Development of Analytical Quality by Design Compliant Chaotropic Chromatography Method for Ziprasidone and Its Five Impurities Determination.

In this study, an AQbD-compliant chaotropic chromatography method for ziprasidone and the determination of its five impurities was developed. The influence of critical method parameters (initial and final methanol fraction in the mobile phase, gradient duration) on the set of selected critical method attributes (t_imp. V, t_imp. V - t_imp. I, S and ) was studied by Box-Behnken design. The errors resulting from the calculation of the model coefficients were propagated to the selected responses by Monte Carlo simulations, and their predictive distribution was obtained. The design space was computed (π ≥ 80%), and a working point was selected: initial methanol fraction 38.5%, final methanol fraction 77.5%, and gradient duration 16.25 min. Furthermore, the quantitative robustness of the developed method was tested using the Plackett-Burman design. P_imp II and P_imp V were found to be significantly affected, the first by mobile phase flow rate and the second by gradient duration. Finally, the method was validated, and its reliability for routine quality control in capsules was confirmed.

Analytical method development supported by DoE-DS approach for enantioseparation of (S,S)- and (R,R)-moxifloxacin.

In this paper, method for enantiomeric purity testing of fourth-generation fluoroquinolone, moxifloxacin hydrochloride, was developed and validated. Exceptional enantioselectivity for this assay was achieved using cyclodextrin type Chiral Stationary Phase (CSP), phenylcarbamate-ß-cyclodextrin CSP, and mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and triethylammonium acetate (TEAA) buffer. Analytical Quality by Design (AQbD) methodology, comprising Design of Experiments (DoE) - Design Space (DS) approach, was used for method development. In order to select appropriate Critical Method Parameters (CMPs), risk assessment was done using combined three step strategy that involved Ishikawa diagram - CNX (Control, Noise and eXperimental) - FMEA (Failure Mode and Effect Analysis). Three CMPs were further selected and investigated in this study: acetonitrile content in the mobile phase (30-50%, v/v), triethylamine content in the TEAA buffer (0.1-1.5%, v/v) and aqueous phase pH (3.5-4.5). Monte Carlo simulations were performed and 3D-DS was computed. One point situated in the center of 3D-DS was selected as working point for method validation, with the following values of CMPs: acetonitrile content in the mobile phase set to 37% (v/v), triethylamine content in TEAA 0.8% and pH value of the aqueous phase set at 4.0. Also, 2D-DS was created (with fixed one factor - pH value of aqueous phase at 4.0) which also gave us confirmation that the selection of working conditions was suitable. The proposed enantioselective method was further on tested for its quantitative robustness, as well as for its suitability for the intended purpose through validation studies.

Determination of Bupropion and Its Impurities via a Chaotropic Chromatography Method Following Analytical Quality-by-Design Principles for Method Development.

A novel chaotropic chromatography method for the quantitative determination of bupropion and its impurities, following analytical quality-by-design (AQbD) principles, is presented. The analytical target profile (ATP) was defined on the basis of the efficient separation and reliable determination of bupropion and its five impurities in tablets. Preliminary experiments revealed the need for the addition of a gradient elution part. A screening fractional factorial experimental design was employed to select the critical method parameters (CMPs) and a Box-Behnken design (BBD) was utilized to investigate their influence on predefined critical method attributes (CMAs). In order to compute the design space (DS), where CMPs meet predefined acceptance limits with a high level of probability (π ≥ 85%), Monte Carlo simulations were performed. The working point selected from the DS corresponded to the following conditions: 37.5% acetonitrile at the start of the gradient program (up to 70% at the end of the gradient program), 45 mM of potassium hexafluorophosphate in the water phase, and the start of the linear gradient step in the gradient program at 10 min. The method was validated according to ICH guidelines and applied to the analysis of Wellbutrin® tablets containing bupropion hydrochloride.

Evaluation of chitosan/xanthan gum polyelectrolyte complexes potential for pH-dependent oral delivery of escin.

Escin is an amphiphilic and weakly acidic drug that oral administration may lead to the irritation of gastric mucosa. The entrapment of escin into chitosan (CH)/xanthan gum (XG)-based polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) can facilitate controlled drug release which may be beneficial for the reduction of its side effects. This study aimed to investigate the influence of escin content and drying method on the formation, physicochemical, and controlled, pH-dependent drug release properties of CH/XG-based PECs. Measurements of transmittance, conductivity, and rheological characterization confirmed the formation of CH/XG-based PECs with escin entrapped at escin-to-polymers mass ratios 1:1, 1:2, and 1:4. Ambient-dried PECs had higher yield, entrapment efficiency, and escin content in comparison with spray-dried ones. FT-IR spectra confirmed the interactions between CH, XG, and escin, which were stronger in ambient-dried PECs. PXRD and DSC analyses showed the amorphous escin character in all dry PECs, regardless of the drying method. The most promising controlled and pH-dependent in vitro escin release was from the ambient-dried PEC at the escin-to-polymers mass ratio of 1:1. For that reason and due to the highest yield and entrapment efficiency, this carrier has the potential to prevent the irritation of gastric mucosa after oral administration of escin.

Quantification of Zonisamide in Dried Blood Spots and Dried Plasma Spots by UPLC-MS/MS: Application to Clinical Practice.

In this research, a UHPLC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the determination of zonisamide in dried plasma spots (DPS) and dried blood spots (DBS). Detection of zonisamide and internal standard, 1-(2,3-dichlorphenyl)piperazine, was carried out in ESI+ mode by monitoring two MRM transitions per analyte. Total run time, less than 2.5 min, was achieved using Acquity UPLC BEH Amide (2.1 × 100 mm, 1.7 µm particle size) column with mobile phase comprising acetonitrile-water (85:15%, v/v) with 0.075% formic acid. The flow rate was 0.225 mL/min, the column temperature was 30 °C and the injection volume was 3 µL. Desolvation temperature, desolvation gas flow rate, ion source temperature and cone gas flow rate were set by the IntelliStart software tool in combination with tuning. All of the Guthrie cards were scanned, and DPS/DBS areas were determined by the image processing tool. The influence of hematocrit values (20-60%) on accuracy and precision was evaluated to determine the range within which method for DBSs is free from Hct or dependency is within acceptable limits. The validated method was applied to the determination of zonisamide levels in DPS and DBS samples obtained from patients confirming its suitability for clinical application. Finally, the distribution of zonisamide into the red blood cells was estimated by correlating its DPS and DBS levels.

Generic approach in a gradient elution HPLC method development that enables troubleshooting free method transfer.

Nowadays, method development is strongly focused on reducing time needed for method development and execution. This subject specially concerns gradient elution methods regarding the usual need for troubleshooting assistance with uncertain outcome during the method transfer from one laboratory to another. One of the main reasons for this situation is the dwell volume difference between HPLC systems. Therefore, the aim of this study was to propose a novel method development methodology that would integrate the dwell volumes differences in the optimization process. The proposed approach could be quite useful in industry that has insight in HPLC instruments planned to be used during the method life cycle. It was tested on the model mixture consisting of dabigatran etexilate mesylate and its nine impurities by use of experimental design methodology. Three different (U)HPLC instruments with high dwell volume differences were selected to challenge the methodology. Plan of experiments was defined with Plackett-Burman design for screening phase and D-optimal design for optimization phase. Initial and final amount of organic modifier, time of the gradient elution and pH value of the aqueous phase were selected as variables significant for the gradient programme profile and included in the optimization stage along with dwell volume values. The separation criteria s between critical peak pairs was selected as output for method optimization while indirect modelling together with Monte Carlo simulations enabled selection of optimal and robust chromatographic conditions. They included 24% (v/v) of initial amount of acetonitrile, 54% (v/v) of the final amount of acetonitrile, 15 min of gradient elution run time and pH value equal to 4.9. The proposed method was successfully validated, met all validation criteria and thus proved its utility.

Chitosan/Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Complexes for Microencapsulation of Vitamin E and Its Release Profile-Understanding the Effect of Anionic Surfactant.

Microencapsulation of bioactive substances is a common strategy for their protection and release rate control. The use of chitosan (Ch) is particularly promising due to its abundance, biocompatibility, and interaction with anionic surfactants to form complexes of different characteristics with relevance for use in microcapsule wall design. In this study, Ch/sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) microcapsules, without and with cross-linking agent (formaldehyde (FA) or glutaraldehyde (GA)), were obtained by the spray drying of vitamin E loaded oil-in-water emulsion. All of the microcapsules had good stability during the drying process. Depending on the composition, their product yield, moisture content, and encapsulation efficiency varied between 11-34%, 1.14-1.62%, and 94-126%, respectively. SEM and FTIR analysis results indicate that SDS as well as cross-linkers significantly affected the microcapsule wall properties. The profiles of in vitro vitamin E release from the investigated microcapsules fit with the Korsmeyer-Peppas model (r2 > 0.9). The chemical structure of the anionic surfactant was found to have a significant effect on the vitamin E release mechanism. Ch/SDS coacervates may build a microcapsule wall without toxic crosslinkers. This enabled the combined diffusion/swelling based release mechanism of the encapsulated lipophilic substance, which can be considered favorable for utilization in food and pharmaceutical products.

Effect of ibuprofen entrapment procedure on physicochemical and controlled drug release performances of chitosan/xanthan gum polyelectrolyte complexes.

The effect of the entrapment procedure of a poorly water soluble drug (ibuprofen) on physicochemical and drug release performances of chitosan/xanthan polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) was investigated to achieve controlled drug release as the ultimate goal. The formation of PECs for two drug entrapment procedures (before or after the mixing of polymers) at pH 4.6 and 5.6 and three chitosan-to-xanthan mass ratios (1:1, 1:2 and 1:3) was observed by continuous decrease in conductivity during the PECs formation and increased apparent viscosity and hysteresis values. The most extensive crosslinking was observed with ibuprofen added before the PECs formation at pH 4.6 and chitosan-to-xanthan mass ratio 1:1. The PECs prepared at polymers' mass ratios 1:2 and 1:3 had higher yield and drug entrapment efficiency. DSC and FT-IR analysis confirmed ibuprofen entrapment in PECs and the partial disruption of its crystallinity. All ibuprofen release profiles were similar, with 60-70% of drug released after 12 h, mainly by diffusion, but erosion and polymer chain relaxation were also included. Potentially optimal can be considered the PEC prepared at pH 4.6, ibuprofen entrapped before the mixing of polymers at chitosan-to-xanthan mass ratio 1:2, which provided controlled drug release by zero-order kinetics, high yield, and drug entrapment efficiency.

Corona Charged Aerosol Detector in studying retention and ß-cyclodextrin complex stability using RP-HPLC.

Binding between cyclodextrin (CD) cavity and guest molecule in Reversed Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) is dynamic process. In general, increasing CD concentration is inducing inclusion complex formation, leading to reduction of analyte's retention time. Consequently, the shortness in retention time is a measure of complex stability in HPLC. However, under certain experimental conditions, the retention of some analytes could be prolonged even when concentration of CD in the mobile phase is increased. In order to reveal the cause of this unexpected retention behavior, the present study was carried on. The model mixture consisted of risperidone, olanzapine and their related impurities, while ß-CD was selected among CDs, as in the previous study. In order to achieve fast equilibrium between free analyte and ß-CD-analyte complex, ß-CD was not added to the mobile phase, but only to the sample. Detection was performed with Corona Charged Aerosol Detector (CAD), suitable for non-chromophoric ß-CD. When analyzing olanzapine impurity B-ß-CD sample, three peaks were detected, namely free ß-CD, ß-CD-analyte complex and free analyte. The complex stability constant was calculated employing a modification of the Benesi-Hildebrandt equation and CAD has proven to be useful in complex stability constants assessment if retention of free analyte and ß-CD-analyte complex is distinguished. For all other analytes only two peaks could be detected, because free analyte and formed complex are eluting at the same retention time. Under such circumstances, the authors proposed the methodology for calculating stability constants and confirmed its applicability to studied model mixture.

Quantitative structure retention relationship modeling as potential tool in chromatographic determination of stability constants and thermodynamic parameters of ß-cyclodextrin complexation process.

When cyclodextrins (CDs) are used in chromatography analytes' retention time is decreased with an increase in concentration of CD in the mobile phase. Thus complex stability constants can be determined from the change in retention time of the ligand molecule upon complexation. Since the preceding approach implies extensive and time-consuming HPLC experiments, the goal of this research was to investigate the possibility of using in silico prediction tools instead. Quantitative structure-retention relationship (QSRR) model previously developed to explain the retention behavior of risperidone, olanzapine and their structurally related impurities in ß-CD modified HPLC system was applied to predict retention factor under different chromatographic conditions within the examined domains. Predicted retention factors were further used for calculation of stability constants and important thermodynamic parameters, namely standard Gibbs free energy, standard molar enthalpy and entropy, contributing to inclusion phenomenon. Unexpected prolonged retention with an increase in ß-CD concentration was observed, in contrast to the employed chromatographic theory used for the calculation of the stability constants. Consequently, it led to failure in stability constants and thermodynamic parameters calculation for almost all analytes when acetonitrile content was 20% (v/v) across the investigated pH range. Moreover, ionization of investigated analytes and free stationary phase silanol groups are pH dependent, leading to minimization of secondary interactions if free silanol groups are non-ionized at pH lower than 3. In order to prove accuracy of predicted retention factors, HPLC verification experiments were performed and good agreement between predicted and experimental values was obtained, confirming the applicability of proposed in-silico tool. However, the obtained results opened some novel questions and revealed that chromatographic method is not overall applicable in calculation of stability constants and thermodynamic parameters indicating the complexity of ß-CD modified systems.

Analytical quality by design development of an ecologically acceptable enantioselective HPLC method for timolol maleate enantiomeric purity testing on ovomucoid chiral stationary phase.

Official method in Ph. Eur. for evaluation of timolol enantiomeric purity is normal-phase high performance liquid chromatography (NP-HPLC) method. Compared to other HPLC modes, NP is depicted as quite expensive with high consumption of organic solvents which leads to chronic exposure of analysts to toxic and carcinogenic effects. In order to overcome above-mentioned drawbacks, the aim of this study was to develop new method with better eco-friendly features. This was enabled by using protein type Chiral Stationary Phase (CSP) in reversed-phase mode that required up to 10 % (v/v) of organic solvent. Therefore, an enantioselective HPLC method was developed and validated for quantification of (S)-timolol and its chiral impurity, (R)-isomer. Optimized separation conditions on ovomucoid column were set using Analytical Quality by Design (AQbD) approach in method development. Optimization step was performed following the Box-Behnken experimental plan and the influence of three critical method parameters (CMPs) towards enantioseparation of the above-mentioned peak pair was examined. CMPs included variation of acetonitrile content in the mobile phase (5-10 %, v/v), pH value of the aqueous phase (6.0-7.0) and ammonium chloride concentration in the aqueous part of the mobile phase (10-30 mmol L-1). The most relevant critical method attributes (CMAs) in this case were the separation criterion between studied critical pair and retention factor of the second eluting peak, (S)-timolol. Qualitative Design Space (DS) was defined by Monte Carlo simulations providing adequate assurance of method's qualitative robustness (π = 95 %). The selected working point situated in the middle of the DS was characterized by following combination of CMPs: acetonitrile content in the mobile phase 7 % (v/v), pH value of the aqueous phase 6.8 and concentration of ammonium chloride in aqueous phase 14 mmol L-1. In the next step, the quantitative robustness was tested by Plackett-Burman experimental design. The validation studies confirmed adequacy of the proposed method for its intended purpose. Finally, Analytical Eco-Scale metric tool was applied to confirm that developed method represents excellent green analytical method compared to the official one.

Hematocrit effect on dried blood spots in adults: a computational study and theoretical considerations.

Dried blood spots (DBS) are formed by deposition of a small amount of blood on specific adsorbent paper and its physical drying. DBS are employed as a sampling method in several fields of life sciences and drug research. A concern about DBS is the so-called 'Hematocrit (Ht) effect', as a different Ht leads, due to different viscosity, to different spot size, affecting assay bias. Solutions have been proposed, including the correction of quantified concentrations with a suitable correction factor. In order to quantitatively assess Ht impact on the DBS measurements, a computational approach was developed and implemented in R® language. First, the % relative error was modeled with respect to Ht. Then, Monte Carlo simulations were performed in virtual men/women populations with different Ht levels and the % relative error in relation to the Ht used for calibrators was quantified. An upper level for % relative error being a 'tolerable contribution' of Ht effect to % total analytical error was finally suggested, defining, for the first time, a potential Ht range for analysis of adults' samples, where correction of concentrations of unknown samples may be omitted. Such tolerable level for % relative error may be defined in each laboratory, also based on experimental parameters (type of paper and blood volume). Using a Ht calibration value representing the study population is fully rationalized, leading to reduced probability for concentration corrections. Regulatory criteria for bioanalysis can thus be targeted, moving towards wider utilization of DBS in human pharmacokinetic and clinical trials.

Characterization of bonded stationary phase performance as a function of qualitative and quantitative chromatographic factors in chaotropic chromatography with risperidone and its impurities as model substances.

Numerous stationary phases have been developed with the aim to provide desired performances during chromatographic analysis of the basic solutes in their protonated form. In this work, the procedure for the characterization of bonded stationary phase performance, when both qualitative and quantitative chromatographic factors were varied in chaotropic chromatography, was proposed. Risperidone and its three impurities were selected as model substances, while acetonitrile content in the mobile phase (20-30%), the pH of the aqueous phase (3.00-5.00), the content of chaotropic agents in the aqueous phase (10-100 mM), type of chaotropic agent (NaClO4, CF3COONa), and stationary phase type (Zorbax Eclipse XDB, Zorbax Extend) were studied as chromatographic factors. The proposed procedure implies the combination of D-optimal experimental design, indirect modeling, and polynomial-modified Gaussian model, while grid point search method was selected for the final choice of the experimental conditions which lead to the best possible stationary phase performance for basic solutes. Good agreement between experimentally obtained chromatogram and simulated chromatogram for chosen experimental conditions (25% acetonitrile, 75 mM of NaClO4, pH 4.00 on Zorbax Eclipse XDB column) confirmed the applicability of the proposed procedure. The additional point was selected for the verification of proposed procedure ability to distinguish changes in solutes' elution order. Simulated chromatogram for 21.5% acetonitrile, 85 mM of NaClO4, pH 5.00 on Zorbax Eclipse XDB column was in line with experimental data. Furthermore, the values of left and right peak half-widths obtained from indirect modeling were used in order to evaluate performances of differently modified stationary phases applying a half-width plots approach. The results from half-width plot approach as well as from the proposed procedure indicate higher efficiency and better separation performance of the stationary phase extra densely bonded and double end-capped with trimethylsilyl group than the stationary phase with the combination of end-capping and bidentate silane bonding for chromatographic analysis of basic solutes in RP-HPLC systems with chaotropic agents. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Analysis of potential genotoxic impurities in rabeprazole active pharmaceutical ingredient via Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry, following quality-by-design principles for method development.

A novel Liquid Chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method is presented for the quantitative determination of two potential genotoxic impurities (PGIs) in rabeprazole active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). In order to overcome the analytical challenges in the trace analysis of PGIs, a development procedure supported by Quality-by-Design (QbD) principles was evaluated. The efficient separation between rabeprazole and the two PGIs in the shortest analysis time was set as the defined analytical target profile (ATP) and to this purpose utilization of a switching valve allowed the flow to be sent to waste when rabeprazole was eluted. The selected critical quality attributes (CQAs) were the separation criterion s between the critical peak pair and the capacity factor k of the last eluted compound. The effect of the following critical process parameters (CPPs) on the CQAs was studied: %ACN content, the pH and the concentration of the buffer salt in the mobile phase, as well as the stationary phase of the analytical column. D-Optimal design was implemented to set the plan of experiments with UV detector. In order to define the design space, Monte Carlo simulations with 5000 iterations were performed. Acceptance criteria were met for C8 column (50×4mm, 5µm), and the region having probability π≥95% to achieve satisfactory values of all defined CQAs was computed. The working point was selected with the mobile phase consisting of ACN, ammonium formate 11mM at a ratio 31/69v/v with pH=6,8 for the water phase. The LC protocol was transferred to LC-MS/MS and validated according to ICH guidelines.

Chemometrically assisted development and validation of LC-MS/MS method for the analysis of potential genotoxic impurities in meropenem active pharmaceutical ingredient.

A sensitive Liquid Chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the quantitative analysis of three potential genotoxic impurities (318BP, M9, S5) in meropenem Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API). Due to the requirement for LOD values in ppb range, a high concentration of meropenem API (30mg/mL) had to be injected. Therefore, efficient determination of meropenem from its impurities became a critical aim of this study, in order to divert meropenem to waste, via a switching valve. After the selection of the important factors affecting analytes' elution, a Box-Behnken design was utilized to set the plan of experiments conducted with UV detector. As responses, the separation factor s between the last eluting impurity and meropenem, as well as meropenem retention factor k were used. Grid point search methodology was implemented aiming to obtain the optimal conditions that simultaneously comply to the conflicted criteria. Optimal mobile phase consisted of ACN, methanol and 0.09% HCOOH at a ratio 71/3.5/15.5v/v. All impurities and internal standard omeprazole were eluted before 7.5min and at 8.0min the eluents were directed to waste. The protocol was transferred to LC-MS/MS and validated according to ICH guidelines.

Influence of the mobile phase and molecular structure parameters on the retention behavior of protonated basic solutes in chaotropic chromatography.

In this study, we present novel insights into the pH-dependent retention behavior of protonated basic solutes in chaotropic chromatography. To this end, two sets of experiments were performed to distinguish between mobile phase pH and ionic strength effects. In the first set, the ionic strength (I) was varied with the concentration of NaPF6 and additives that adjusted the mobile phase pH, while in the second set, I was kept constant by adding the appropriate amount of NaCl. In each set, the retention behavior of 13 analytes was qualitatively examined in 21 chromatographic systems, which were defined by the NaPF6 concentration in their aqueous phases (1-50mM) and the pH of their mobile phases (2, 3 or 4); the acetonitrile content was fixed at 40%. The addition of NaCl significantly reduced the differences among retention factors at studied pH values due to the effect of the Na+ ions on PF6-adsorption to the stationary phase and the magnitude of the consequential development of the surface potential. A quantitative description of the observed phenomenon was obtained by an extended thermodynamic approach. The contribution of ion-pair formation in the stationary phase to the retention of the solutes was confirmed across models at the studied pH values in the set with varying I. In the systems with a constant I, the shielding effect of the Na+ ions on the surface charge lowered the attractive surface potential and diminished the aforementioned interactions and hence the effect of the mobile phase pH on analyte retention. Eventually, we developed a readily interpretable empirical retention model that simultaneously takes into account analyte molecular structures and the most relevant chromatographic factors. Its coefficients have clear physical meaning, and owing to its good predictive capabilities, the model could be successfully used to clarify the contributions of analyte molecular structures and chromatographic factors to the specific processes underlying separation in chaotropic chromatography.

Quantitation of brinzolamide in dried blood spots by a novel LC-QTOF-MS/MS method.

In the current study, a rapid and sensitive LC-QTOF-MS/MS method for the determination of brinzolamide in dried blood spots (DBS) was developed and validated. This novel sample collection, storage and transfer technique was suitable for analyzing a drug with high distribution into red blood cells and negligible plasma levels. The method included an isocratic mobile phase consisting of methanol and 10mM ammonium formate (90:10, v/v) and detection in positive electrospray mode (ESI+). The flow rate was adjusted to 0.350mL/min yielding retention times of 1.7min for both brinzolamide and internal standard (IS) rabeprazole on a Cyano analytical column, respectively. The validation of the proposed method over the concentration range 0.500-20.0µg/mL was performed in compliance with EMEA and FDA guidelines, assessing all major performance characteristics. Inter- and intra- assay precisions were less than 14%, while inter- and intra- assay accuracies varied from 92.2 to 111%. No matrix effect was observed and the mean brinzolamide extraction recovery was 93.5%. The method was successfully applied to real DBS samples from patients in steady state condition, receiving brinzolamide ophthalmic suspension 1% (w/v) for several months. Initial concentrations were corrected due to hematocrit effect, using image processing algorithm written in Matlab.

Investigation into the phenomena affecting the retention behavior of basic analytes in chaotropic chromatography: Joint effects of the most relevant chromatographic factors and analytes' molecular properties.

The aim of this study was to systematically investigate the phenomena affecting the retention behavior of structurally diverse basic drugs in ion-interaction chromatographic systems with chaotropic additives. To this end, the influence of three factors was studied: pH value of the aqueous phase, concentration of sodium hexafluorophosphate, and content of acetonitrile in the mobile phase. Mobile phase pH was found to affect the thermodynamic equilibria in the studied system beyond its effects on the analytes' ionization state. Specifically, increasing pH from 2 to 4 led to longer retention times, even with analytes which remain completely protonated. An explanation for this phenomenon was sought by studying the adsorption behavior of acetonitrile and chaotropic additive onto stationary phase. It was shown that the magnitude of the developed surface potential, which significantly affects retention - increases with pH, and that this can be attributed to the larger surface excess of acetonitrile. To study how analytes' structural properties influence their retention, quantitative structure-retention modeling was performed next. A support vector machine regression model was developed, relating mobile phase constituents and structural descriptors with retention data. While the ETA_EtaP_B_RC and XlogP can be considered as molecular descriptors which describe factors affecting retention in any RP-HPLC system, TDB9p and RDF45p are molecular descriptors which account for spatial arrangement of polarizable atoms and they can clearly relate to analytes' behavior on the stationary phase surface, where the electrostatic potential develops. Complementarity of analytes' structure with that of the electric double layer can be seen as a key factor influencing their retention behavior. Structural diversity of analytes and good predictive capabilities over a range of experimental conditions make the established model a useful tool in predicting retention behavior in the studied chromatographic system.

Development of liquid chromatographic method for the analysis of dabigatran etexilate mesilate and its ten impurities supported by quality-by-design methodology.

In this paper, the development of reversed-phase liquid chromatographic method for the analysis of dabigatran etexilate mesilate and its ten impurities supported by quality by design (QbD) approach is presented. The defined analytical target profile (ATP) was the efficient baseline separation and the accurate determination of the investigated analytes. The selected critical quality attributes (CQAs) were the separation criterions between the critical peak pairs because the mixture complexity imposed a gradient elution mode. The critical process parameters (CPPs) studied in this research were acetonitrile content at the beginning of gradient program, acetonitrile content at the end of gradient program and the gradient time. Plan of experiments was defined by Box-Behnken design. The experimental domains of the three selected factors x1--content of the acetonitrile at the start of linear gradient, x2--content of the acetonitrile at the end of linear gradient and x3--gradient time (tG) were [10%, 30%], [48%, 60%] and [8 min, 15 min], respectively. In order to define the design space (DS) as a zone where the desired quality criteria is met providing also the quality assurance, Monte Carlo simulations were performed. The uniform error distribution equal to the calculated standard error was added to the model coefficient estimates. Monte Carlo simulation included 5000 iterations in each of 3969 defined grid points and the region having the probability π ≥ 95% to achieve satisfactory values of all defined CQAs was computed. As a working point, following chromatographic conditions suited in the middle of the DS were chosen: 22% acetonitrile at the start of gradient program, 55.5% acetonitrile at the end of gradient program end and the gradient time of 11.5 min. The developed method was validated in order to prove its reliability.

Quantitation of pregabalin in dried blood spots and dried plasma spots by validated LC-MS/MS methods.

In this paper, novel LC-MS/MS methods for the determination of antiepileptic drug pregabalin in dried matrix spots (DMS) are presented. This attractive technique of sample collection in micro amount was utilized in the form of dried blood spots (DBS) and dried plasma spots (DPS). Following a pre-column derivatization procedure, using n-propyl chloroformate in the presence of n-propanol, and consecutive liquid-liquid extraction, derivatized pregabalin and its internal standard, 4-aminocyclohexanecarboxylic acid, were detected in positive ion mode by applying two SRM transitions per analyte. A YMC-Pack Octyl column (50mm×4.0mm, 3µm particle size) maintained at 30°C, was utilized with running mobile phase composed of acetonitrile: 0.15% formic acid (85:15, v/v). Flow rate was 550µL/min and total run time 2min. Established methods were fully validated over the concentration range of 0.200-20.0µg/mL for DBS and 0.400-40.0µg/mL for DPS, respectively, while specificity, accuracy, precision, recovery, matrix-effect, stability, dilution integrity and spot homogeneity were found within acceptance criteria. Validated methods were applied for the determination of pregabalin levels in dried blood and plasma samples obtained from patients with epilepsy, after per os administration of commercial capsules. Comparison of drug level in blood and plasma, as well as correction steps undertaken in order to overcome hematocrit issue, when analyzing DBS, are also given.