SDS-Based Biomembrane Mimetic Chromatography for Prediction of Human Drug Transport as an in Vitro Technique

The main oral drug absorption barriers are fluid cell membranes, and generally drugs are absorbed by a passive diffusion mechanism. On the other hand, the blood–brain barrier (BBB) is considered to be the main barrier to drug transport into the central nervous system (CNS). The BBB restricts the passive diffusion of many drugs from blood to brain. Biopartitioning micellar chromatography (BMC), a mode of micellar liquid chromatography that uses micellar mobile phases in adequate experimental conditions, can be useful as an in vitro system in mimicking the drug partitioning process into biological systems. In this study, relationships between the BMC retention data of a heterogeneous set of 12 drugs and their pharmacokinetics parameters (human oral drug absorption and BBB penetration ability) are studied and the predictive ability of the models is evaluated. Modeling of log k _BMC of these compounds was established by multiple linear regression in two different concentrations (0.07 and 0.09 M) of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The results showed a fair correlation between human oral drug absorption and BMC retention data in 0.09 M SDS (R ² = 0.864) and a good correlation between the blood–brain distribution coefficient and BMC retention data in 0.07 M of SDS (R ² = 0.887). Application of the developed models to a prediction set demonstrated that the model is also reliable with good predictive accuracy. The external and internal validation results showed that the predicted values are in good agreement with the experimental value.

     

A Rapid Determination of Taurine in Human Plasma by LC

Taurine is an amino acid which is not incorporated into proteins but found in the cytosol of many mammalian cells, in high concentrations (2–30 mM). Increase in plasma taurine concentration has already been reported after surgical trauma, X-radiation, muscle necrosis, carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage, and paracetamol overdose. Plasma taurine concentration was measured using LC with fluorescence detection following derivatization by o-phtalaldehyde plus 3-mercapto-propionic acid and α-aminobutyric acid as internal standard. Under these conditions the retention time of taurine was 10 min. This method was sensitive enough, to quantify 150 pg mL⁻¹ and detect 50 pg mL⁻¹ of taurine ranging normally between 65 and 179 mmol L⁻¹ (8–22 μg mL⁻¹). The validated method allowed simple determination of human plasma taurine in pharmacokinetic and biomarker studies.

     

Determination of Flavonoid Markers in Honey with SPE and LC using Experimental Design

Determination of flavonoid markers quercetin, hesperetin, and chrysin, found in north Iranian citrus honey samples, was carried out by solid phase extraction (SPE) and isocratic liquid chromatographic separation using central composite design. Optimum conditions for SPE were achieved using 10 mL methanol/water (13:87, v/v, pH = 7) as the washing solvent and 4 mL methanol for elution. Good clean-up and high recovery >90% were observed for all analytes. The use of water/ACN/THF/AcOH (54:36:5:5, v/v) was found to serve as the optimum mobile phase composition and allowed for the separation of analytes from endogenous compounds present in honey. SPE parameters, such as maximum loading capacity and breakthrough volume, were also determined for each analyte. Limit of detection, linear range, recovery, repeatability of retention times, and peak heights were 3.11 × 10^?8–4.44 × 10^?8 g g^?1, 0.50–50.0 μg mL^?1 (R ² > 0.99), 90.7–96.9%, 3.0–3.6%, and 1.0–2.6%, respectively. Precision of the overall analytical procedure, estimated by five replicate measurements for quercetin, hesperetin and chrysin in citrus honey, as well as the relative standard deviations were 4.3%, 3.8%, and 5.5%, respectively.     

Matrix‐less laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry of polyphenols in red wine

Matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionisation (MALDI) of small molecules is challenging and in most cases impossible due to interferences from matrix ions precluding analysis of molecules <300–500 Da. A common matrix such as ferulic acid belongs to an important class of compounds associated with antioxidant activity. If the shared phenolic structure is related to the propensity as an active MALDI matrix then it follows that direct laser desorption/ionisation should be possible for polyphenols. Indeed matrix‐less laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry is achieved whereby the analyte functions as a matrix and was used to monitor low molecular weight compounds in wine samples. Sensitivity ranging from 0.12–87 pmol/spot was achieved for eight phenolic acids (4‐coumaric, 4‐hydroxybenzoic, caffeic, ferulic, gallic, protocatechuic, syringic, vanillic) and 0.02 pmol/spot for trans‐resveratrol. Additionally, 4‐coumaric, 4‐hydroxybenzoic, caffeic, ferulic, gallic, syringic, vanillic acids and trans‐resveratrol were identified in wine samples using accurate mass measurements consistent with reported profiles based on liquid chromatography (LC)/MS. Minimal sample pre‐treatment make the technique potentially appropriate for fingerprinting, screening and quality control of wine samples. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

SALDI-MS Signal enhancement using oxidized graphitized carbon black nanoparticles

The signal intensity of low-molecular-weight compounds analyzed using surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SALDI-TOF-MS) was significantly enhanced when oxidized graphitized carbon black (GCB) particles were used as the desorption/ionization surface. The surface of oxidized GCB contains more carboxylic acid groups than non-oxidized GCB. Carboxylic acid groups enhance the efficiency of the ionization process and the desorption of more hydrophobic compounds. A common pharmaceutical compound, propranolol, was successfully extracted from Baltic Sea blue mussels and quantified using oxidized GCB as the SALDI surface, whereas deuterated propranolol was used as the internal standard. The calibration curve showed a wide linear dynamic range of response (0.1–20 μg/mL) and good reproducibility (RSD < 10%). It was not possible to detect propranolol in Baltic Sea blue mussels when non-oxidized GCB was used as the SALDI surface.     

Back‐propagation artificial neural network and attenuated total reflectance‐Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma by blood sample analysis

A diagnostic method for the cancer, based on investigation of infrared spectra of blood samples, has been developed. The two‐layer modified principal component feed forward back‐propagation artificial neural network (BP‐ANN) was used to classify the attenuated total reflectance‐Fourier transform infrared (ATR‐FTIR) spectra of blood samples obtained from healthy people and those with basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Results showed 98.33% of accuracy, in comparison with the current clinical methods. In the first step, 20 blood samples (10 normal and 10 cancer cases) were applied to construct the calibration model. Spectroscopic studies were performed in 900–1800 cm⁻¹ spectral region with 3.85 cm⁻¹ data space. In order to modify the capability of ANN in prediction of test samples, two different algorithms were applied. The obtained results confirmed the compatibility of the proposed network with the architecture of 20‐8‐2 (input‐hidden‐output) with the pattern model. It was concluded that analysis of blood samples by ATR‐FTIR spectroscopy and ANN chemometric technique would be a reliable approach for detection of BCC. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.