PHOTOSENSITIZATION BY DRUGS: NALIDIXIC AND OXOLINIC ACIDS

Abstract— The antibacterial drugs, nalidixic acid and oxolinic acid, have been tested as photosensitizers in aqueous solution using 365 nm UV light. Absorption and fluorescence spectra indicate that intramolecular hydrogen bonding stabilizes the unionized form of these compounds in the pH region2–4. The ability of the unionized species to sensitize photooxidation by the type II (singlet oxygen) mechanism was found to be lower than when these drugs were ionized. Comparison withquinoline–3-carboxylic acid and the methyl esters of nalidixic and oxolinic acids emphasised the significance of the hydrogen bonding in relation to the excited state properties. Unionized nalidixic acid undergoes photolysis more readily than the ionized form, apparently by a free radical mechanism, while oxolinic acid is more stable.     

Derivatization-Gas Chromatographic Analysis of Nalidixic Acid in Tablets

A simple and improved gas chromatographic method has been developed for the quantitative analysis of nalidixic acid. The method is based on the derivatization of nalidixic acid with pentafluorobenzyl bromide in acetone, using potassium carbonate as a base-catalyst. The derivative obtained was chromatographed on an OV-101 column and the pentafluorobenzyl ester of cinoxacin was used as an internal standard. The method was satisfactorily applied to the analysis of nalidixic acid in tablets, and the results agree well with those obtained using the UV absorption spectrophotometric method.     

Synthesis and in vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Nalidixic Acid Hydrazones

A series of nalidixic acid‐based hydrazones have been synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial activity using the broth microdilution method against a panel of reference strains of microorganisms, including Gram‐positive bacteria, Gram‐negative bacteria, and fungi belonging to yeasts Candida spp. and molds Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., and Rhizopus spp. Nalidixic acid derivatives were obtained by condensation reaction of nalidixic acid hydrazide with substituted (hetero)aromatic aldehydes. All compounds have been characterized by ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectra. The antimicrobial activity indicated that compound with indole substituent could be a promising lead for future development of active antifungal agents.     

Synthesis, primary photophysical and antibacterial properties of naphthyl ester cinoxacin and nalidixic acid derivatives

We have synthesized two naphthyl ester quinolone derivates and determined their ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as (1)O(2), ()OH, H(2)O(2) upon photolysis with UV-A light. The ability of cinoxacin (1) and nalidixic acid (2), and their naphthyl ester derivatives (3 and 4) to generate a dose-dependent amount of singlet oxygen and ROS (()(-)O(2), ()OH) in cell-free systems was detected by histidine assay and by luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence (LCL), respectively. Their electronic absorption and emission spectra were quantified and their photostability was determined. Their tendency to generate peroxidic derivative species showed the following order: 3>4; in contrast, their ability to generate singlet oxygen was 4>3 and these were better sensitizers than their parent quinolones 1 and 2. The antibacterial activity in darkness and under irradiation of compounds 3 and 4 was tested on Escherichia coli and compared with that of their parent compounds. An enhanced antibacterial activity by irradiation of the naphthyl esters of cinoxacin and nalidixic acid on E. coli was observed.     

Determination of nalidixic acid by fluorometry with sodium borohydride and hydrogen peroxide

A simple and sensitive fluorometric method for the determination of nalidixic acid was established by using 0.75M sodium borohydride and 7.5% hydrogen peroxide solution as fluorogenic reagents. Analyte concentrations of 0.0232-11.6 pg/mL could be determined with high precision and accuracy by the method. A relative standard deviation of 1.75% was obtained for a nalidixic acid concentration of 0.232 pg/mL. The method was satisfactorily applied to the determination of nalidixic acid in human serum, fish muscle, and chicken muscle, and the calibration curves were linear from 0.23 to 58.00 pg/mL, from 9.28 to 32.48 mg/kg, and from 4.64 to 23.20 mg/kg, respectively. The specificity of the reaction is also discussed.     

Direct determination of nalidixic acid in urine by matrix isopotential synchronous fluorescence spectrometry

A new method for the determination of nalidixic acid in urine is proposed for concentrations between 25 and 1000 ng ml(-1) by means of matrix isopotential synchronous fluorescence spectrometry. This new technique is useful for the determination of compounds in samples with unknown background fluorescence, such as nalidixic acid in urine, without the need for tedious preseparation. The method was performed in ethanol/water medium (80% v/v), at an apparent pH of 2.9 provided by adding sodium monochloracetate/monochloroacetic acid buffer solution. The method was successfully applied to the determination of nalidixic acid in urine. Better sensitivity and reproducibility are achieved in these matrices than with the fluorimetric methods described in the literature.     

喹诺酮类药物对人血清白蛋白的荧光猝灭研究

观察了喹诺酮药物萘啶酸及氟哌酸对人血清白蛋白荧光的猝灭现象。根据药物对天然白蛋白及变性白蛋白荧光猝灭的不同表现,研究了萘啶酸和氟哌酸对人血清白蛋白荧光的猝灭机理,并探讨了药物与血清白蛋白的结合情况。     

Phototoxicity induced by nalidixic and oxolinic acids: decrease in cell survival of chick embryo fibroblasts and Hep-2 cells

The phototoxic effects of nalidixic and oxolinic acids were evaluated in two types of cultured cells: chick embryo fibroblast and Hep-2 (human laryngo carcinoma cell line). In order to evaluate the phototoxicity induced by nalidixic and oxolinic acids, both cell types were irradiated for 5 min in the presence of each drug. The results showed an inverse relationship between cell survival and the concentration of the drug added to the culture medium. The concentrations of nalidixic and oxolinic acids necessary to induce a phototoxic effect were in the range of therapeutic blood levels. Both chick embryo fibroblasts and Hep-2 cells were more sensitive to the phototoxic effect induced by nalidixic acid than oxolinic acid.     

Photophysics and photochemistry of nalidixic acid

The photophysics and photochemistry of nalidixic acid (NA) were studied as function of pH and solvent properties. The ground state of NA exhibits different protonated forms in the range of pH 1.8-10.0. Fluorescence studies showed that the same species exist at the lowest singlet excited state. Absorption experiments were carried out with NA and with the methylated analog of nalidixic acid (MNE) in different organic solvents and water pH 3, where the main species corresponds to that protonated at the carboxylic group. These studies and the DFT calculation of torsional potential energy profiles suggest that the most stable conformation of the NA in nonprotic solvents corresponds to a closed structure caused by the existence of intramolecular hydrogen bond. Absorption and fluorescence spectra were studied in sulfuric acid solution. The pK value (Ho -1.0) found in these conditions was attributed to the protonation of the 4' keto oxygen atom of the heterocyclic ring. Theoretical calculations (DFT/B3LYP/6-311G*) of the energies of the different monoprotonated forms of the NA and Fukui indexes (f(x)-) showed that the species with the proton attached to 4' keto oxygen atom is the most stable of all the cationic forms. MNE and enoxacin also showed the protonation of the 4' keto oxygen atom with similar pK values. The photodecomposition of NA is dependent on the medium properties. Faster decomposition rates were obtained in strong acid solution. In nonprotic solvents, a very slow decomposition rate was observed.     

Electronic structure and specroscopic properties of norfloxacin,enoxacin, and nalidixic acid

The X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) of the core electrons of the carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and fluorine atoms of antibiotics from the class of quinolones (nalidixic acid, norfloxacin, and enoxacin), having different antibacterial activities, were measured and interpreted. The integrated intensities of the π-π* and n-π* transition bands in the absorption spectra of the compounds were analyzed. The maxima of the luminescence spectral bands are given along with the lifetimes of the excited states and quantum yields of the protolytic forms of the compounds in aqueous media. The XPS data were compared with the Mulliken charges on heteroatoms obtained by quantum-chemical calculations.     

Spectroscopic properties of various quinolone antibiotics in aqueous-organic solvent mixtures

The spectroscopic properties of enoxacin (ENO), oxolinic acid (OXO) and nalidixic acid (NAL) were studied in various H2O-CH3OH and H2O-CH3CN mixed solvents because these solvents were thought to behave as a biological mimetic system. ENO has piperazinyl group, but OXO and NAL do not have this substituent. The fluorescence emission spectra of ENO were very sensitive to the composition of the solvents. In the Lippert-Mataga analysis of the steady-state fluorescence data, clear reverse solvatochromism was exhibited for ENO in both mixed solvents. This observation can be explained using the excited state twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) from the nitrogen of the piperazinyl group to the keto oxygen. Theoretical calculations further support this observation. The nonradiative and radiative rate constants of these molecules were analyzed as a function of dipolarity-polarizability (pi*) and hydrogen bond donor acidity (alpha) of the mixed solvents. These results for ENO were consistent with the suggested mechanism of the TICT very well. The influence of bulk dielectric effect was more significant relative to the specific hydrogen bonding interactions. The emission spectra of OXO and NAL do not exhibit any characteristic responses to the properties of the solvent.     

Flash photolysis and pulse radiolysis studies on collagen Type I in acetic acid solution

An investigation of the photochemical properties of collagen Type I in acetic acid solution was carried out using nanosecond laser irradiation. The transient spectra of collagen solution excited at 266 nm show two bands. One of them with maximum at 295 nm and the second one with maximum at 400 nm. The peak at 400 nm is assigned to tyrosyl radicals. The first peak of the transient absorption spectra at 295 nm is probably due to photoionisation producing collagen radical cation. The transient for collagen solution in acetic acid at 640 nm was not observed. It is evidence that there is no hydrated electron in the irradiated collagen solution. The reactions of hydrated electrons and (*)OH radicals with collagen have been studied by pulse radiolysis. In the absorption spectra of products resulting from the reaction of collagen with e(aq)(-) no characteristic maximum absorption in UV and visible light region has been observed. In the absorption spectra of products resulting from the reaction of the hydroxyl radicals with collagen two bands have been observed. The first one at 320 nm and the second one at 405 nm. Reaction of (*)OH radicals with tyrosine residues in collagen chains gives rise to Tyr phenoxyl radicals (absorption at 400 nm).     

Gaining an insight into the photoreactivity of a drug in a protein environment: a case study on nalidixic acid and serum albumin

The binding of nalidixic acid (NA) with human and bovine serum albumin (HSA and BSA) in buffer solution at pH 7.4 was investigated using circular dichroism (CD), UV absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. Global analysis of multiwavelength spectroscopic data afforded the equilibrium constants of the most stable noncovalent drug/protein adducts of 1:1 and 2:1 stoichiometry and their individual CD, UV absorption, and fluorescence spectra. The primary binding site of the drug was located in subdomain IIIA (Sudlow Site II), whereas the secondary one was assigned to subdomain IIA. Conformational and CD calculations afforded the binding geometries. In the complexes, the fluorescence of the protein was strongly quenched by energy transfer and that of the drug was suppressed by electron transfer. Laser flash photolysis at 355 nm evidenced the formation of a radical pair consisting of a tyroxyl radical (lambdamax = 410 nm) and a reduced nalidixate anion radical NA(2-)* (lambdamax = 640 nm) with quantum yield of 0.4-0.5. Strong evidence was obtained that the process that involves Tyr411 in HSA (Tyr409 in BSA). A further transient with lambdamax approximately 780 nm observed in HSA was attributed to oxidation of the -(S200-S246)- bridge upon electron transfer to NA(-)*. Decay of the confined radical pairs occurred with rates approximately 10(7) s(-1). Formation of covalent drug-protein adducts in mixtures irradiated at lambdairr> 324 nm was proved using HPLC with fluorescence detection.     

Gradient HPLC of antibiotics in urine, ground water, chicken muscle, hospital wastewater, and pharmaceutical samples using C-18 and RP-amide columns

A simple and highly sensitive high pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC-UV) method has been developed for the determination of ofloxacin, lomefloxacin, cinoxacin, and nalidixic acid, in mobile phase citrate buffer (0.001 M) of pH 4.5 prepared in water (X), methanol (Y), and ACN (Z) using gradient at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min by direct UV absorbance detection at lambda = 280 nm. Separation of analytes was studied on the C-18 and RP-amide columns and best results were observed on the RP-amide column with LODs (3.3 x S/m) 0.89, 0.55, 0.67, and 1.41 ng/mL for ofloxacin, lomefloxacin, cinoxacin, and nalidixic acid, respectively, and better RSD than the C-18 column. The recovery of Fluoroquinolones (FQs) in urine, ground water, hospital wastewater, and chicken muscle using this method is more than 90%. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of ofloxacin, lomefloxacin, cinoxacin, and nalidixic acid in urine, ground water, pharmaceutical dosage forms, hospital wastewater, and chicken muscle.     

Phototoxic potential of quinolones.

The photohaemolytic potentials of the quinolones oxolinic acid, pipemidic acid, rosoxacin, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin and M-193324 (synthesis intermediary) were evaluated and compared with the photohaemolysis induced by nalidixic acid. Quinolones with a piperazine group in position 7 (pipemidic acid, norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin) did not induce photohaemolysis. However, oxolinic acid, rosoxacin and M-193324 produced a concentration- and oxygen-dependent photohaemolysis. Ascorbic acid, histidine and thiourea inhibited the photohaemolysis induced by oxolinic acid, rosoxacin and M-193324, suggesting a photodynamic mechanism similar to that found with nalidixic acid. In addition, deuterium oxide increased the photohaemolysis induced by photohaemolytic quinolones, indicating that this process is mediated by singlet oxygen.     

Improving the Selectivity of the Luminescence Determination of Europium(III) with the Use of a Zirconium Phosphate Solid Support

Conditions for the sorption of europium(III) ions by finely dispersed zirconium oxophosphate and for the formation of Eu complexes upon treatment of the resulting adsorbates with solutions of reagents (Na₂WO₄; oxalic, nicotinic, quinaldic, benzoic, and nalidixic acids; and benzoyltrifluoroacetone) were studied. It was found that the adsorbate of the Eu complex of nalidixic acid (the ratio of components, 1 : 2) exhibits highly intense luminescence and is characterized by the highest photostability. The use of sorption and the complexation of Eu with nalidixic acid on the sorbent improved the selectivity and lowered the detection limit for the determination of europium in high-purity samarium oxide.     

Protein binding of quinolonecarboxylic acids. II. Spectral changes on the interaction of cinoxacin, nalidixic acid and pipemidic acid with human and rat albumins

The interaction of cinoxacin (CINX), nalidixic acid (NA), and pipemidic acid (PPA) with human and rat serum albumins (HSA and RSA) was studied by UV difference absorption and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. CINX and NA bound to the albumins and generated difference absorption and induced CD (ICD) spectra. The difference absorption spectral data explained reasonably our previous observations that CINX bound to HSA more weakly than NA, but to RSA as strongly as NA. We used a quantity delta epsilon/epsilon, designated as relative molar difference absorbance, at positions corresponding to the longest wavelength peaks in the difference spectra. The quantity was found to correlate linearly with percent bound to both HSA and RSA, but with different slopes, from which the binding site for CINX and NA in RSA was supposed to provide a much more nonpolar environment than that in HSA. The magnitude of ICD bands observed at 371 nm for CINX and at 342-348 nm for NA corresponded to the binding degrees of these drugs to both albumins. Anisotropy factors for the ICD bands at 350-271 nm for CINX and 320-348 nm for NA were approximately similar between HSA and RSA, suggesting a similar ability to generate the ICD spectra in these wavelength regions upon binding to the albumins. Spectral results for PPA in albumin solutions showed little or no binding of this drug to HSA and RSA. PPA existed as a betaine form in neutral solution and its positively charged group acted as an unfavorable factor for binding to both albumins.     

Towards a new family of calixarene-based podands incorporating quinolone arms. An example using nalidixic acid

A new calixarene-based heterocyclic podand incorporating a quinolone antibiotic, the nalidixic acid, was synthesised and fully characterised.     

Effective cleanup for the determination of six quinolone residues in shrimp before HPLC with diode array detection in compliance with the European Union Decision 2002/657/EC

A high‐performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the determination of six quinolone residues (ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, sarafloxacin, oxolinic acid, nalidixic acid, and flumequine) in shrimp tissue samples. Separation was carried out by a LiChrospher® 100 RP‐8e column, running at a 22 min gradient elution program, and the mobile phase consisted of citric acid (0.4 mol/L), acetonitrile and methanol. Detection was achieved by a diode array detector, monitoring at 255 and 275 nm. Sample preparation included initial extraction with citric acid solution and further clean‐up by solid‐phase extraction, employing Lichrolut RP‐18 cartridges. Validation was performed according to the European Union Decision 2002/657/EC. The detection capability was 127.2 μg/kg for ciprofloxacin, 115.2 μg/kg for enrofloxacin, 126.2 μg/kg for sarafloxacin, 113.1 μg/kg for oxolinic acid, 125.2 μg/kg for nalidixic acid, and 239.0 μg/kg for flumequine. Recoveries ranged between 83.0 and 121.6%. The Youden test was applied to study the method ruggedness.     

Structural modification of bacterial cellulose

The microfibrillar nature of bacterial cellulose produced by Acetobacter was modified by various chemical reagents in a culture medium. The chemical reagents included antibiotics to inhibit cell division or certain protein synthesis, and reducing reagents that induce reductive cleavage of disulfide bonds in proteins. Among the reagents tested, nalidixic acid and chloramphenicol induced elongation of bacteria, resulting in the formation of wider cellulose ribbons or aggregates of ribbons. The Young's modulus of the sheets made from such cellulose increased, while dithiothreitol, which produced ribbons having only 45% of the width of the control, produced sheets with undiminished Young's modulus. Although further study is necessary to clarify the effect of such modifications, nalidixic acid and chloramphenicol produced a bacterial cellulose with superior mechanical properties.