Simple and rapid micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatographic method for simultaneous determination of four antiepileptics in human serum

A very rapid and simple MEKC method was developed for the simultaneous determination of four antiepileptic drugs, ethosuximide (Etho), primidone (Pri), phenytoin (Pht) and carbamazepine (Cbz) in human serum. Sample analysis required only 100 microL of human serum which only needed to be centrifuged, decanted and combined with the running buffer [5.3 mM Na(2)HPO(4)/3.2 mM borax buffer (pH 9.5) containing 55 mM SDS and 3.5% (v/v) acetone]. The analysis was performed in only 10 min into fused-silica capillaries (57 cm total length with 50 microm i.d. and 50 cm to the detector) using the MEKC methodology with diode-array detection at 220 nm. The calibration graphs were established for ethoximide, primidone, phenytoin and carbamazepine between 0 and 20 mg/L. Recoveries were between 85 and 87%. The simplicity of the proposed methodology makes it suitable for routine clinical use, especially for epileptic patients on polytherapy.     

Molecular emission cavity analysis: Part 21. Effect of Phosphoric Acid on the Determination of Sulphate

Phosphoric acid at levels above 10^-3 M depresses the S₂ emission from sulphate, but concentrations up to 0.1 M may be necessary to eliminate cationic interferences.     

Resolution of benzo[a]pyrene in complex mixtures of other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Comparison of two spectrofluorimetric methods applied to water samples

Two spectrofluorimetric methods, second-derivative constant-energy synchronous luminescence (SDCESL) and constant-wavelength synchronous luminescence (CWSL) in combination with multiple linear regression (MLR), for the quantification of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) at sub-ng mL-1 levels, in the presence of benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbFt), benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkFt), benzo[ghi]perylene (BghiP) and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (IP), were developed and compared in detail. SDCESL presents lower limits of detection and quantification than CWSL/MLR and also gives more exact and precise results for levels close to the quantification limit. For BaP, SDCESL achieved quantification limits of 0.019 ng mL-1 in river waters and 0.007 ng mL-1 in drinking waters. This work offers a sensitive, precise, accurate, rapid, simple and economic methodology for monitoring BaP in waters for public consumption, meeting all the requirements of the EC Directive 98/83/CE that fixes the maximum admissible limit for this polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in drinking waters at of 0.010 ng mL-1.     

The correlation of the stability constants of 1,3-dicarbonylic monochelates of Iron(III) with the acid dissociation constants of the ligand

The variation of the logrithms of stability constants of iron(III) monochelated compounds with structurally similar 1,3-dicarbonylic compounds has been found to be an essentially linear function of the negative logarithms of the acid ionization constant of the ligands. An analytical correlation which could be useful to predict equilibrium constants of iron(III) chelates has been developed. From spectrophotometric and potentiometric data a quantitative evaluation of the stability of the complex has been carried out. Results have provided information regarding substituent effects on the equilibrium constants.     

On the Stability of the Schiff Bases of Pyridoxal 5′-Phosphate with Polypeptides Containing L-Lysine

We determined the apparent equilibrium constant of formation, K_pH, of the Schiff bases of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) and poly- and copolymers containing L -lysine, as a function of pH at 25° and a constant ionic strength of 0.1 M . The K_pH values obtained at acidic and neutral pH were larger that those reported for Schiff bases of PLP and hexylamine. We determined calorimetrically ΔH of formation of Schiff bases of PLP and poly(L -lysine) (?4.5′kcal/mol), and PLP and hexylamine (?3.4 kcal/mol) at pH 7.00. Semi-empirical theoretical calculations (INDO and AMI methods) of a model compound of Schiff base of PLP and polypeptide containing L -lysine show the capability of specific interactions between groups of PLP and the peptide skeleton.     

Chaos in classical cosmology (II)

We present a new dynamical calculation about the Friedman-Robertson-Walker universe considered as an autonomous Hamiltonian. The time evolution of this Hamiltonian presents numerical instabilities so we apply a symplectic integration via infinitesimal canonical transformations of the phase space time evolution that preserves the Poincaré invariant. In this way, we have also obtained a sensitive improvement in the accuracy of the Hamiltonian constraint, as well as in the computing time. We confirm our previous results; in a spatially closed universe, the route to chaos is reached by sucessive breakage of the resonant tori due to the action of 11 resonances.     

Application of partial least-squares regression to the resolution of highly correlated spectra. Simultaneous spectrofluorimetric determination of Al(3+), Ga(3+) and In(3+)

The simultaneous spectrofluorimetric determination of mixtures of aluminium, gallium and indium as their 8-hydroxyquinoline complexes following extraction into chloroform is studied. The high collinearity of the spectra hindered their resolution by multiple linear regression (MLR) methodology; therefore, experimental data were processed by partial least-squares regression (PLSR) methodology. A previous step in the study of three-dimensional fluorescence spectrum is possible to select the best information to quantify this system with high collinearity. Finally the optimal conditions for quantitation, the best data preprocessing procedure and the most suitable spectral mode for calibration were established. Using an external set allowed the three analytes to be determined simultaineously at concentrations below 1 mug ml(-1) with errors less than 10% for aluminium and indium, and 15% for gallium.     

Derivative spectrophotometric resolution of mixtures of the food colourants Tartrazine, Amaranth and Curcumin in a micellar medium

A study of the absorption spectra of the food colourants Tartrazine (E-102), Amaranth (E-123) and Curcumin (E-100) in various organic solvents and pH media, have been carried out. In addition, the spectral behaviour in aqueous micellar systems of anionic, cationic and non-ionic surfactants, as well as beta-cyclodextrin, was investigated. Analytical methods are proposed for the determination of the three dyes in mixtures without any prior separation step, by the application of the derivative technique to the normal absorption spectra, based on the use of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in 0.1 M NaOH, over the concentration range 2-50 mug ml(-1). The methods are applied for determining the three dyes in commercial food products.     

Application of micellar electrokinetic chromatography to the quality control of a pharmaceutical preparation containing three bronchodilators

Theophylline(1,3-dimethylxanthine), dyphylline [7-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)theophylline] and proxyphylline [7-(beta-hydroxypropyl)theophylline] are three bronchodilators administered jointly in a single pharmaceutical preparation used against asthma. A micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) method for their resolution using a background electrolyte consisting of 20 mM tetraborate at pH 8.5 and 100 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate is proposed. The method was used to determine the three active principles in a pharmaceutical preparation. The small amount of sample required and the expeditiousness of the procedure allow content uniformity to be determined in individual tablets. The values of the validation parameters for the method (viz. selectivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, limit of detection, limit of quantitation and robustness) are reported. A complete factor design (2(3)x2) including pH, the surfactant concentration and the ionic strength of the background electrolyte as factors was used to estimate robustness. Based on the results, the method is robust enough for quantitation purposes.     

Direct, two-step synthetic pathway to novel dibenzo[a,c]phenanthridines

Novel dibenzo[a,c]phenanthridines are prepared regioselectively by the application of a straightforward synthetic pathway, starting from new 3,4-diaryl- and 3,4-dihydro-3,4-diarylisoquinolines prepared via Ritter-type heterocyclization and the more classical two-step reductive amination/Bischler-Napieralski cyclization of triarylethanones, respectively. A comparative study of nonphenolic oxidative coupling methodologies provides a highly efficient procedure, based on the hypervalent iodine reagent phenyliodine(III) bis(trifluoroacetate) (PIFA), to accomplish the final coupling step.