Direct, non-destructive quantitative measurement of an active pharmaceutical ingredient in an intact capsule formulation using Raman spectroscopy

The active pharmaceutical ingredient (ambroxol) in an intact capsule formulation has been non-destructively quantified using Raman spectroscopy. To improve the problem of insufficient representive sampling inherent in Raman measurements, we have employed a wide area illumination (WAI) scheme that enables much improved sample coverage through a circular excitation laser spot with a 6 mm diameter. One of the anticipated sources of variation for this measurement was variation in the capsule shells. However, the WAI scheme significantly decreased the spectral variation among empty capsules compared to a measurement with a traditional small-spot excitation. Therefore, measurement variations emanating from the capsule shell did not significantly influence the accuracy of the determination of ambroxol concentrations. The resulting standard error of prediction (SEP) using the WAI scheme was comparable to that from previous Raman measurements which used a conventional small-spot excitation and employed a sampling scheme that involved rotation of an ambroxol pellet. It is further noteworthy that the SEP was also similar to that obtained from the use of transmission NIR spectroscopy, which was achieved by collection of spectra of the powdered capsule contents removed from the shell. The proposed Raman measurement using the WAI scheme in this case was sufficient to achieve the quantitative measurement of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) content of capsules non-destructively.     

Reliable and fast quantitative analysis of active ingredient in pharmaceutical suspension using Raman spectroscopy

The concentration of acetaminophen in a turbid pharmaceutical suspension has been measured successfully using Raman spectroscopy. The spectrometer was equipped with a large spot probe which enabled the coverage of a representative area during sampling. This wide area illumination (WAI) scheme (coverage area 28.3 mm²) for Raman data collection proved to be more reliable for the compositional determination of these pharmaceutical suspensions, especially when the samples were turbid. The reproducibility of measurement using the WAI scheme was compared to that of using a conventional small-spot scheme which employed a much smaller illumination area (about 100 μm spot size). A layer of isobutyric anhydride was placed in front of the sample vials to correct the variation in the Raman intensity due to the fluctuation of laser power. Corrections were accomplished using the isolated carbonyl band of isobutyric anhydride. The acetaminophen concentrations of prediction samples were accurately estimated using a partial least squares (PLS) calibration model. The prediction accuracy was maintained even with changes in laser power. It was noted that the prediction performance was somewhat degraded for turbid suspensions with high acetaminophen contents. When comparing the results of reproducibility obtained with the WAI scheme and those obtained using the conventional scheme, it was concluded that the quantitative determination of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in turbid suspensions is much improved when employing a larger laser coverage area. This is presumably due to the improvement in representative sampling.     

Validation of an in-line Raman spectroscopic method for continuous active pharmaceutical ingredient quantification during pharmaceutical hot-melt extrusion

A calibration model for in-line API determination was developed based on Raman spectra collected during hot-melt extrusion. This predictive model was validated by calculating the accuracy profile based on the analysis results of validation experiments. Furthermore, based on the data of the accuracy profile, the measurement uncertainty was determined. Finally, the robustness of the model was evaluated.     

New reliable Raman collection system using the wide area illumination (WAI) scheme combined with the synchronous intensity correction standard for the analysis of pharmaceutical tablets

A novel and reliable Raman collection system for the non-destructive analysis of pharmaceutical tablets has been proposed. The main idea was to develop and utilize the wide area illumination (WAI) scheme for Raman collection to cover a large surface area (coverage area: 28.3 mm²) of solid tablet to dramatically improve the reliability in sample representation and the reproducibility of sampling due to less sensitivity of sample placement with regard to the focal plane. Simultaneously, the effective and synchronous standard configuration using isobutyric anhydride was harmonized with the WAI scheme to correct the problematic variation of Raman intensity from the change of laser power. To verify the quantitative performance of the proposed scheme, the compositional analysis of active ingredient in naproxen tablet has been performed. The average sample composition was successfully represented by using the WAI scheme compared to the conventional scheme with a much smaller illumination area. After the intensity correction using the non-overlapping peak of isobutyric anhydride standard and area normalization, a partial least squares (PLS) model was developed using an optimized spectral range and the concentrations of naproxen in tablets were accurately predicted. The prediction accuracy was not sensitive to changes in laser power or tablet position within ±2 mm. Additionally, the prediction accuracy was repeatable without systematic drift or need for re-calibration.     

Development and validation of an at-line fast and non-destructive Raman spectroscopic method for the quantification of multiple components in liquid detergent compositions

Implementation of process analytical technology (PAT) tools in the manufacturing process of liquid detergent compositions should allow fast and non-destructive evaluation of the product quality. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a rapid method for quantifying the chemical compounds of five washing liquid precursors. Raman spectroscopy was applied in combination with a two-step multivariate modeling procedure. In first instance, a SIMCA (Soft Independent Modeling of Class Analogy) model was developed and validated, allowing the distinction between the different laundry detergents. Once the product was correctly identified, it was aimed at predicting the concentration of its individual components using partial least squares (PLS) models. Raman spectra were collected at-line with a total acquisition time of 20 s, using a non-contact fiber-optic probe.     

Solid-phase fluorescence spectroscopy for the determination of acetylsalicylic acid in powdered pharmaceutical samples

A rapid, simple and rugged procedure without requiring any prior sample treatment was developed for the determination of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in tablets formulations by solid-phase fluorescence spectroscopy. The method was carried out on powdered samples, consisting of an active substance dispersed in lactose, maize starch, talc and magnesium stearate. Previous knowledge of the sample bulk composition is needed for proper application of the method. Wavelengths for maximum excitation and emission were 288 and 318 nm, respectively, and the fluorescence intensity was linear with ASA concentration within the 50-170 mg g⁻¹ range. Detection and quantification limits were 2.2 and 7.3 mg g⁻¹, and the analytical frequency was 200 h⁻¹. For a typical sample, the relative standard deviation of results was estimated as 2.3% (n = 10). Accuracy was assessed by comparing the analytical results obtained with the proposed method with those related to a reference method recommended by British Pharmacopoeia: no differences between the methods were found at the 95% confidence level.     

A novel collagenase-assisted extraction of active pharmaceutical ingredients from gelatin products for quantitative analysis by high performance liquid chromatography

High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is frequently used for quantifying drugs in gelatin capsules. Gelatin has a strong UV absorption that often overlaps with drug absorbances. Therefore, the gelatin capsules must be removed manually before analysis. This study describes a novel extraction method named collagenase-assisted extraction (CAE), which uses collagenase to degrade gelatin into fragments with reduced hydrophobicity, allowing gelatin-related peaks to elute immediately, eliminating interference with the drug peak and enabling use of whole gelatin capsules during drug quantification. Use of CAE eliminates powder loss when opening a gelatin capsule, allows extraction of drugs from the capsule, reduces analytical time, and extends HPLC column life.     

Active content determination of non-coated pharmaceutical pellets by near infrared spectroscopy: Method development, validation and reliability evaluation

A robust near infrared (NIR) method able to quantify the active content of pilot non-coated pharmaceutical pellets was developed. A protocol of calibration was followed, involving 2 operators, independent pilot batches of non-coated pharmaceutical pellets and two different NIR acquisition temperatures. Prediction models based on Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression were then carried out. Afterwards, the NIR method was fully validated for an active content ranging from 80 to 120% of the usual active content using new independent pilot batches to evaluate the adequacy of the method to its final purpose. Conventional criteria such as the R², the Root Mean Square Error of Calibration (RMSEC), the Root Mean Square Error of Prediction (RMSEP) and the number of PLS factors enabled the selection of models with good predictive potential. However, such criteria sometimes fail to choose the most fitted for purpose model. Therefore, a novel approach based on accuracy profiles of the validation results was used, providing a visual representation of the actual and future performances of the models. Following this approach, the prediction model using signal pre-treatment Multiplicative Scatter Correction (MSC) was chosen as it showed the best ability to quantify accurately the active content over the 80-120% active content range. The reliability of the NIR method was tested with new pilot batches of non-coated pharmaceutical pellets containing 90 and 110% of the usual active content, with blends of validation batches and industrial batches. All those batches were also analyzed by the HPLC reference method and relative errors were calculated: the results showed low relative errors in full accordance with the results obtained during the validation of the method, indicating the reliability of the NIR method and its interchangeability with the HPLC reference method.     

Non-invasive determination of ethanol, propylene glycol and water in a multi-component pharmaceutical oral liquid by direct measurement through amber plastic bottles using Fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy

Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy was used to quantify rapidly the ethanol (34-49% v/v), propylene glycol (20-35% v/v) and water (11-20% m/m) contents within a multi-component pharmaceutical oral liquid by measurement directly through the amber plastic bottle packaging. Spectra were collected in the range 7302-12,000 cm-1 and calibration models set-up using partial least-squares regression (PLSR) and multiple linear regression. Reference values for the three components were measured using capillary gas chromatography (ethanol and propylene glycol) and Karl Fischer (water) assay procedures. The calibration and test sets consisted of production as well as laboratory batches that were made to extend the concentration ranges beyond the natural production variation. The PLSR models developed gave standard errors of prediction (SEP) of 1.1% v/v for ethanol, 0.9% v/v for propylene glycol and 0.3% m/m for water. For each component the calibration model was validated in terms of: linearity, repeatability, intermediate precision and robustness. All the methods produced statistically favourable outcomes. Ten production batches independent of the calibration and test sets were also challenged against the PLSR models, giving SEP values of 1.3% v/v (ethanol), 1.0% v/v (propylene glycol) and 0.2% m/m (water). NIR transmission spectroscopy allowed all three liquid constituents to be non-invasively measured in under 1 min.     

A simple method for evaluation of optical scattering effect on the Raman signal of a sample beneath an Intralipid layer

Optical scattering by biological tissues largely deteriorates the efficiency of the Raman analysis of these tissues. To evaluate the effect of scattering on Raman depth profiles (RDPs), we developed a simple method using a thin-layered sample mimicking real tissues and a conventional Raman microscope. The sample comprised three layers: a silicon wafer, a thin aqueous film containing Intralipid particles as scatters, and a fused silica window; this design was used to mimic real skin tissues quantitatively. The multi-scattering effect, which deteriorates spatial resolution, was clearly observed as broadening of RDPs. Decrease in Raman intensity was also systematically examined as a function of both the concentration of the Intralipid particles and depth of the film, and evaluated using Lambert-Beer's law. The abovementioned observations can be quantitatively explained on the basis of the scattering cross-section and concentration of the Intralipid particles, indicating that the method is useful for the quantification of the deterioration of Raman measurements due to optical scattering.     

Different sample stacking strategies for the determination of ertapenem and its impurities by micellar electrokinetic chromatography in pharmaceutical formulation

Ertapenem, a Group 1 carbapenem, is most recently introduced into the market. It is a beta-lactam antibiotic that possesses a broad antibacterial spectrum including common community-acquired Gram-positive and Gram-negative aerobic and anaerobic pathogens, but low activity against some nosocomial pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter spp., enterococci and methicillin-resistant staphylococci. The elaborated method of micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) of ertapenem separation from its impurities was successfully performed using normal stacking mode (NSM) and stacking with reverse migrating micelles (SRMM), followed by UV absorption detection at 214 nm. The best results were obtained with 60mM sodium dihydrogen phosphate and 20mM boric acid buffer pH 6.0, as background electrolyte. Uncoated fused-silica capillary and neutral-coated capillary with normal and reverse polarity, and voltage values of +18 and -12 kV, respectively, were used throughout the investigation. Sodium dodecyl sulfate was employed as the pseudostationary phase. A comparison of applied techniques, including sensitivity enhancement factors and limits of detection (LOD), is presented. The optimized method was validated in terms of linearity, accuracy and precision. Comparable LOD was obtained using both stacking methods (0.3 microg/mL) but better efficiency of ertapenem peak was obtained using NSM. Under the optimum stacking conditions, about 183-4.75-fold and 1289-4.07-fold improvements in peak areas were obtained for NSM and SRMM, respectively, compared to the usual hydrodynamic sample injection (10s). The reproducibility, expressed by relative standard deviations (RSD) of the migration times, for NSM was about 0.96-1.25 and for SRMM was 0.32-0.45. The RSD of corrected peak areas, for NSM was about 1.07-8.14 and for SRMM was 0.74-8.12. The difference in separation time between the two techniques was not obvious. Satisfactory separation was possible after less than 11min of electrophoresis. The evaluated MEKC method was applied in the analysis of medicinal product containing ertapenem: Invanz-ertapenem for injection.     

Development and validation of a capillary electrophoresis method with ultraviolet detection for the determination of the related substances in a pharmaceutical compound

A capillary electrophoresis (CE) method was successfully developed to quantify the impurity profile of a new substance of pharmacological interest: LAS 35917. CE method was developed in order to separate the chloromethylated, monomethylated and hydroxylated impurities (molecules with very similar chemical structures) having the three coelution in the reversed-phase LC method initially established. Taking into account the structure of the impurities of LAS 35917, separation by conventional liquid chromatography (LC) methods would be longer and tedious than separation by CE, which is an appropriate and versatile technique giving easier and quicker methods. Among the three potential impurities mentioned of LAS 35917, two are due to the synthesis route of this drug, and the third arises from degradation. These drug-related impurities were separated using a capillary of 56 cm of effective length and 50 microm I.D., a 60 mM tetraborate buffer, at pH 9.2, and a positive voltage of 20 kV. The optimised CE method was preliminary validated with regard to specificity, linearity, limits of detection and quantitation, repeatability and solution stability. The method allows the detection and quantitation of impurities above 0.04 and 0.08% level, respectively. All three related substances were separated, detected and quantified from their parent drug in the analysis of real samples of LAS 35917, stressed or not stressed, with this simple and fast CE method.     

Microscale chemistry-based design of eco-friendly, reagent-saving and efficient pharmaceutical analysis: a miniaturized Volhard's titration for the assay of sodium chloride

This work demonstrates the extended application of microscale chemistry which has been used in the educational discipline to the real analytical purposes. Using Volhard's titration for the determination of sodium chloride as a paradigm, the reaction was downscaled to less than 2 mL conducted in commercially available microcentrifuge tubes and using micropipettes for the measurement and transfer of reagents. The equivalence point was determined spectrophotometrically on the microplates which quickened the multi-sample measurements. After the validation and evaluation with bulk and dosage forms, the downsized method showed good accuracy comparable to the British Pharmacopeial macroscale method and gave satisfactory precision (intra-day, inter-day, inter-analyst and inter-equipment) with the relative standard deviation of less than 0.5%. Interestingly, the amount of nitric acid, silver nitrate, ferric alum and ammonium thiocyanate consumed in the miniaturized titration was reduced by the factors of 25, 50, 50 and 215 times, respectively. The use of environmentally dangerous dibutyl phthalate was absolutely eliminated in the proposed method. Furthermore, the release of solid waste silver chloride was drastically reduced by about 25 folds. Therefore, microscale chemistry is an attractive, facile and powerful green strategy for the development of eco-friendly, safe, and cost-effective analytical methods suitable for a sustainable environment.     

Validation of a capillary zone electrophoresis method for the comparative determination of etoricoxib in pharmaceutical formulations

A CZE method was developed and validated for the analysis of etoricoxib in pharmaceutical dosage forms, using prilocaine as an internal standard. The CZE method was carried out on a fused-silica capillary (50 microm id, effective length 40 cm). The BGE consisted of 25 mM tris-phosphate solution at pH 2.5. The capillary temperature was maintained at 35 degrees C, the applied voltage was 25 kV, the injection was performed using the pressure mode at 50 mbar for 5 s, with detection at 234 nm using a photodiode array detector. The method was linear in the range of 2-150 microg/mL (r(2) = 0.9999). The specificity and stability-indicating capability were proven through the degradation studies and showing also that there was no interference of the excipients of the formulation. The accuracy was 99.49% with RSD of 0.66%. The limits of quantitation and detection were 2 and 0.58 microg/mL, respectively. Moreover, method validation demonstrated acceptable results for the precision, sensitivity, and robustness. The proposed method was successfully applied for the quantitative analysis of etoricoxib pharmaceutical formulations, and the results compared to the HPLC and LC-MS/MS methods, showing nonsignificant difference (p >0.05).     

Assessment of hand-held Raman instrumentation for in situ screening for potentially counterfeit artesunate antimalarial tablets by FT-Raman spectroscopy and direct ionization mass spectrometry

Pharmaceutical counterfeiting has become a significant public health problem worldwide and new, rapid, user-friendly, reliable and inexpensive methods for drug quality screening are needed. This work illustrates the chemical characterization of genuine and fake artesunate antimalarial tablets by portable Raman spectroscopy and validation by FT-Raman spectroscopy and ambient mass spectrometry. The applicability of a compact and robust portable Raman spectrometer (TruScan™) for the in situ chemical identification of counterfeit tablets is reported.     

Use of alizarin red S as a chromogenic agent for the colorimetric determination of dothiepin hydrochloride in pharmaceutical formulations

The present study describes two simple, rapid, selective and cost-effective spectrophotometric methods for the determination of dothiepin hydrochloride (DOTH), an antidepressant drug, in bulk drug and pharmaceutical formulations. The first method (method A) is based on the formation of yellow colored ion-pair complex between DOTH and alizarin red S (ARS) in acid medium which was extracted into dichloromethane and the absorbance was measured at 445 nm. The second method (method B) is based on the breaking of the yellow DOTH–ARS ion-pair complex in alkaline medium followed by the measurement of the violet color free dye at 570 nm. Under the optimized conditions, Beer’s law is obeyed over the concentration ranges of 2.50–55.0 and 1.00–35.0 μg ml⁻¹ DOTH for method A and method B, respectively. The molar absorptivity, Sandell’s sensitivity, detection and quantification limits are also calculated. The methods were validated for intra-day and inter-day accuracy and precision; selectivity and robustness and ruggedness. The proposed methods were applied successfully to the determination of DOTH in pure drug and commercial formulations. The accuracy and reliability of the proposed methods were further established by parallel determination by the official method and also by recovery studies via standard addition technique.     

Raman Microspectroscopic Evidence for the Metabolism of a Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor,Neratinib, in Cancer Cells

Tyrosine kinase receptors are one of the main targets in cancer therapy. They play an essential role in the modulation of growth factor signaling and thereby inducing cell proliferation and growth. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as neratinib bind to EGFR and HER2 receptors and exhibit antitumor activity. However, little is known about their detailed cellular uptake and metabolism. Here, we report for the first time the intracellular spatial distribution and metabolism of neratinib in different cancer cells using label‐free Raman imaging. Two new neratinib metabolites were detected and fluorescence imaging of the same cells indicate that neratinib accumulates in lysosomes. The results also suggest that both EGFR and HER2 follow the classical endosome lysosomal pathway for degradation. A combination of Raman microscopy, DFT calculations, and LC‐MS was used to identify the chemical structure of neratinib metabolites. These results show the potential of Raman microscopy to study drug pharmacokinetics.     

A feasibility study on the use of visible and short wavelengths in the near-infrared region for the non-destructive measurement of wine composition

The aim of this study was to explore the capability of spectroscopy in the visible (Vis) and short wavelength near-infrared (NIR) regions for the non-destructive measurement of wine composition in intact bottles. In this study we analysed a wide range of commercial wines obtained in Australia in different types of bottles (e.g. colours, diameters and heights), including different wine styles and varieties. Wine bottles were scanned in the Vis-NIR region (600–1,100 nm) in a monochromator instrument in transflectance mode. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares (PLS) regression were used to interpret the spectra and develop calibrations for wine composition. Due to the relatively small number of samples available full cross-validation (leave-one-out) was used as validation. The coefficient of correlation in calibration and the standard error of cross-validation (SECV) were 0.67 (SECV: 0.48%), 0.83 (SECV: 4.01 mg L⁻¹), 0.70 (SECV: 28.6 mg L⁻¹) and 0.50 (SECV: 0.15) for alcohol content, total SO₂, free SO₂ and pH, respectively, in the set of wine samples analysed. These preliminary results showed that the assessment of wine composition by Vis and short wavelengths in the NIR is possible for either qualitative analysis (e.g. low-, medium- and high-quality grading), or for screening of composition during bottling and storage. Although low accuracy and precision were obtained for the chemical parameters routinely analysed in wine, calibration models for the chemical parameters were considered acceptable for screening purposes in terms of the standard errors obtained.     

A new technique for membrane characterisation: direct measurement of the force of adhesion of a single particle using an atomic force microscope

An Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) has been used to quantify directly the adhesive force between a colloid probe and two polymeric ultrafiltration membranes of similar MWCO (4000 Da) but different materials (ES 404 and XP 117, PCI Membrane Systems (UK)). The colloid probe was made from a polystyrene sphere (diameter 11 μm) glued to a V shaped AFM cantilever. Measurements were made in 10⁻² M NaCl solution at pH 8. It was found that the adhesive force at the ES 404 membrane was more than five times greater than that at the XP 117 membrane. As it allows direct quantification of particle/membrane interactions, this technique should be invaluable in the development of new membrane materials and in the elucidation of process behaviour.