Voltammetric investigation of Tamsulosin

The electrooxidative behavior and determination of Tamsulosin HCl (TAM), one of the alpha(1)-adrenoceptor antagonist, on a glassy carbon disc electrode were investigated for the first time by using cyclic, linear sweep, differential pulse (DPV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV). TAM showed an irreversible oxidation behavior at all pH values and buffers studied. From the electrochemical response, the main oxidation step was found to be related to the methoxy group on the phenyl ring. DPV and SWV were used to generate peak current versus concentration curves for TAM. A linear response was obtained in the range comprised between 2x10(-6) and 4x10(-4) M for both techniques with detection limit of 3.34x10(-7) M for DPV and 2.45x10(-7) M for SWV. The methods were proposed for the determination of TAM in dosage forms adopting both DPV and SWV modes. The methods were extended to the in vitro determination of TAM in spiked serum samples.     

In situ conformational analysis of fibrinogen adsorbed on Si surfaces

Fibrinogen is a major plasma protein. Previous investigations of structural changes of fibrinogen due to adsorption are mostly based on indirect evidence after its desorption, whereas our measurements were performed on fibrinogen in its adsorbed state. Specific enzyme-linked immunosorption experiments showed that the amount of adsorbed fibrinogen increased as the surface became more hydrophobic. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) investigations revealed the trinodular shape of fibrinogen molecules adsorbed on hydrophilic surfaces, whereas all of the molecules appeared globular on hydrophobic surfaces. The distribution of secondary structures in adsorbed fibrinogen was quantified by in situ Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. Substrates of identical chemical bulk composition but different surface hydrophobicity permit direct comparison among them. Adsorption properties of fibrinogen are different for each degree of hydrophobicity. Although there is some increase of turn structure and decrease of β-sheet structure, the secondary structure of adsorbed fibrinogen on hydrophilic surface turned out to be rather similar to that of the protein in solution phase with a major -helix content. Hydrophilic surfaces exhibit superior blood compatibility as required for medical applications.     

Electrochemical reduction and oxidation of the antibiotic cefepime at a carbon electrode

The O-methyl oxime grouping in the antibiotic cefepime is reduced in aqueous buffer solution at pH<8 at a carbon electrode. The reduction of the protonated form of the oxime occurs in a single two-electron step. By comparison with anodic wave of 2-aminothiazole it was furthermore shown that the oxidation of cefepime involves the 2-amino group located on the thiazole ring in the side chain on C-7. Both reduction and oxidation peaks can be used for analytical purposes.     

Electrochemical characterisation of nefazodone hydrochloride and voltammetric determination of the drug in pharmaceuticals and human serum

Nefazodone, an antidepressant was electrochemically studied in various buffer systems and at different pH using glassy carbon electrode. Nefazodone was electrochemically oxidized at all pH values. According to the linear relation between the peak current and the nefazodone concentration differential pulse (DPV) and square wave (SWV) voltammetric methods for its quantitative determination in pharmaceuticals and human serum were developed. For analytical purposes, a very well resolved diffusion controlled voltammetric peak was obtained in 0.1 M H₂SO₄ at 0.99 and 1.03 V for DPV and SWV techniques, respectively. The linear response was obtained in the ranges of 8×10⁻⁷ to 6×10⁻⁴ M with a detection limit of 2.1×10⁻⁷ M for DPV and 1.17×10⁻⁷ M for SWV techniques. The repeatability and reproducibility of the methods were within 1.03, 0.81% relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) for peak currents and 0.40, 0.20% R.S.D. for peak potentials, for DPV and SWV, respectively. Precision and accuracy of the developed method was checked by recovery studies. The proposed methods were successfully applied to the individual tablet dosage form and human serum.     

New phenylethanoid glycosides from Veronica pectinata var. glandulosa and their free radical scavenging activities

A known phenylethanoid glycoside, ehrenoside (1), was isolated together with three new phenylethanoid glycosides, verpectoside A (2), B (3) and C (4) from the aerial parts of Veronica pectinata var. glandulosa. On the basis of spectral analysis (UV, FAB-MS, 1H-, 13C- and 2D-NMR), compounds 2-4 were determined to be 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethyl-O-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-(4-O-trans-feruloyl)-beta-D-glucopyranoside, 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethyl-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-(4-O-trans-caffeoyl)-beta-D-glucopyranoside and 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethyl-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-(4-O-trans-feruloyl)-beta-D-glucopyranoside, respectively. Isolated phenylethanoid glycosides exhibited potent radical scavenging activity against the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical.     

Risk analysis under progressive type II censoring with binomial claim numbers

This paper presents a model of actuarial loss events that follow a progressive censoring scheme. Loss events are modelled according to this scheme regarding the claim number and size. Claim events at random time points are assumed to happen progressively in a given period due to each of an m number of claims that occur due to hazardous events, while a fixed number of n claims are anticipated to take place in total. Distribution of the resulting total loss amount is derived, and according to its properties, some risk management issues about reserves and solvency are discussed.     

Determination of some trace elements in food and soil samples by atomic absorption spectrometry after coprecipitation with holmium hydroxide

The determination of trace elements in food and soil samples by atomic absorption spectrometry was investigated. A coprecipitation procedure with holmium hydroxide was used for separation-preconcentration of trace elements. Trace amounts of copper(II), manganese(II), cobalt(II), nickel(ll), chromium(lll), iron(Ill), cadmium(ll), and lead(ll) ions were coprecipitated with holmium hydroxide in 2.0 M NaOH medium. The optimum conditions for the coprecipitation process were investigated for several commonly tested experimental parameters, such as amount of coprecipitant, effect of standing time, centrifugation rate and time, and sample volume. The precision, based on replicate analysis, was lower than 10% for the analytes. In order to verify the accuracy of the method, the certified reference materials BCR 141 R calcareous loam soil and CRM 025-050 soil were analyzed. The procedure was successfully applied for separation and preconcentration of the investigated ions in various food and soil samples. An amount of the solid samples was decomposed with 15 mL concentrated hydrochloric acid-concentrated nitric acid (3 + 1). The preconcentration procedure was then applied to the final solutions. The concentration of trace elements in samples was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry.     

Reactions of quinones with some aryl phenols and synthesis of new quinone derivatives

In the present study, the reactions of p-chloranil (1a) and 2,3-dichloro-1,4-naphthoquinone (DCNQ) (1b) with some aryl phenols were investigated. The structures of all compounds were characterized using spectroscopic methods (FT-IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and MS) and microanalysis. The electrochemical behaviors of some benzoquinone and naphthoquinone derivatives have also been investigated in unbuffered aprotic solutions.     

Medium and structural effects on the ionization constants of some pyrazole carboxylic acid derivatives

Abstract  Stoichiometric ionization constants of some pyrazole carboxylic acids [4-benzoyl-1-(3-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid, 4-benzoyl-1-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid, 4-(ethoxycarbonyl)-1,5-diphenyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid, 4-(ethoxycarbonyl)-1-(3-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid, 4-(ethoxycarbonyl)-1-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid] were determined in ethanol–water mixtures of 50, 60, 70% ethanol (v/v) by a potentiometric titration method. Titrations were performed in an ionic strength of 0.10 M NaCl at 25.0 ± 0.1 °C using an Orion 960 automatic titrator under a nitrogen atmosphere. Using the potentiometric titration data, ionization constants were calculated in three different ways. The effects of structure and solvent on the acidity of pyrazole carboxylic acids are also discussed. Graphical abstract        

Curvature properties of anti-Kähler–Codazzi manifolds

In this paper we shall consider a new class of integrable almost anti-Hermitian manifolds, which will be called anti-Kähler–Codazzi manifolds, and we will investigate their curvature properties.