Fingerprint Comparison Between Gegen Qinlian Preparations of Three Different Pharmaceutical Forms Including Decoction, Dispensing Granule and Pill

Gegen Qinlian decoction, a favorite composite formula of Chinese medicine, has been made into various formulations. Pill and dispensing granule are currently very popular dosage forms for oral application. To ensure consistent therapeutic effects, fingerprint comparison between Gegen Qinlian preparations of three pharmaceutical forms including decoction, dispensing granule and pill is carried out to investigate influence of dosage forms on patterns of components in the composite formula. The fingerprint analysis demonstrates that, in relationship to baicalin with its area set to 1, most of the area ratios of 20 common peaks in decoction and dispensing granule vary little except the area ratio of puerarin (0.805 in decoction vs. 0.593 in dispensing granule), berberine (0.400 in dispensing granule vs. 0.283 in decoction) and the peak of baicalein, which originally observed in dispensing granule decrease substantially in decoction. However, in pills the area ratios of the common peaks are significantly different from those in dispensing granule except for peak 29. The inconsistencies among patterns of components in three types of Gegen Qinlian preparations, especially between dispensing granule and pill, may result in different pharmacological effects.     

Establishment of fingerprint of Gegen Qinlian decoction and its formula compatibility groups using UHPLC–MS/MS and its study to spectrum–effect relationship

Based on the establishment of analytical method of ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry fingerprint and obtaining pharmacodynamic information of the effects on IL-4, IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ of serum and interstitial fluid of the damp-type ulcerative colitis mice of Gegen Qinlian decoction and its formula compatibility groups, the spectrum–effect relationship study was performed by using the method of principal component analysis. The study built the common pattern of UHPLC–MS/MS fingerprint of Gegen Qinlian decoction and formula compatibility groups and identified eight components which were rooted in monarch and subject drugs and represented the whole pharmacodynamic information of Gegen Qinlian decoction. The research on formula compatibility and spectrum–effect relationship can provide scientific basis for revealing pharmacodynamic material basis and compatibility regularity of Gegen Qinlian decoction.     

LC‐MS/MS analysis of Gegen Qinlian Decoction and its pharmacokinetics after oral administration to rats

A liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of 12 constituents of Gegen Qinlian Decoction (GQD), namely puerarin, daidzein, baicalin, wogonoside, wogonin, liquiritin, liquiritigenin, berberine, jatrorrhizine, palmatine, coptisine and glycyrrhetic acid, in rat plasma. The plasma samples were spiked with the internal standard (IS) carbamazepine acidified with HCl and extracted by liquid–liquid extraction with ethyl acetate. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Shiseido Capcell PAK C₁₈ column utilizing a gradient elution profile and a mobile phase consisting of (A) 0.1% formic acid in water and (B) acetonitrile. Detection was performed in the multiple reaction monitoring mode using electrospray ionization in the positive ion mode at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min and a run time of 8 min. All of the calibration curves gave good linearity (r > 0.9930) over the concentration range from 0.6–360 to 16.2–9720 ng/mL for all components. The intra‐ and inter‐day precisions were <15.0% in terms of the relative standard deviation, and the accuracies were within ±13.7% in terms of the relative error. The method was successfully applied to investigate the pharmacokinetics of the major active compounds of Gegen Qinlian Decoction after its oral administration to rats. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

二维液相色谱-质谱联用分离中药复方葛根芩连汤中的有效成分

建立了二维液相色谱-质谱联用方法分离中药复方葛根芩连汤的成分。以CN柱作第一维色谱柱,水和甲醇梯度洗脱分离;以ODS柱作第二维色谱柱,20 mmol/L乙酸铵缓冲液和乙腈梯度洗脱分离;质谱检测采用电喷雾电离/大气压化学电离（ESI/APCI）复合离子源,正负离子扫描。实验结果表明搭建的二维液相色谱的峰容量显著高于一维色谱,分离效率得到了明显的提高。以第一维色谱的第3个流分为例,对其二维分离进行仔细分析,发现质谱比紫外光谱检测到的组分多,质谱中采用负离子模式比正离子模式检测到的组分多。表明搭建的二维液相色谱-质谱分离平台分离效果好,提高了液相色谱的峰容量和分离效率。该方法操作简便,可作为中药等复杂体系分离分析的有效手段。     

Dispersive admicelle solid‐phase extraction based on sodium dodecyl sulfate coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles for the selective adsorption of three alkaloids in Gegen‐Qinlian oral liquid before high‐performance liquid chromatography

A novel dispersive admicelle solid‐phase extraction method based on sodium dodecyl sulfate‐coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles was developed for the selective adsorption of berberine, coptisine, and palmatine in Gegen‐Qinlian oral liquid before high‐performance liquid chromatography. Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were synthesized by a chemical coprecipitation method and characterized by using transmission electron microscopy. Under acidic conditions, the surface of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles was coated with sodium dodecyl sulfate to form a nano‐sized admicelle magnetic sorbent. Owing to electrostatic interaction, the alkaloids were adsorbed onto the oppositely charged admicelle magnetic nanoparticles. The quick separation of the analyte‐adsorbed nanoparticles from the sample solution was performed by using Nd‐Fe‐B magnet. Best extraction efficiency was achieved under the following conditions: 800 μL Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles suspension (20 mg/mL), 150 μL sodium dodecyl sulfate solution (10 mg/mL), pH 2, and vortexing time 2 min for the extraction of alkaloids from 10 mL of diluted sample. Four hundred microliters of methanol was used to desorb the alkaloids by vortexing for 1 min. Satisfactory extraction recoveries were obtained in the range of 85.9–120.3%, relative standard deviations for intra‐ and interday precisions were less than 6.3 and 10.0%, respectively. Finally, the established method was successfully applied to analyze the alkaloids in two batches of Gegen‐Qinlian oral liquids.     

Animal test or chromatography? Validated high-performance liquid chromatographic assay as an alternative to the biological assay for ornipressin

Ornipressin is a peptide drug which is usually assayed by a test on live rats. In order to reduce the animal experiments an alternative method was developed which uses gradient high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on reversed-phase. The HPLC method was validated and shown to be selective and precise. Correlation studies were performed on samples of different dosage strengths and on thermally degraded samples, showing good correlation with the results obtained by the biological assay. The HPLC method was applied on various batches of ornipressin in bulk and in pharmaceutical preparations. HPLC is a rapid and inexpensive method which can replace the animal assay. A new quality control concept is proposed which uses HPLC for the analysis of ornipressin in bulk and in pharmaceutical preparations. With this concept animal testing can be reduced by 90%.     

Assessment of baicalin in mouse blood by monoclonal antibody‐based icELISA

An indirect competitive enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) based on monoclonal antibaodies (MAb) was recently developed. This new method displays high sensitivity and accuracy, and is especially suitable for pharmacokinetic studies in small laboratory animals. This study aimed to develop an icELISA procedure for baicalin (BAL) quantitation in blood. We successfully developed the icELISA and applied in pharmacokinetic assays of Gegen Qinlian Decoction in mice. A linear correlation was obtained for BAL concentrations in the range from 34.69 to 2220.00 µg/L. The regression equation was y = 1.5557 ? 0.4028log(C) with a correlation coefficient of 0.9936. Precision and accuracy of the icELISA method were evaluated by the variations between replicates from well to well (intra‐assay) and plate to plate (inter‐assay). The values obtained for these parameters were within the normal range (<15%). The recovery rates ranged from 98.93 to 126.78%, meeting the requirements for biological samples. Stability studies showed that BAL sample solutions were intact for 1 h, enough time for UV detection. However, long‐term storage and especially freeze–thaw procedures were detrimental to BAL. The pharmacokinetic parameters derived from mouse experiments were as follows: area under the curves from time 0 to 48 h, 1876.15 ± 1108.14 mg h/L; mean maximum blood concentrations, 101.09 ± 31.53 mg/L; time of maximum concentration, 3.58 ± 2.88 h; mean residence time, 79.30 ± 61.21 h. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chionanthus virginicus L.: phytochemical analysis and quality control of herbal drug and herbal preparations

Root barks of Chionanthus virginicus L. are used in homeopathic medicines in the treatment of icterus and hepatitis. The objective of this study is to identify novel secoiridoids and lignans and to develop a simple and reliable HPLC method for the determination of oleuropein, phillyrin, total secoiridoids and total lignans for quality control and stability studies of C. virginicus herbal drug and preparations. Secoiridoids and lignans were purified by preparative HPLC. Compounds previously described were identified by HPLC according to their retention times and UV spectra. Structures of new compounds were determined by NMR. Two compounds namely excelside B and acetoxypinoresinol-4"-O-beta-D-glucoside are described for the first time in the drug. HPLC separation was performed on Symmetry C18 (Waters) by gradient elution using acetonitrile and 0.2% aqueous phosphoric acid. The method was validated for specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, limits of detection and quantification for simultaneous determination of secoiridoids and lignans in herbal drug and herbal preparations as mother tinctures. The proposed HPLC method is linear in the range studied (r2 > or = 0.9989) for all the analytes. The method is precise with intra- and inter-day variations of less than 4%. The mean recoveries of the analytes range from 99.65 to 102.81%. The method is successfully applied to the quantification of nine compounds belonging to secoiridoids and lignans and for the stability studies of these compounds. The study allowed completing the phytochemical knowledge of C. virginicus. This simple developed assay could be used as tools for routine quality control of C. virginicus herbal drug and herbal medicinal products.     

Quantitative estimation of parthenolide in Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Schultz-Bip. cultivated in Egypt

Parthenolide, a germacranolide-type sesquiterpene lactone, was estimated in Tanacetum parthenium (L.) cultivated in Egypt by using colorimetric, planar chromatographic, and high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) methods. Parthenolide levels in the open-field herb and aseptically germinated shoots were also compared by using the HPLC method. Parthenolide was produced and estimated for the first time in the callus culture of the plant. In addition, 2 Egyptian market preparations were analyzed for their parthenolide content by using the HPLC method. The relative standard deviations were 0.093, 0.095, and 0.098% (n = 5, 5, and 7, respectively), and the corresponding recoveries were 98.2, 98.9, and 99.4% for the colorimetric, planar chromatographic, and HPLC determinations, respectively.     

Chemiluminescence of Luminol–Graphene Oxide for the Sensitive Detection of Puerarin in Biological Fluid and Chinese Gegen

Graphene oxide (GO ), one of the water‐soluble derivatives of graphene, could initiate strong chemiluminescence (CL ) emission of luminol in the absence of any oxidant, and then the CL intensity was inhibited by puerarin (PUE ), a main component in the traditional Chinese medicine Gegen. Based on this, a novel CL method was established for the determination of PUE . This method showed a linear relationship between the CL signal and the logarithm of PUE concentration in the range 0.01–6.00 μM . The limit of detection was 2.83 nM and the relative standard deviation (RSD ) was 1.94% for 11 determinations of 0.4 μM PUE . This method was successfully used for the determination of PUE in Gegen and human urine samples. The possible CL reaction mechanism was investigated by UV –vis, fluorescence, and CL spectra, as well as by some chemical experiments.     

Thin-layer chromatographic scanner, spectrophotometric and high-performance liquid chromatographic methods for the determination of colchicine

One high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) and two thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) methods are proposed for the determination of colchicine in crude drugs and pharmaceutical preparations. The TLC scanner method is based on measurement of the absorbance of the separated colchicine spot; alternatively, after scraping the spot from the plate and elution the absorbance can be measured spectrophotometrically. The HPLC assay was carried out isocratically on a reversed-phase column using MeOH-H2O (60 + 40). The recoveries were 99.2 +/- 1.23, 99.1 +/- 1.12 and 99.1 +/- 2.01% for the TLC scanner, spectrophotometric and HPLC methods, respectively. The methods were shown to be sensitive and specific and can be used as an alternative to the pharmacopoeial methods having been applied to the determination of colchicine in corms of Merendera persica and in three pharmaceutical preparations.     

Analyses of tetracyline antibiotics by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

Summary A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) separation was developed that is generally applicable to nine commercially important tetracyline antibiotics. The general method uses an isocratic system and mobile phase consisting of 0.001MEDTA, pH 6.6, and methanol and a Vydac C₁₈ reversed-phase column. Quantitation of the particular tetracyline in some commercial preparations is accomplished by adjusting the mobile phase composition. Quantitative assays were developed for small amounts of 4-epitetracycline in tetracycline (TC) preparations, demeclocycline in minocycline preparations and TC in chlortetracycline (chlor-TC) preparations. A fast HPLC assay for potency was also developed for chlor-TC and minocycline in these commercial preparations.     

Simultaneous quantification of both triterpenoid and steroidal saponins in various Yunnan Baiyao preparations using HPLC–UV and HPLC–MS

Yunnan Baiyao (YNBY) is one of the best known traditional Chinese medicines. Saponins are considered to be its active components. In this study, an HPLC method was first developed for the simultaneous quantitative analysis of thirteen saponins, including five triterpenoid saponins and eight steroidal saponins, in a series of YNBY preparations, i. e., powder, capsules, aerosol, toothpaste, plaster, and adhesive bandage. The pre‐treatment methods for each dosage form were investigated and optimized. The HPLC separation was performed on a Shim‐pack C₁₈ reversed‐phase column in gradient mode with UV detection at 203 nm. All calibration curves showed good linear regression (r² ? 0.9981) within the test ranges. Precisions and repeatabilities of the methods were better than 4.22 and 4.78%, respectively. Recoveries were better than 90.5%, even in the analysis of the least abundant saponins in a complex YNBY plaster. HPLC–ESI‐TOF/MS was used for definite identification of compounds in the preparations. This proposed method was successfully applied to quantify the 13 bioactive constituents in 27 commercial samples to evaluate the quality of YNBY preparations. The overall results demonstrate that this method is simple, reliable, and suitable for the quality control of YNBY. Furthermore, the retention behavior of these saponins in reversed‐phase chromatography is described.     

Fast HPLC for quality control of Harpagophytum procumbens by using a monolithic silica column: method transfer from conventional particle-based silica column

The applicability of a monolithic C18-bonded silica column for the rapid HPLC separation of ingredients in medicinal plants and their phytopharmaceutical preparations has been evaluated in the author's laboratory. In this presentation, an existing method for the determination of the iridoid glycoside harpagoside in Harpagophytum procumbens (Devil's Claw) was successfully transferred from a conventional particle-based C18 silica column to a monolithic silica column. The very high porosity of the stationary phase allows chromatography with a much lower backpressure than on conventional columns. Therefore, the flow rate could be easily increased from 0.8 mL/min (particle-based column) to 5 mL/min (monolithic column) and the run-time reduced from 30 to 5 min (that is a reduction about 85% !), without losing any chromatographic resolution of the compound of interest. The amount of harpagoside was measured with the original method on a conventional particle-based silica column and on the adapted method on a monolithic silica column. The statistical mean t-test showed no significant differences of the variances and the means indicating that the fast HPLC method is an acceptable alternative. The shorter analysis time makes the method very valuable for commercial quality control of Harpagophytum extracts and its pharmaceutical preparations.     

Comparative metabolism of the eight main bioactive ingredients of gegen qinlian decoction by the intestinal flora of diarrhoeal and healthy piglets

Diarrhoeal diseases alter the composition of intestinal flora, thereby affecting the efficacy of herbal medicinal formulations. Gegen Qinlian decoction (GQD), a Chinese traditional herbal formulation, is widely used to treat infectious diarrhoea. However, little is known about the microbial disposition of GQD in the diarrhoeal state. In this study, the comparative metabolism of components of GQD by diarrhoeal and normal intestinal flora was investigated in vitro. UPLC–MS/MS was performed for simultaneous analysis of eight ingredients of GQD in bacterial solution. The type, activities, and sources of microbial enzymes were also investigated. Microbial metabolism of daidzin, genistin and liquiritin (metabolized by β‐glucosidase); baicalin, wogonoside and glycyrrhizin (metabolized by β‐glucuronidase); and berberine and coptisine (metabolized via nitroreductase) was faster in the diarrhoeal group than in the normal group. Moreover, the activities of these enzymes in the diarrhoeal group were higher than those in the normal group. This difference might be associated with the increase in Escherichia spp. Thus, a change in the metabolism of components by diarrhoeal intestinal flora is associated with a preponderance of Escherichia spp., which might improve the efficacy of GQD. These findings have implications for understanding the action mechanism of GQD for diarrhoea treatment in terms of the microbial milieu.     

Spectrophotometric Determination of Cefadroxil in Drug Formulations using flow Injection Analysis

ABSTRACT

A flow injection analysis method for the determination of cefadroxil is proposed. The method is based on the hydrolysis of cefadroxil in sodium hydroxide solution followed by treatment with 1,4-phenylenediamine and Fe(III) in sulphuric acid solution to produce a violet color which has a maximum absorption at 600 nm. Variables such as acidity, reagent concentrations, flow rate of reagents and other FI parameters were optimized to produce the most sensitive and reproducible results. The calibration graph is linear between 80 - 320 mg/l. The detection limit is 40 mg/l with a relative standard deviation, RSD (n=6) of 1.8%. The proposed method, combining the advantages of speed and accuracy was applied to the determination of cefadroxil in pharmaceutical preparations. The results have been compared with those obtained using HPLC method (USP-procedure). Excellent agreement between the results of the proposed method and the HPLC method was observed.     

Determination of lomefloxacin in tablet preparations by liquid chromatography

A sensitive, precise, and specific high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the assay of lomefloxacin (LFLX) in raw material and tablet preparations. The method validation parameters yielded good results and included the range, linearity, precision, accuracy, specificity, and recovery. It was also found that the excipients in the commercial tablet preparation did not interfere with the assay. The HPLC separation was performed on a reversed-phase Phenomenex C18 column (150 x 4.6 mm id, 5 microm particle size) with a mobile phase composed of 1% acetic acid-acetonitrile-methanol (70 + 15 + 15, v/v/v), pumped isocratically at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The effluent was monitored at 280 nm. The calibration graph for LFLX was linear from 2.0 to 7.0 mg/mL. The interday and intraday precisions (relative standard deviation) were less than 1.0%. The method was applied for the quality control of commercial LFLX tablets to quantitate the drug.     

Determination of Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate in Pharmaceuticals by High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Abstract

A high performance liquid chromatographic procedure for the analysis of pharmaceutical formulations containing pentaerythritol tetranitrate including the diluted bulk drug and finished products consisting of uncoated tablets and timed-release capsules and tablets was developed. The method employs a reversed-phase system with UV detection at 230 nm. Replicate analyses of 11 commercial formulations (5 diluted bulk drugs and 6 dosage forms gave precision values (CV) having a range of 0.17 to 1.80%. Recovery values obtained from these commercial preparations via fortification ranged from 98.8 to 102.0% while recoveries from 3 synthetic mixtures varied from 99.2 to 100.8%. The detector response for the analyte was observed to be linear over a 50-fold concentration range using nitroglycerin as the internal standard. The proposed HPLC method is specific, easy to perform and exhibits excellent accuracy and precision. Seven different brands of HPLC columns were evaluated for possible use with the method.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic method for simultaneous determination of sophoridine and matrine in rat plasma

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method is described for the simultaneous determination of sophoridine and matrine in rat plasma. Sophoridine and matrine in the resulting supernatant of the plasma deproteinized with acetonitrile containing an internal standard (acetanilide) were directly determined by reversed-phase HPLC and ultraviolet detection. The result of limits of quantitation for matrine and sophoridine were 200 and 350 ng/mL in plasma, respectively, and recovery of both analytes was greater than 98%. The assay was linear from 250 to 4000 ng/mL for matrine and from 500 to 8000 ng/mL for sophoridine. Variation over the range of the standard curve was less than 15%. The method was used to determine the concentration-time profiles of matrine and sophoridine in the plasma following oral administration of Kexieling tablets, which is one of the preparations of Kudouzi at a dose equivalent to 30 and 60 mg/kg of matrine and sophoridine, respectively.     

Analysis of flavonol aglycones and terpenelactones in Ginkgo biloba extract: A comparison of high-performance thin-layer chromatography and column high-performance liquid chromatography

Advancements in automated high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) have made it feasible to assess its use for the quantitative analysis of marker compounds in botanical preparations. We report here the findings of method comparisons for the terpenelactones and flavonol aglycones by column high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with evaporative light scattering and UV detection, and HPTLC with a scanning densitometer. For the HPTLC assay of terpenelactones, total bilobalide, ginkgolide A, and ginkgolide B consistently achieved <70% of the total determined using HPLC, regardless of variations to postchromatographic derivatization time and temperature. Accuracy testing showed the possibility of a matrix interference. In contrast, a good relationship (95%) was determined between HPTLC and HPLC for determination of total flavonol glycosides (calculated from combined quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin) from an acid-hydrolyzed Ginkgo biloba L. (GBE) sample. The HPTLC flavonol aglycone method also performed well in terms of accuracy (overall average of 96% recovery for the 3 aglycones) and consecutive plate repeatability (overall percent relative standard deviation of 4.4). It is demonstrated that HPTLC can be a time-saving complement to HPLC for routine analysis of the flavonol glycosides in GBE.