A simple LC-MS/MS method to determine plasma and cerebrospinal fluid levels of albendazole metabolites (albendazole sulfoxide and albendazole sulfone) in patients with neurocysticercosis

The development and validation of an LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of albendazole metabolites (albendazole sulfoxide and albendazole sulfone) in human plasma are described. Samples of 200 μL were extracted with ether-dichloromethane-chloroform (60:30:10, v/v/v). The chromatographic separation was performed using a C(18) column with methanol-formic acid 20 mmol/L (70:30) as the mobile phase. The method was linear in a range of 20-5000 ng/mL for albendazole sulfoxide and 10-1500 ng/mL for albendazole sulfone. For both analytes the method was precise (RSD < 12%) and accurate (RE <7%) with high recovery (>90%). The method was successfully applied to determine the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid levels of albendazole sulfoxide and albendazole sulfone in patients with subarachnoidal neurocysticercosis who received albendazole at 30 mg/kg per day for 7 days. This LC-MS/MS method yielded a quick, simple and reliable protocol for determining albendazole sulfoxide and albendazole sulfone concentrations in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid samples and is applicable to therapeutic monitoring.     

Disposable Gold Electrode Array for Simultaneous Electrochemical Studies

An efficient and inexpensive eight gold electrode array has been manufactured by a combination of screen printing and gold electrodeposition techniques. Gold electrodeposition was performed in potentiostatic and galvanostatic conditions. Different treatments, involving temperature and polishing control, led to electrodes with different roughness. The electrochemical behavior of the generated gold surface was studied by cyclic voltammetry showing the characteristic response of polycrystalline gold, in contrast with disposable gold electrodes fabricated by screen printing from gold inks. The electrodes were chemically modified through the adsorption of alkanethiols self‐assembled monolayers and the coupling of a model protein. Both reactions were followed by cyclic voltammetry and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The electrodes have shown high reproducibility in their electrochemical behavior as well as in their modifications.     

Synthesis of fluorinated acyclic nucleoside phosphonates with 5-azacytosine base moiety

With respect to the strong antiviral activity of (S)-1-[3-hydroxy-2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl]-5-azacytosine various types of its side chain fluorinated analogues were prepared. The title compound, (S)-1-[3-fluoro-2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl]-5-azacytosine (FPMP-5-azaC) was synthesised by the condensation reaction of (S)-2-[(diisopropoxyphosphoryl)methoxy)-3-fluoropropyl p-toluenesulfonate with a sodium salt of 5-azacytosine followed by separation of appropriate N¹ and O² regioisomers and ester hydrolysis. Transformations of FPMP-5-azaC to its 5,6-dihydro-5-azacytosine counterpart, amino acid phosphoramidate prodrugs and systems with an annelated five-membered imidazole ring, i.e. imidazo [1,2-a][1,3,5]triazine derivatives were also carried out. 1-(2-Phosphonomethoxy-3,3,3-trifluoropropyl)-5-azacytosine was prepared from 5-azacytosine and trifluoromethyloxirane to form 1-(3,3,3-trifluoro-2-hydroxypropyl)-5-azacytosine which was treated with diisopropyl bromomethanephosphonate followed by deprotection of esters. Antiviral activity of all newly prepared compounds was studied. FPMP-5-azaC diisopropyl ester inhibited the replication of herpes viruses with EC₅₀ values that were about three times higher than that of the reference anti-HCMV drug ganciclovir without displaying cytotoxicity.     

Efficient Microwave-Assisted Esterification Reaction Employing Methanesulfonic Acid Supported on Alumina as Catalyst

A rapid and efficient protocol assisted by microwave irradiation for the synthesis of esters using methanesulfonic acid (CH₃SO₃H) supported on Al₂O₃ (AMA) as catalyst and free of solvent is described. The products were obtained in good yields and purity, with reduced reaction time, and the process is simple and environmentally benign.     

Chemometrics-assisted excitation–emission fluorescence spectroscopy on nylon-attached rotating disks. Simultaneous determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the presence of interferences

This work presents a green and very simple approach which enables the accurate and simultaneous determination of benzo[a]pyrene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, benz[a]anthracene, and chrysene, concerned and potentially carcinogenic heavy-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in interfering samples. The compounds are extracted from water samples onto a device composed of a small rotating Teflon disk, with a nylon membrane attached to one of its surfaces. After extraction, the nylon membrane containing the concentrated analytes is separated from the Teflon disk, and fluorescence excitation–emission matrices are directly measured on the nylon surface, and processed by applying parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), without the necessity of a desorption step. Under optimum conditions and for a sample volume of 25 mL, the PAHs extraction was carried out in 20 min. Detection limits based on the IUPAC recommended criterion and relative errors of prediction were in the ranges 20–100 ng L⁻¹ and 5–7%, respectively. Thanks to the combination of the ability of nylon to strongly retain PAHs, the easy rotating disk extraction approach, and the selectivity of second-order calibration, which greatly simplifies sample treatment avoiding the use of toxic solvents, the developed method follows most green analytical chemistry principles.     

cis‐Di­chloro­[tris­(di­phenyl­phosphino­ethyl)­amine]­ruthenium(II)–chloro­form–water (1/2.5/1)

In the title compound, [RuCl₂(C₄₂H₄₂NP₃)]·2.5CHCl₃·H₂O, the Ru atom is six‐coordinated, to one tetradentate tris­(di­phenyl­phosphinoethyl)­amine ligand and two Cl atoms, in a distorted octahedral arrangement. Molecules of chloro­form and water stabilize the framework through intermolecular hydrogen bonds.     

Structure and thermal reactivity of Zn(II) salts of isocinchomeronic acid (2,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid)

The synthesis, an improved refined crystal and molecular structure re-determination, and the thermal decomposition behavior of two Zn(II) derivatives of isocinchomeronic acid (2,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid or H₂2,5-pydc) are presented. [Zn(2,5-pydc)(H₂O)₃Zn(2,5-pydc)(H₂O)₂]₂ (1) crystallizes in the triclinic P-1 space group with a = 7.106(2), b = 11.450(2), c = 11.869(1) Å, α = 107.29(1), β = 104.08(1), γ = 90.32(2)°, and Z = 2. [Zn(2,5-pydc)(H₂O)₂] · H₂O (2) is orthorhombic (P2₁2₁2₁ space group), with a = 7.342(1), b = 9.430(1), c = 13.834(2) Å, and Z = 4. The structures were refined to agreement R ₁-factors of 0.0315 (1) and 0.0336 (2). Complex (1) is arranged as molecular Zn₄(2,5-pydc)₄(H₂O)₁₀ tetramers, the cages of which define channels that remain unblocked by anions. Compound (2) is polymeric with Zn(2,5-pydc)(H₂O)₂ and Zn(2,5-pydc)(H₂O)₃ units linked through bridging ligands. Both compounds were synthesized under mild conditions in aqueous media, without need to resort to hydrothermal media. Changing the pH from 4.51 to 5.75 suffices to direct the chemical processes toward the orthorhombic compound rather than to the triclinic one.     

Nitrosation of N-methylhydroxylamine by nitroprusside. A kinetic and mechanistic study

The kinetics of the reaction between aqueous solutions of Na(2)[Fe(CN)(5)NO].2H(2)O (sodium pentacyanonitrosylferrate(ii), nitroprusside, SNP) and MeN(H)OH (N-methylhydroxylamine, MeHA) has been studied by means of UV-vis spectroscopy, using complementary solution techniques: FTIR/ATR, EPR, mass spectrometry and isotopic labeling ((15)NO), in the pH range 7.1-9.3, I = 1 M (NaCl). The main products were N-methyl-N-nitrosohydroxylamine (MeN(NO)OH) and [Fe(CN)(5)H(2)O](3-), characterized as the [Fe(CN)(5)(pyCONH(2))](3-) complex (pyCONH(2) = isonicotinamide). No reaction occurred with Me(2)NOH (N,N-dimethylhydroxylamine, Me(2)HA) as nucleophile. The rate law was: R = k(exp) [Fe(CN)(5)NO(2-)] x [MeN(H)OH] x [OH(-)], with k(exp) = 1.6 +/- 0.2 x 10(5) M(-2) s(-1), at 25.0 degrees C, and DeltaH(#) = 34 +/- 3 kJ mol(-1), DeltaS(#) = -32 +/- 11 J K(-1) mol(-1), at pH 8.0. The proposed mechanism involves the formation of a precursor associative complex between SNP and MeHA, followed by an OH(-)-assisted reversible formation of a deprotonated adduct, [Fe(CN)(5)(N(O)NMeOH)](3-), and rapid dissociation of MeN(NO)OH. In excess SNP, the precursor complex reacts through a competitive one-electron-transfer path, forming the [Fe(CN)(5)NO](3-) ion with slow production of small quantities of N(2)O. The stoichiometry and mechanism of the main adduct-formation path are similar to those previously reported for hydroxylamine (HA) and related nucleophiles. The nitrosated product, MeN(NO)OH, decomposes thermally at physiological temperatures, slowly yielding NO.