Identification and structure elucidation of a new degradation impurity in the multi-component tablets of amlodipine besylate.

New unknown impurity at m/z 421.15 was observed during the accelerated stability analysis (40 °C/75% relative humidity) in the multi-component tablets of amlodipine besylate by reversed-phase ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS). UHPLC-MS and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques were employed to identify and fully characterize the degradation compound. The degradation product was unambiguously identified as 3-ethyl 5-methyl 4-(2-chlorophenyl)-6-methyl-2-(morpholin-2-yl)-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate and mechanism of its formation was proposed. It was confirmed that the degradation product was formed by the reaction of amlodipine with formaldehyde originating from the excipients present in the dosage form.

Esterification of Ibuprofen in Soft Gelatin Capsules Formulations-Identification, Synthesis and Liquid Chromatography Separation of the Degradation Products.

Unknown impurities were identified in ibuprofen (IBU) soft gelatin capsules (SGCs) during long-term stability testing by a UHPLC method with UV detection and its chemical formula was determined using high resolution/accurate mass (HRAM) LC-MS. Reference standards of the impurities were subsequently synthesized, isolated by semi-preparative HPLC and characterized using HRAM LC-MS, NMR and IR. Two impurities were formed by esterification of IBU with polyethylene glycol (PEG), which is used as a fill of the SGCs, and were identified as IBU-PEG monoester and IBU-PEG diester. Two other degradants arised from reaction of IBU with sorbitol and sorbitan, which are components of the shell and serves as plasticizers. Thus, IBU sorbitol monoester (IBU-sorbitol) and IBU sorbitan monoester (IBU-sorbitan ester) were identified. An UHPLC method was further optimized in order to separate, selectively detect and quantify the degradation products in IBU SGCs.

A novel approach for HPLC determination of 2-cynaoacetamide using derivatization procedure with 2-hydroxyacetophenone as a new useful derivatization reagent.

A novel and sensitive derivatization procedure for the determination of 2-cynaoacetamide in pharmaceutical samples using liquid chromatography with the fluorescence detection was discovered. The method is based on derivatization of 2-cynaoacetamide using 2-hydroxyacetophenone as a new derivatization reagent. The product of derivatization reaction was isolated and characterized using spectroscopic techniques namely LC-MS, NMR and IR. The structure of 2-cyanoacetamide derivative was unambiguously assigned as a 2-amino-4-phenylfuran-3-carboxamide. Two derivatization systems were optimized in terms of reaction temperature, reaction time, pH and concentration of 2-hydroxyacetophenone, and a new pre- and post-derivatization HPLC methods were developed. The separations on HPLC with pre-column derivatization were accomplished using stationary phase based on a XBridge C18 column (100×4.6, 3.5µm) and isocratic elution using the mobile phase acetonitrile - 0.1% formic acid (30:70, v/v). The separations on the HPLC with post-column derivatization were performed on stationary phase on a TSKgel Amide-80 column (150×4.6mm, 3µm). The mobile phase was a mixture of acetonitrile, methanol and 10mM sodium formate buffer at pH=4.5 in ratio 3:2:95 (v/v). Both HPLC methods were fully validated in terms of linearity, sensitivity (limit of detection and limit of quantification), accuracy and precision according to ICH guidelines. The pre-column derivatization method was linear in the range 1.1-2000µg/l with method accuracy≥98.2% and method precision RSD≤4.8%. The post-column derivatization method was linear in the range 12-2000µg/l. Method accuracy≥96.3% and method precision RSD≤3.5%. Proposed new methods were proved to be highly sensitive, simple and rapid, and were successfully applied to the determinations of 2-cynaoacetamide in pregabalin.

Direct analysis in real time--high resolution mass spectrometry as a valuable tool for the pharmaceutical drug development.

In this study, direct analysis in real time-mass spectrometry (DART-MS) was assessed for the analysis of various pharmaceutical formulations with intention to summarize possible applications for the routine pharmaceutical development. As DART is an ambient ionization technique, it allows direct analysis of pharmaceutical samples in solid or liquid form without complex sample preparation, which is often the most time-consuming part of the analytical method. This makes the technique suitable for many application fields, including pharmaceutical drug development. DART mass spectra of more than twenty selected tablets and other common pharmaceutical formulations, i.e. injection solutions, ointments and suppositories developed in the pharmaceutical industry during several recent years are presented. Moreover, as thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is still very popular for the monitoring of the reactions in the synthetic chemistry, several substances were analyzed directly from the TLC plates to demonstrate the simplicity of the technique. Pure substance solutions were spotted onto a TLC plate and then analyzed with DART without separation. This was the first DART-MS study of pharmaceutical dosage forms using DART-Orbitrap combination. The duration of sample analysis by the DART-MS technique lasted several seconds, allowing enough time to collect sufficient number of data points for compound identification. The experimental setup provided excellent mass accuracy and high resolution of the mass spectra which allowed unambiguous identification of the compounds of interest. Finally, DART mass spectrometry was also used for the monitoring of the selected impurity distribution in the atorvastatin tablets. These measurements demonstrated DART to be robust ionization technique, which provided easy-to-interpret mass spectra for the broad range of compounds. DART has high-throughput potential for various types of pharmaceutical analyses and therefore eliminates the time for sample cleanup and chromatographic separation.

Rapid HILIC method with fluorescence detection using derivatization reaction utilizing o-phthaldialdehyde for determination of degradation product of aliskiren.

A rapid procedure based on direct extraction and HILIC separation of aliskiren (ALI) degradation product - 3-amino-2,2-dimethylpropanamide (ADPA) with fluorescence detection has been developed. The formation of ADPA from ALI under different conditions was studied. The evaluation of HILIC method robustness was performed using multifactorial experiments with fixed factors (one-level Plackett-Burman design). XBridge HILIC column with isocratic elution using mobile phase 10 mM K(2)HPO(4) pH 7.2-acetonitrile (26:74; v/v) was employed. Fluorescence detection after post column derivatization using o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA) reagent was performed at excitation and emission wavelength of 345 nm and 450 nm, respectively. The reported method has an advantage of a simple sample pre-treatment and quick and very sensitive measurement. The method was successfully applied for the analysis of commercially available ALI samples.

The formation of furfural compounds in selected saccharide- and polysaccharide-based pharmaceutical excipients.

The acid hydrolysis of various selected saccharide- and polysaccharide-based pharmaceutical excipients under acid hydrolysis and the formation of degradation compounds were studied. New degradation products formed from these excipients were discovered. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques were employed to identify and fully characterize these unknown compounds. The degradation products were identified as [(5-formylfuran-2-yl)methoxy]acetic acid, 5-[(propan-2-yloxy)methyl]furan-2-carbaldehyde, along with the previously identified 5-(methoxymethyl)furan-2-carbaldehyde. On the basis of the identification of these degradation products, a reasonable mechanism for their formation can be proposed. Temperature and pH affect the hydrolysis rates of saccharides and polysaccharides, which in turn affects the rate of formation of furfural compounds.

Identification, preparation and UHPLC determination of process-related impurity in zolmitriptan.

A new impurity was detected and determined using gradient ion-pair UHPLC method with UV detection in zolmitriptan (ZOL). Using MS, NMR and IR study the impurity was identified as (4S,4'S)-4,4'-(2,2'-(4-(dimethylamino)butane-1,1-diyl)bis(3-(2-(dimethylamino) ethyl)-1H-indole-5,2-diyl))bis(methylene)di(oxazolidin-2-one) (ZOL-dimer). The standard of ZOL-dimer was consequently prepared via organic synthesis followed by semipreparative HPLC purification. The UHPLC method was optimized in order to selectively detect and quantify other known and unknown process-related impurities and degradation products of ZOL as well. The presented method which was validated with respect to linearity, accuracy, precision and selectivity has an advantage of a very quick UHPLC chromatographic separation (less than 7 min including re-equilibration time) and therefore is highly suitable for routine analysis of related substances and stability studies of ZOL.

Chiral chromatography studies of chemical behavior of cinacalcet on polysaccharide chiral reversed-phase HPLC stationary phases.

A rapid HPLC method for the analytical resolution of cinacalcet enantiomers was developed. Four chiral columns (two amylose and two cellulose type) were evaluated in RP systems. Excellent enantioseparation with a resolution of more than 6 was achieved on Chiralpak AY (amylose 5-chloro-2-methylphenylcarbamate chiral stationary phase) using 10 mM triethylamine (pH 8.0)-acetonitrile (40 + 60, v/v) mobile phase. Validation of the HPLC method, including linearity, LOD, LOQ, precision, accuracy, and selectivity, was performed according to the International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. The method was successfully applied for the determination of (S)-cinacalcet in enantiopure active pharmaceutical ingredient (R)-cinacalcet.

Drug-excipient compatibility testing-Identification and characterization of degradation products of phenylephrine in several pharmaceutical formulations against the common cold.

Different pharmaceutical preparations against the common cold containing phenylephrine (PHE) and saccharose were studied. New impurities were discovered in these preparations after exposure using isocratic ion-pair chromatography separation on a C18 column. LC-MS and NMR techniques were employed to identify and to fully characterize these new compounds. The products were identified as 1-[5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furyl]-2-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisochinolin-4,8-diol and 1-[5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furyl]-2-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisochinolin-4,6-diol. Identification of these degradation products allowed to understand and to confirm their formation mechanism. The developed HPLC method separates of all known impurities and impurities originated from PHE as well.

Rapid hydrophilic interaction chromatography determination of lysine in pharmaceutical preparations with fluorescence detection after postcolumn derivatization with o-phtaldialdehyde.

A rapid procedure for the determination of lysine based on hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) separation of arginine and lysine with fluorescence detection has been developed. The separation conditions and parameters of lysine postcolumn derivatization with o-phtaldialdehyde (OPA)/2-mercaptoethanol were studied. The various HILIC columns were employed using isocratic elution. Fluorescence detection was performed at excitation and emission wavelength of 345 nm and 450 nm, respectively. An advantage of the reported method is a simple sample pre-treatment and a quick and very sensitive HPLC method. The developed method was successfully applied for analysis of commercial samples of Ibalgin Fast tablets (Zentiva, Czech Republic).

Quantification of trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal enantiomers and metabolites by LC-ESI-MS/MS.

Lipid peroxidation is a causal factor in multiple diseases including Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis, and alcoholic liver disease. One of the most studied products of lipid peroxidation, trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), has multiple cell signaling and cytotoxic effects. In this work, we developed an LC-MS/MS method for the quantitation of HNE enantiomers, the metabolite trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenoic acid, and HNE-glutathione adducts in a single chromatographic run. In this method, (R)-HNE and (S)-HNE are derivatized by (S)-carbidopa to form diastereomers that are separated by a reversed-phase column. This method was successfully validated and tested using respiring rat brain mitochondria that enantioselectively metabolize HNE. Metabolic profiles of HNE biotransformation, including the enantiomeric disposition of HNE, will provide useful biomarker data regarding lipid peroxidation in disease states.

Enantioselective oxidation of trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal is aldehyde dehydrogenase isozyme and Mg2+ dependent.

trans-4-Hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) is a cytotoxic alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehyde implicated in the pathology of multiple diseases involving oxidative damage. Oxidation of HNE by aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) to trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenoic acid (HNEA) is a major route of metabolism in many organisms. HNE exists as two enantiomers, (R)-HNE and (S)-HNE, and in intact rat brain mitochondria, (R)-HNE is enantioselectively oxidized to HNEA. In this work, we further elucidated the basis of the enantioselective oxidation of HNE by brain mitochondria. Our results showed that (R)-HNE is oxidized enantioselectively by brain mitochondrial lysates with retention of stereoconfiguration of the C4 hydroxyl group. Purified rat ALDH5A enantioselectively oxidized (R)-HNE, whereas rat ALDH2 was not enantioselective. Kinetic data using (R)-HNE, (S)-HNE, and trans-2-nonenal in combination with computer-based modeling of ALDH5A suggest that the selectivity of (R)-HNE oxidation by ALDH5A is the result of the carbonyl carbon of (R)-HNE forming a more favorable Bürgi-Duntiz angle with the active site cysteine 293. The presence of Mg2+ ions altered the enantioselectivity of ALDH5A and ALDH2. Mg2+ ions suppressed (R)-HNE oxidation by ALDH5A to a greater extent than that of (S)-HNE. However, Mg2+ ions stimulated the enantioselective oxidation of (R)-HNE by ALDH2 while suppressing (S)-HNE oxidation. These results demonstrate that enantioselective utilization of substrates, including HNE, by ALDHs is dependent upon the ALDH isozyme and the presence of Mg 2+ ions.

Direct and indirect high-performance liquid chromatography enantioseparation of trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenoic acid.

trans-4-Hydroxy-2-nonenoic acid (HNEA) is a marker of lipid peroxidation resulting from the metabolism of trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE). Direct and indirect RP-HPLC methods for the separation of HNEA enantiomers were developed and compared. The indirect method involved pre-column derivatization with a chiral amino agent, (1S,2S)-(+)-2-amino-1-(4-nitrophenyl)-1,3-propanediol, and subsequent separation of diastereomers on a Spherisorb ODS2 column. The direct separation of HNEA enantiomers was performed using the chiral stationary phase, Chiralpak AD-RH. Validation parameters including limit of quantification, linear range, accuracy and precision were determined. The indirect separation method was successfully applied for the determination of enantiomeric ratio of HNEA in rat brain mitochondrial lysate, and showed that HNEA was formed (R)-enantioselectively from HNE.

Analysis of HNE metabolism in CNS models.

The formation and toxicity of trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal in the central nervous system is well documented. However, the metabolism of HNE in the central nervous system (CNS) is not clear. HNE metabolism in the CNS appears to be different from that in other tissues and organs and may be dependent on the cell type and subcellular environment. Our data show that HNE metabolism is affected by the stereocenter of HNE and that oxidation of HNE may be a primary route of metabolism. Further metabolic analysis of HNE disposition is needed to clarify which pathways are truly important in normal and pathological states in the CNS.

Enantioselective metabolism of trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal by brain mitochondria.

Trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) is a product of lipid peroxidation with many cellular effects. HNE possesses a stereogenic center at the C4 carbon that influences the metabolism and alkylation targets of HNE. We tested the hypothesis that rat brain mitochondria metabolize HNE in an enantioselective manner after exposure to racemic HNE. The study of HNE chirality, however, is hindered by the lack of facile methods to chromatographically resolve (R)-HNE and (S)-HNE. We used a chiral hydrazine, (S)-carbidopa, as a derivatization reagent to form diastereomers with (R)-HNE and (S)-HNE that were separated by reverse-phase HPLC. After exposure to racemic HNE, rat brain mitochondria metabolized HNE enantioselectively with a higher rate of (R)-HNE metabolism. By using the purified enantiomers of HNE, we found that this enantioselective metabolism of HNE was the result of higher rates of enzymatic oxidation of (R)-HNE by aldehyde dehydrogenases compared to (S)-HNE. Conjugation of HNE to glutathione was a minor metabolic pathway and was not enantioselective. These studies demonstrate that the chirality of HNE affects its mitochondrial metabolism and potentially other processes in the central nervous system.

Novel microbial epoxide hydrolases for biohydrolysis of glycidyl derivatives.

Microbial isolates from biofilters and petroleum-polluted bioremediation sites were screened for the presence of enantioselective epoxide hydrolases active towards tert-butyl glycidyl ether, benzyl glycidyl ether, and allyl glycidyl ether. Out of 270 isolated strains, which comprised bacteria, yeasts, and filamentous fungi, four were selected based on the enantioselectivities of their epoxide hydrolases determined in biotransformation reactions. The enzyme of Aspergillus niger M200 preferentially hydrolyses (S)-tert-butyl glycidyl ether to (S)-3-tert-butoxy-1,2-propanediol with a relatively high enantioselectivity (the enantiomeric ratio E is about 30 at a reaction temperature of 28 degrees C). Epoxide hydrolases of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa M002 and Rhodococcus fascians M022 hydrolyse benzyl glycidyl ether with relatively low enantioselectivities, the former reacting predominantly with the (S)-enantiomer, the latter preferring the (R)-enantiomer. Enzymatic hydrolysis of allyl glycidyl ether by Cryptococcus laurentii M001 proceeds with low enantioselectivity (E=3). (R)-tert-Butyl glycidyl ether with an enantiomeric excess (ee) of over 99%, and (S)-3-tert-butoxy-1,2-propanediol with an ee-value of 86% have been prepared on a gram-scale using whole cells of A. niger M200. An enantiomeric ratio of approximately 100 has been determined under optimised biotransformation conditions with the partially purified epoxide hydrolase from A. niger M200. The regioselectivity of this enzyme was determined to be total for both (S)-tert-butyl glycidyl ether and (R)-tert-butyl glycidyl ether.