FLUORESCENCE ENERGY TRANSFER BETWEEN DIMETHYLDIAZAPEROPYRENIUM DICATION AND ETHIDIUM INTERCALATED IN POLY d(A-T)

Dimethyldiazaperopyrenium is one of the largest known DNA intercalators. Fluorescence energy transfer occurred between dimethyldiazaperopyrenium (donor) and ethidium (acceptor) when these dyes were bound to a double-stranded polynucleotide such as poly d(A-T). The addition of increasing amounts of ethidium bromide led to a marked shortening of the fluorescence lifetime of the donor, whereas the excited state of the acceptor was progressively populated via energy transfer from the donor. Critical Förster distance between these two chromophores was calculated to be 3.8 nm. The observed transfer efficiency was lower than that calculated on the basis of this critical distance and a statistical distribution of bound drugs. These results are discussed taking into account the conformational change induced by intercalation of dimethyldiazaperopyrenium in the double-stranded polynucleotide.     

Simultaneous determination of free and bound adriamycin, adriamycinol, adriamycinone and duanorubicin in plasma using column-switching technique and protein-coated pre-columns

Adriamycin, adriamycinol, adriamycinone and duanorubicin were simultaneously determined by the development of an on-line plasma clean-up system. A short protein-coated Lichrosorb, RP-8, RP-2, CN and muBondapak phenyl as well as ODS silica have been examined for their performance as pre-columns. The drugs and metabolites were separated from weakly retained plasma components through two steps; phosphate buffer saline, pH 7.4 and 15% acetonitrile in 0.1 M sodium dihydrogen phosphate, pH 3. The chromatographic conditions were: ODS/TM column, flow rate 1 ml/min, 35% acctonitrile in 0.1 M sodium dihydrogen phosphate (pH 3) containing 0.3% heptafluorobutyric acid as mobile phase. The detection was carried out using fluorescence monitor operated at an emission 555 nm and excitation 460 nm. Good resolution was obtained within 13 min. This method is reproducible for analysis of drugs and metabolites (99.3-100.1%, CV < 2%) in plasma.     

Stability-indicating method for determination of oxyphenonium bromide and its degradation product by high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed for determination of oxyphenonium bromide (OX) and its degradation product. The method was based on the HPLC separation of OX from its degradation product, using a cyanopropyl column at ambient temperature with mobile phase of acetonitrile-25 mM potassium dihydrogen phosphate, pH 3.4 (50 + 50, v/v). UV detection at 222 nm was used for quantitation based on peak area. The method was applied to the determination of OX and its degradation product in tablets. The proposed method was also used to investigate the kinetics of the acidic and alkaline degradation of OX at different temperatures, and the apparent pseudo first-order rate constant, half-life, and activation energy were calculated. The pH-rate profile of the degradation of OX in Britton-Robinson buffer solutions within the pH range 2-12 was studied.     

Direct injection liquid chromatographic technique for simultaneous determination of two antihistaminic drugs and their main metabolites in serum

A very simple liquid chromatographic technique was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of 2 antihistaminic drugs, loratadine (LT) and terfenadine (TR), and their major active metabolites, desloratadine (DL) and fexofenadine (FX), respectively, in human serum. LT, DL, TR, and FX from directly injected serum samples were enriched on a protein-coated RP8 silica precolumn (10 x 4.6 mm id) while serum constituents, such as proteins and salts, were eluted to waste. Using an online column-switching system, the drugs and their metabolites were quantitatively transferred and separated on a second analytical column (Shim-pack 5 microm particle size cyanopropyl, 250 x 4.6 mm id) followed by ultraviolet detection at 243 nm for LT and DL and 220 nm for TR and FX. Very good precision, accuracy, and linearity were obtained over the range of 10-1000 ng/mL for LT and DL, 10-500 ng/mL for TR, and 10-3000 ng/mL for FX in human serum. High extraction recoveries from serum ranging from 96.03 to 98.19, 95.44 to 97.26, 95.61 to 98.17, and 95.60 to 97.89 for LT, DL, TR, and FX, respectively, were obtained.     

Novel mixed ligand coordination compounds of some rare earth metal cations containing acesulfamato/N,N-diethylnicotinamide

The mixed ligand coordination compounds containing acesulfamato and N,N -diethylnicotinamide biomolecules of some rare earth metal cations (Eu³⁺, Tb³⁺, Ho³⁺, Er³⁺ and Yb³⁺) were synthesized, and their structural properties were investigated. Possible structural formulas have been proposed by determining the chemical composition of molecules (elemental analysis), binding properties (infrared spectroscopy, mass analysis, solid-state UV-vis spectroscopy), thermal degradation properties (TGA / DTA curves). Based on the data collected, it is suggested that rare earth metal cations with a 3+ oxidation state have sextet coordination. The geometries of the structures were thought to be distorted octahedral. The charge balance of the coordination sphere is balanced by a monoanionic acesulfamato located outside the coordination sphere. When the thermal behaviours of the complexes were examined, it was determined that the compounds with Eu³⁺, Tb³⁺, and Yb³⁺ metal cations contained one hydrate water outside the coordination sphere. Hydrate waters do not exist in the Ho³⁺ and Er³⁺ metal cation-centred complexes. At the end of the thermal decomposition analysis of all complex structures, it was determined that they leave the relevant metal oxides in the reaction vessels as final decomposition products.     

Separation of naturally occurring triterpenoidal saponins by capillary zone electrophoresis.

A high-performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE) was successfully applied to the separation and quantitation of naturally occurring oleanene triterpenoidal saponins. The HPCE adapted to the separation of two pairs of disteriomeric saponins (1-2) or (3-4), obtained from Trifolium alexandrinum seeds, was based on capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) in borate buffer with UV detection at 195 nm. An usual technique for isolation and group separation of saponins was developed as an appropriate purification step prior to determination of individual saponins by CZE. The separation parameters such as borate concentration, pH and applied voltage were varied in order to find the best compromise that complied with demands for high separation, short duration and sufficiently high detector response. The optimum running conditions were found to be 60 mM borate buffer, pH 10 and 12 kV. Under the alkaline borate electrolyte, no resolution was achieved for the saponins (1 and 3) or (2 and 4) in a single mixture, except when 20 mM beta-cyclodextrin was added to the running electrolyte. With the combined techniques of group separation, purification and CZE, a rapid and efficient method for the determination of naturally occurring diasteriomeric saponins is now available.     

Structure and reflective properties of Al-Cu-Fe quasicrystalline thin film prepared by laser induced arc method

Al-Cu-Fe thin films were prepared by laser induced arc (laser-arc) method from a single source-Al63Cu25Fe12 alloy, which was proved to consist of quasicrystalline phase together with approximant phase. The composition of the deposited films meets the requirement for formation of icosahedral symmetry phase. Quasicrystalline phase was obtained after annealing the amorphous as-deposit film samples. The optical properties of the samples were investigated. Thin film samples of Al, Cu and Fe deposited under the same condition were employed for comparison. The results showed specific reflective properties of Al-Cu-Fe quasicrystal thin film in some wavelength range. The optical conductivity of the films exhibited a negative peak, centered about 440 nm in range of 190to 800 nm. The Al-Cu-Fe quasicrystal thin films could absorb almost all the ray in the wavelength range from 420nm to 450 nm. The ratio of absorption was greater than 99%.     

THE PREPARATION AND STABILITY OF COLLOIDAL METAL DISPERSIONS PREPARED BY A TWO-PHASE NON-AQUEOUS ROUTE

Stable suspensions of small metal Au, Ru, PI, Pd, Rh, Co and Nl particles dispersed in n-heptane and n-dodecane have been prepared using a novel two-phase system, Involving the formation of the particles In a methanolic phase and subsequent phase transfer of the panicles to the alkane medium. The dispersions consisted of small particles having diameters In the range of 8-30 nm (the gold sols were very polydlsperse having average diameters of ca.34 nm). The phase transfer of the particles and their subsequent colloid stability were effected by the presence of dissolved dispersant in the hydrocarbon phase (either Oloa 1200 or Hypermer LP 8). In the case of Oloa 1200, a widely-used polylsobutylene succinimide automotive engine dispersant, It Is proposed that the amlne groups adsorb strongly to the acidic surface o1 the particles, and the 70-carbon polyisobutylene chains extend Into the hydrocarbon medium sufficiently to maintain the separation of adjacent particles by steric and possibly also by electrical repulsion.     

Validated and optimized high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of tizoxanide, the main active metabolite of nitazoxanide in human urine, plasma and breast milk

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method was optimized and validated for the determination of desacetyl nitazoxanide (tizoxanide), the main active metabolite of nitazoxanide in human plasma, urine and breast milk. The proposed method used a CN column with mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile-12mM ammonium acetate-diethylamine in the ratio of 30:70:0.1 (v/v/v) and buffered at pH 4.0 with acetic acid, with a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min. Quantitation was achieved with UV detection at 260 nm using nifuroxazide as internal standard. A simplified direct injection of urine samples without extraction in addition to the urinary excretion pattern were calculated using the proposed method. Also, the effectiveness of protein precipitation and a clean-up procedure were investigated for biological plasma and human breast milk samples. The validation study of the proposed method was successfully carried out in an assay range between 0.2 and 20 μg/mL.