Eco-friendly spectrophotometric methods for determination of remdesivir and favipiravir; the recently approved antivirals for COVID-19 treatment.

Remdesivir (REM) and Favipiravir (FAV) are recently approved antivirals prescribed in severely ill COVID-19 patients. Therefore, development of new, simple, rapid, sensitive, and selective methods for analysis of such drugs in their pharmaceutical formulations will be highly advantageous. Herein, we have developed different spectrophotometric methods for analysis of the studied analytes. Method I is based on direct spectrophotometric analysis of REM and FAV in ethanol at λmax 244 and 323 nm, respectively. For simultaneous quantitation of REM and FAV, methods II-V were followed. Method II is based on derivative spectrophotometry in which REM was determined in second-order derivative spectra at 248 nm (the zero-crossing wavelength for FAV), while FAV was measured in first-order derivative spectra at 337 nm (the zero-crossing point for REM). Method III is the dual-wavelength method in which spectral intensities were subtracted at 244-207 nm for REM and at 330-400 nm for FAV. Method IV is the ratio subtraction in which ratio spectra were obtained by a suitable divisor followed by subtraction of intensities at 272-340 nm and 335-222 nm for REM and FAV, respectively. Method V is the derivative ratio method in which the obtained ratio spectra in method IV were converted to first-order derivative and then REM and FAV were recorded at 280 and 340 nm, respectively. Calibration graphs were linear in the ranges of 1-10 µg/mL for REM through all methods and 1-20 µg/mL for FAV in methods I and II, and 2-20 µg/mL by the other methods. The evolved methods were applied to pharmaceutical dosage forms of REM and FAV. All the proposed methods were further applied to human plasma samples containing both drugs with acceptable mean recoveries.

Conventional and synchronous spectrofluorometric determination of the recently administered drugs for treatment of COVID-19 favipiravir and apixaban.

COVID-19 is a fast-spreading pandemic that is caused by SARS-CoV-2 viral pathogen. Combination therapy of the antiviral favipiravir and the anticoagulant apixaban is one of the efficient treatment regimens. Therefore, development of novel and sensitive methods for simultaneous analysis of such combination is highly advantageous. Herein, two eco-friendly, simple, rapid, and cost-effective spectrofluorometric methods were evolved for the estimation of favipiravir and apixaban in pharmaceutical and biological matrices. Method I was based on analysis of favipiravir and apixaban by the first-order derivative of the conventional fluorescence spectra obtained after excitation at 300 nm, where favipiravir and apixaban were detected at 468.8 and 432.0 nm, respectively. Method II relied on dual scan synchronous spectrofluorometry, in which favipiravir was determined at 364 nm using Δλ = 60 nm while apixaban was analyzed at 274 nm using Δλ = 200 nm. Method optimization was performed for selecting the optimum conditions at which maximum sensitivity and selectivity were obtained. This report is the first one that describes simultaneous analysis of favipiravir and apixaban by synchronous spectrofluorometry. The developed methods were successfully applied to evaluate favipiravir and apixaban in spiked human plasma and in pharmaceutical dosages with high %recoveries and low RSD.

A synchronous spectrofluorometric technique for simultaneous detection of alfuzosin and tadalafil: applied to tablets and spiked biological samples.

A facile, accurate, eco-friendly and sensitive spectrofluorometric method was evolved to assay alfuzosin hydrochloride (AFH) and tadalafil (TDF) in different matrices. Such a co-administered combination is clinically used for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms. Both compounds are characterized by their native fluorescence spectra upon excitation at specific wavelengths. Their characteristic fluorescence spectra were used for sensitive assay of the studied analytes in tablets and human biological samples. The assay principle is based on first-order synchronous spectrofluorometric scan using Δλ = 60 nm in which AFH peaks were recorded at 366 nm. Meanwhile, TDF measurements were recorded at 293 nm in the same scans without overlap with AFH spectra. Recent analytical chemistry trends were implemented to lessen occupational and environmental perils, using ethanol as a diluting solvent for method optimization and application. Linearity ranges were 5.0-90.0 and 10.0-100.0 ng ml-1 for AFH and TDF, respectively in their raw materials with average % recoveries of 100.44% and 99.73% in raw materials, 100.15% and 100.20% in spiked plasma, and 97.14% and 99.99% in spiked urine. The proposed method was successfully applied to Prostetrol and Starkoprex commercial tablets with no interference with common tablet additives.

Utilization of a micellar matrix for simultaneous spectrofluorimetric estimation of alfuzosin hydrochloride and vardenafil hydrochloride.

A sensitive and direct spectrofluorimetric method was developed for simultaneous quantitation of two co-administered drugs, namely, alfuzosin hydrochloride (AFH) and vardenafil hydrochloride (VRH). Both drugs exhibited native fluorescence properties that could be exploited to assay them in biological fluids with high sensitivity. Spectrofluorimetric analysis of AFH and VRH is based on excitation of both drugs at 265 nm where emission spectra were recorded separately for AFH and VRH at 380 and 485 nm, respectively. Micellar trends in analytical chemistry were adopted to minimize both environmental and occupational hazards, using distilled water and sodium dodecyl sulphate (serves as a micellar medium that enhanced the sensitivity of AFH and VRH) for analysis of both drugs in their raw materials, tablets, and human biological fluids (plasma and urine). Linearity ranges were 1.0-16.0 and 10.0-700.0 ng mL-1 for AFH and VRH, respectively. The proposed method was successfully assessed for analysis of AFH and VRH in spiked human plasma and urine samples over the following concentrations: 1.0-12.0 ng mL-1 and 4.0-400.0 ng mL-1 for both drugs, simultaneously with mean recoveries of 101.08 % and 102.06 % in plasma and 96.75 % and 92.8 % in urine. Statistical analysis of the practical results has proved quite good agreement and revealed there were no significant differences in the accuracy and precision with those obtained by the comparison methods. The proposed method was applied successfully to Prostetrol® and Powerecta® commercial tablets without interference with tablet additives.

Validated spectrophotometric and spectrofluorimetric methods for determination of dapoxetine hydrochloride and dosulepin hydrochloride in their dosage forms using mercurochrome.

Validated, simple, rapid and sensitive spectrophotometric and spectrofluorimetric methods were developed for the determination of dapoxetine HCl and dosulepin HCl. The spectrophotometric method (I) was based on a binary complex formation between each drug and mercurochrome (MER) in acetate buffer (pH 3.5) with maximum absorbance at 557 nm. Calibration graphs were linear over the range 2.0-20.0 and 2.0-24.0 µg/ml, detection limits were 0.23 and 0.41 µg/ml and quantitation limits were 0.71 and 1.26 µg/ml for dapoxetine HCl and dosulepin HCl, respectively. Spectrofluorimetric method (II) was based on the measurement of the quantitative quenching effect of each drug on the native fluorescence of MER at the same pH. Fluorescence quenching of MER was measured at 538 nm after excitation at 470 nm. Calibration graphs were linear over the range 0.5-10.0 and 0.4-10.0 µg/ml, detection limits were 0.17 and 0.12 µg/ml and quantitation limits were 0.5 and 0.36 µg/ml for dapoxetine HCl and dosulepin HCl, respectively. Statistical comparison of results with those obtained by reported methods provided good agreement and revealed that there were no significant differences in accuracy and precision between methods. The proposed methods were applied successfully to analyse commercial tablets and capsules containing the studied drugs.