂, HCl and NaOH were also investigated.     

Validated Stability-Indicating HPLC–DAD Determination of the Antihypertensive Binary Mixture of Carvedilol and Hydrochlorothiazide in Tablet Dosage Forms

A simple and selective HPLC with diode array detection stability-indicating method was developed for the simultaneous determination of the antihypertensive drugs carvedilol (CRV) and hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) in their combined formulations. Effective chromatographic separation was achieved using Zorbax SB-C8 column (4.6 × 250 mm, 5 μm) with gradient elution of the mobile phase composed of 0.025 M phosphoric acid and acetonitrile at a flow rate of 1 mL min^?1. The multiple wavelength detector was set at 242 nm for measurement of CRV and 271 nm for HCT. Quantification was based on measuring the peak areas. The cited drugs were resolved with retention times 4.9 and 6.7 min for HCT and CRV, respectively. Analytical performance of the proposed HPLC procedure was thoroughly validated with respect to system suitability, linearity, ranges, precision, accuracy, specificity, robustness, detection and quantification limits. The linearity ranges were 5–300 and 5–200 μg mL^?1 for CRV and HCT, respectively, with correlation coefficients >0.9996. Both drugs were subjected to stress conditions of acidic and alkaline hydrolysis, oxidation, photolysis and thermal degradation. The proposed method proved to be stability-indicating by resolution of the drugs from their forced degradation products. Moreover, specificity of the method was verified by resolution of both drugs from more than 20 pharmaceutical compounds of various medicinal categories. The validated HPLC method was applied to the analysis of the cited antihypertensive drugs in their combined tablet dosage forms. The proposed method made use of DAD as a tool for peak identity and purity confirmation.     

Sequential Injection Magneto Chromatography Determination of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Pharmaceutical Formulations

A magnetic separation method based on the use of magnetic silica as the stationary phase in sequential injection chromatography was used for simultaneous determination of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (acetaminophen, naproxen, diclofenac, and ibuprofen) in tablets. The method is based on a thin layer paramagnetic stationary phase retained on the inner wall of a mini-column through the action of an external magnetic field. The influence of the variables involved was evaluated and the optimal conditions were found to be: a methyl-silica magnetic adsorbent was used as the stationary phase, the mobile phase was methanol-water (60:40, v/v), pH 2.5 adjusted with 98% phosphoric acid, a flow rate 0.60 ml min^?1, and UV detection at 225 nm. Under these conditions, the linear range of the calibration curve ranged from 3–6 mg L^?1 to 100 mg L^?1 with limits of detection ranging between 1 to 2 mg L^?1. The proposed method was validated by comparing the results obtained against those provided by high performance liquid chromatography; no significant differences were seen.