Synthesis, evaluation of drug delivery potential, and the quantum chemical investigation on a molecular imprinted polymer for quetiapine antipsychotic; a joint experimental and density functional theory study.

In this project, the quetiapine drug was used as the template for synthesis of a molecular imprinted polymer (MIP). The polymerization approach for preparation of this composite was precipitation, where methacrylic acid (MAA), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), and 2,2-azobisissobutyronitrile (AIBN) were used as the functional monomer, the cross-linker, and the initiator, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the diameter of the nanoparticles is about 70 nm. The adsorption rates of quetiapine to the MIP host were evaluated at different pHs, and the results showed that the highest adsorption values were obtained at pH = 7. Moreover, the kinetics of the adsorption process was detected to follow the Langmuir isotherm (R2 = 0.9926) and the pseudo-second-order kinetics (R2 = 0.9937). The results confirmed the high capability of the synthesized MIPs as pharmaceutical carriers for quetiapine. Furthermore, the kinetics of the drug release from the MIP follows the Higuchi model at the pHs of 5.8-6.8 and the Korsmeyer-Peppas model at the pHs of 1.2-5. Finally, in light of the density functional theory (DFT)-based quantum chemical descriptors, the polymer-quetiapine drug complex was designed and investigated. The results showed that there is a strong interaction between the host (polymer) and the guest (drug) due to several hydrogen bonds and other intermolecular (polar) interactions.

Simultaneous Determination of Adulterants in Dietary Food Supplements Using Multivariate Data Analysis after Preconcentration with Novel Nanosorbents and Chromatographic Measurement.

BACKGROUND: The increasing popularity of dietary supplements and, consequently, related adulteration emphasizes the rising need to examine the association of food supplements with fraud. Intentional or unintentional fraud in food supplements by hazardous chemicals compounds is a problem that many countries are struggling with. Much effort have been made to effectively and reliably control the quality of food supplements. OBJECTIVE: Due to the importance of the subject, an analytical method for the simultaneous and reliable detection and quantitative determination of three key adulterants in dietary food supplements was developed. The proposed method benefits from analytical methods and multivariate calibration methods to progress the determination of adulterants in a complex matrix. METHODS: HPLC assisted by multivariate curve resolution-alternating least square (MCR-ALS) analysis was used to detect adulterants in real samples after separation and preconcentration using novel mesoporous carbon nanoparticles. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) optimization was accomplished by central composite design (CCD). In order to obtain the best results, the MCR-ALS model was compared with the parallel factor analysis 2 (PARAFAC2) model and validated by estimation of linearity, detection limits, and recovery. RESULTS: The detection limits and linear dynamics were calculated as 1.5, 4.27, and 4.77 µg/mL, and 1-50, 5-20, and 5-20 µg/mL for caffeine, ephedrine, and fluoxetine, respectively. Mean recovery for determination of caffeine, ephedrine, and fluoxetine using the developed method was reported as 101.75, 91.7, and 92.36, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results showed that to avoid negative health outcomes associated with the excessive consumption of adulterated food supplements releasing such products should be carefully regulated. The developed method was validated using statistical factors and showed acceptable and reliable results. HIGHLIGHTS: (1) The application of MCR-ALS coupled with HPLC-Diode-Array Detection data sets allowed the simultaneous identification and quantification of three key adulterants (caffeine, ephedrine, and fluoxetine) in dietary food supplements. (2) A small amount of the novel adsorbent was successfully used to preconcentrate the trace amounts of adulterants in samples. (3) This method benefits from the chemometrics tools and experimental design to significantly reduce the use of toxic solvents and complicated instruments to propose a less time-consuming method for quantification of multicomponents in the presence of uncalibrated interferents.

Application of the oxycodone templated molecular imprinted polymer in adsorption of the drug from human blood plasma as the real biological environment; a joint experimental and density functional theory study.

In this project, we have synthesized and used a molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) for adsorption of oxycodone residue from the biological samples. Indeed, this study aims to develop a suitable method for determination of oxycodone drug residue in the human plasma using the common analysis methods. Therefore, the MIP was used for the solid phase extraction (MIP-SPE) approach in order to collect the oxycodone opioid and to concentrate it in the blood plasma samples. The extraction parameters such as adsorption time, pH, and the amount of sorbent in blood plasma were optimized and the capacity of loading amount (LA) for adsorbing it was determined. Moreover, a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-UV detector method was validated and used for analyzing of the mentioned opioid extracted from plasma. The results showed that the limit of detection (LOD), and the limit of quantization (LOQ) for the developed MIP-SPE method were 1.24 ppb, and 3.76 ppb, respectively. Moreover, both of the MIP-, and non-imprinted polymers (NIP)-drug complexes were designed and were then optimized by the density functional theory (DFT) method. The results showed that the theoretical calculations supported the experimental data, confirming the favorability of adsorption of the drug by MIP compared to NIP.

Magnetic-Dispersive Solid Phase Extraction Based on Graphene Oxide-Fe3O4 Nanocomposites Followed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Fluorescence for the Preconcentration and Determination of Terazosin Hydrochloride in Human Plasma.

In the present study, a facile modified impregnation method was employed to synthesize superparamagnetic graphene oxide-Fe3O4 (GO-Fe3O4) nanocomposites. Based on the GO-Fe3O4 as adsorbent, a simple and fast magnetic-dispersive solid phase extraction followed by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (M-dSPE-HPLC-FL) method was established and validated for the preconcentration and determination of terazosin hydrochloride (TRZ) in human plasma samples. The obtained nanomaterials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and vibrating sample magnetometry. Different parameters affecting the extraction efficiency, such as sample pH, amount of sorbent, extraction time, elution solvent and its volume and desorption time, were evaluated and optimized. The linearity of the proposed method was excellent over the range 0.3-50.0 ng mL-1 with an acceptable coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.9989). The limit of quantification and limit of detection were found to be 0.3 and 0.09 ng mL-1, respectively, and the preconcentration factor of 10 was achieved. Intra- and inter-day precision expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD %, n = 6) were between 2.2-3.8% and 4.7-6.4%, respectively. Accuracy, estimated by recovery assays, was 97.7-106.6% with RSD ≤ 5.2%. Ultimately, the applicability of the method was successfully confirmed by the extraction and determination of TRZ in human plasma samples.

Graphene Oxide-Based Dispersive-Solid Phase Extraction for Preconcentration and Determination of Ampicillin Sodium and Clindamycin Hydrochloride Antibiotics in Environmental Water Samples Followed by HPLC-UV Detection.

In this work, a reusable graphene oxide (GO) based dispersive-solid phase extraction (d-SPE) was synthesized and used for the analysis of trace ampicillin sodium (AMP) and clindamycin hydrochloride (CLI) in water samples followed by high performance liquid chromatography-UV detection (HPLC-UV). Batch experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of pH and volume of the sample solution, contact time, adsorption isotherms, temperature, and desorption conditions. The maximum adsorption capacities of AMP and CLI on GO nanosheets were found to be 33.33 mg g-1 and 47 mg g-1, respectively. The adsorption isotherm data can be well fitted by Temkin (AMP and CLI) and Freundlich (AMP), and the adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order model. The thermodynamic parameters were calculated, indicated that the adsorption process of both analytes were spontaneous and exothermic. In addition, the d-SPE following HPLC analyses showed good linearity in the range of 0.5-200 ng mL-1 (R2= 0.999) for AMP and 1-200 ng mL-1 (R2= 0.999) for CLI, with LOD of 0.04 and 0.24 ng mL-1 for AMP and CLI, respectively. The percent of extraction recoveries, intra and inter-day precisions (expressed as RSD %, n = 3) were in the range of 96.4-101.6%, 2.2-3.0, and 3.7-4.7 for AMP as well as 94.2-98.6%, 2.2-3.8, and 3.5-4.6 for CLI, respectively. The preconcentration factor of 20 was achieved for both analytes. From these results, it can be concluded that the validated method is a simple, cost-effective and repeatable method for analysis of AMP and CLI in water samples and provide a new platform for antibiotics decontamination.

Effect of Nonionic Surfactants (Dodecyl Maltoside and Polysorbate 20) on Prevention of Aggregation and Conformational Changes of Recombinant Human IFNß_1b Induced by Light.

Liquid protein formulations are prone to form aggregates. The effect of nonionic surfactants such as Polysorbate 20 (PS 20) and n-Dodecyl ß-D-maltoside (DDM) on the prevention of aggregation and conformational changes of recombinant human IFNß-1b (rhIFN ß_1b) was explored. Polysorbate has been used in formulations of protein pharmaceuticals. There have been concerns about using PS 20 due to its residual peroxide content which may negatively affect protein efficacy. n-Dodecyl ß-D-maltoside has been of interest and shown to be highly effective in prevention of aggregation. Fresh bulk of rhIFN ß_1b was formulated using DDM or different concentrations of PS 20. Formulations were exposed to light stress condition according to the ICH guideline of Q1b. The overall conformational integrity of individual samples was characterized by a combination of Circular dichroism (CD), Fluorescence spectroscopy and RP_HPLC techniques. The CD spectrum depicting the conformational integrity of rhIFN ß_1b showed 31.9% and 31.2% decreases in α-helix content of protein samples with 0.2% or 0.02% of PS20 compared to only18.2% of that containing 0.2% DDM. The RP-HPLC analysis also showed that the oxidized impurity in formulation containing DDM is less than those contain PS 20. Complementary analysis of the liquid formulations using IFR and UV methods also was in compliance with the data obtained by CD. Compared to PS 20, the sample of rhIFN ß_1b formulation with DDM was more resistant to the destruction effect of light. Results were in accordance with previous studies and could suggest DDM as a reliable anti-aggregation surfactant in biopharmaceutical formulations.

Superparamagnetic graphene oxide-based dispersive-solid phase extraction for preconcentration and determination of tamsulosin hydrochloride in human plasma by high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection.

In the present study, superparamagnetic graphene oxide-Fe3O4 nanocomposites were successfully prepared by a modified impregnation method (MGOmi) and their application as a sorbent in the magnetic-dispersive solid phase extraction (M-dSPE) mode to the preconcentration and determination of tamsulosin hydrochloride (TMS) in human plasma was investigated by coupling with high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). The structure, morphology and magnetic properties of the prepared nanocomposites were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). Some factors affecting the extraction efficiency, including the pH value, amount of sorbent, extraction time, elution solvent and its volume, and desorption time were studied and optimized. Magnetic nanocomposites plasma extraction of TMS following HPLC analyses showed a linear calibration curve in the range of 0.5-50.0ngmL-1 with an acceptable correlation coefficient (R2=0.9988). The method was sensitive, with a low limit of detection (0.17ngmL-1) and quantification (0.48ngmL-1). Inter- and intra-day precision expressed as relative standard deviation (n=3) and the preconcentration factor, were found to be 5.6-7.2%, 2.9-4.2% and 10, respectively. Good recoveries (98.1-101.4%) with low relative standard deviations (4.2-5.0%) indicated that the matrices under consideration do not significantly affect the extraction process. Due to its high precision and accuracy, the developed method may be a HPLC-UV alternative with M-dSPE for bioequivalence analysis of TMS in human plasma.

Traditional medical uses of Drimia species in terms of phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology.

Drimia genus includes plants that used from ancient time for various ailments such as dropsy, respiratory ailment, bone and joint complications, skin disorders, epilepsy and cancer. Toxic properties of some Drimia species also were noted by ancient scientists and these plants have been traditionally used for rat control. Bufadienolides have been identified as the main constituents in the genus of Drimia. Phenolics, sterols, protein and some of other phytochemicals have been also isolated from these plants. Pharmacological and clinical studies have strongly approved their effect on cardiovascular system. Extracts and compounds isolated from Drimia species showed biological activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and insecticidal effects through several in vivo and in vitro studies. Moreover, cytotoxic and antitumor activities which may be related to bufadienolide content of these plants have been considered by many researchers. Traditional therapeutic values of these plants for treating respiratory and rheumatic ailments as well as skin disorders are needed to be validated through more researches. Toxic effects of these plants and isolated compounds have been investigated through several in vivo studies. Drimia plants and their isolated compounds have narrow therapeutic index, so patients should be prohibited from applying these plants without medical supervision and should be informed about the main intoxication symptoms before starting treatment. Moreover, interaction of Drimia plants with other constituents of traditional herbal mixtures as well as chemical and biological modalities for reducing toxicity of bufadienolide compounds can be subjected for future studies.

Synthesis of molecular imprinted polymers for selective extraction of domperidone from human serum using high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.

In this study a novel method is described for selective quantization of domperidone in biological matrices applying molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs) as a sample clean up procedure using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a fluorescence detector. MIPs were synthesized with chloroform as the porogen, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the crosslinker, methacrylic acid as the monomer, and domperidone as the template molecule. The new imprinted polymer was used as a molecular sorbent for separation of domperidone from serum. Molecular recognition properties, binding capacity and selectivity of MIPs were determined. The results demonstrated exceptional affinity for domperidone in biological fluids. The domperidone analytical method using MIPs was verified according to validation parameters, such as selectivity, linearity (5-80ng/mL, r(2)=0.9977), precision and accuracy (10-40ng/mL, intra-day=1.7-5.1%, inter-day=4.5-5.9%, and accuracy 89.07-98.9%).The limit of detection (LOD) and quantization (LOQ) of domperidone was 0.0279 and 0.092ng/mL, respectively. The simplicity and suitable validation parameters makes this a highly valuable selective bioequivalence method for domperidone analysis in human serum.

Development and Validation of a Micellar Capillary Electrophoresis Method for Determination of IFNß-1b in Lyophilized Formulation of a Biosimilar Product.

Human interferons (IFNs) are key cytokines secreted by immune system. They have several effects such as antiviral and anti tumors activity, activating immune cells and healing of multiple sclerosis. The type IFNs present in humans are α ,ß and Υ. IFN ß is a polypeptide, normally produced by fibroblasts and seems to be more species-specific than IFN. Structural properties of IFNs are important for their biologic effects. There are a few analytical techniques for separation, identification and determination of IFNs in its formulations such as mass spectroscopy, RP-HPLC and capillary electrophoresis (CE). In this study we used Micellar Electrokinetic Chromatography (MEKC) as a unique mode of CE because of its capability to separate neutral as well as charged solutes. We used sodium tetraborate (Borax) as buffer without any modifier and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as surfactant. The optimum MECK running buffer consisted of Borate 50 Mm; SDS 20 mM pH =9.6. The validated method was used for determination of the IFN ß-1b formulation which is manufactured in Iran. From 9 collected different batches, all of them had acceptable potency as claimed on their label with average 102.25 ±10.030 %. This is the first time that a MEKC method is introduced for quantification of IFN ß-1b in its pharmaceutical dosage forms. The method is reliable safe, rapid and accurate.

Water-compatible molecularly imprinted polymer as a sorbent for the selective extraction and purification of adefovir from human serum and urine.

A molecularly imprinted polymer has been synthesized to specifically extract adefovir, an antiviral drug, from serum and urine by dispersive solid-phase extraction before high-performance liquid chromatography with UV analysis. The imprinted polymers were prepared by bulk polymerization by a noncovalent imprinting method that involved the use of adefovir (template molecule) and functional monomer (methacrylic acid) complex prior to polymerization, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linker, and chloroform as porogen. Molecular recognition properties, binding capacity, and selectivity of the molecularly imprinted polymers were evaluated and the results show that the obtained polymers have high specific retention and enrichment for adefovir in aqueous medium. The new imprinted polymer was utilized as a molecular sorbent for the separation of adefovir from human serum and urine. The serum and urine extraction of adefovir by the molecularly imprinted polymer followed by high-performance liquid chromatography showed a linear calibration curve in the range of 20-100 µg/L with excellent precisions (2.5 and 2.8% for 50 µg/L), respectively. The limit of detection and limit of quantization were determined in serum (7.62 and 15.1 µg/L), and urine (5.45 and 16 µg/L). The recoveries for serum and urine samples were found to be 88.2-93.5 and 84.3-90.2%, respectively.

Molecularly imprinted nanoparticles prepared by miniemulsion polymerization as a sorbent for selective extraction and purification of efavirenz from human serum and urine.

A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) has been synthesized in order to specifically extract efavirenz from serum and urine by dispersive solid-phase extraction following by HPLC-UV analysis. The imprinted nanoparticles were prepared by miniemulsion polymerization method using efavirenz as template molecule and methacrylic acid as functional monomer. Molecular recognition properties, binding capacity and selectivity of the MIPs were evaluated and the results revealed that the obtained MIPs had high specific retention for efavirenz in aqueous medium. The MIP was used as a molecular sorbent for the separation of efavirenz from human serum and urine. The extraction of efavirenz by MIP coupled with HPLC analysis showed a linear calibration curve in the range of 50-300 µg/L with exellent precisions (3.66% and 4.6% for 100 and 300 µg/L respectively). The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were determind in serum (17.3 and 57.5 µg/L) and urine (10.6 and 36.2 µg/L). The maximum recoveries for serum and urine samples were found to be 95.2% and 92.7% respectively. Due to the high precision and accuracy, this method may be the UV-HPLC choice with MIP extraction for bioequivalence analysis of efavirenz in serum and urine.

Selective extraction of lamivudine in human serum and urine using molecularly imprinted polymer technique.

In this work, a novel technique is described for determination of lamivudine in biological fluids by molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as the sample clean-up method joint with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). MIPs were prepared using methacrylic acid as functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as crosslinker, acetonitrile and tetrahydrofuran as porogen and lamivudine as the template molecule. The new imprinted polymer was used as a molecular sorbent for the separation of lamivudine from human serum and urine. Molecular recognition properties, binding capacity and selectivity of the MIPs were evaluated and the results showed that the obtained MIPs have a high affinity for lamivudine in aqueous medium. HPLC analyses showed that the extraction of lamivudine from serum and urine by MIPs had a linear calibration curve in the range of 60-700µg/L with excellent precisions of 2.73% for serum and 2.60% for urine. The limit of detection and quantization of lamivudine was 19.34 and 58.6µg/L in serum and 7.95 and 24.05µg/L in urine respectively. MIP extraction provided about 10 fold LOQ improvement in serum and 5 fold LOQ improvement in urine samples. The recoveries of lamivudine in serum and urine samples were found to be 84.2-93.5% and 82.5-90.8% respectively. Due to the high precision and accuracy, this method may be the UV-HPLC choice with MIP extraction for bioequivalence analysis of lamivudine in serum and urine.

Comparative study of rosmarinic acid content in some plants of Labiatae family.

BACKGROUND: Plants of Labiatae are used in traditional medicine and phytotherapy. Rosmarinic acid (RA) is a phenolic compound which is found in many genus of Labiatae and exhibits important biological activities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this investigation, RA contents of 29 species of Labiatae named Salvia officinalis, Salvia limbata, Salvia virgata, Salvia hypoleuca, Salvia macrosiphon, Salvia choloroleuca, Melissa officinalis, Origanum vulgare, Lavandula angustifolia, Rosmarinus officinalis, Thymus daenensis, Thymus citriodorous, Thymus pubescens, Thymus vulgaris, Zataria multiflora, Mentha piperita, Mentha pulegium, Mentha longifolia, Mentha spicata, Mentha aquatica, Mentha crispa, Perovskia artemisoides, Zhumeria majdae, Satureja hortensis, Satureja khuzistanica, Satureja bachtiarica, Satureja atropatana, Satureja mutica and Satureja macrantha were determined by using high-performance liquid chromatographic method. RESULTS: The results showed that RA content in different species of Labiatae was 0.0-58.5 mg g(-1) of dried plants. The highest amount of RA was found in Mentha species especially M. spicata. CONCLUSION: M. spicata can be considered as a new source of rosmarinic acid .

Development of a validated HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of flavonoids in Cuscuta chinensis Lam. by ultra-violet detection.

BACKGROUND: Cuscuta species known as dodder, have been used in traditional medicine of eastern and southern Asian countries as liver and kidney tonic. Flavonoids are considered as the main biologically active constituents in Cuscuta plants especially in C. chinensis Lam. OBJECTIVE: In the present study, a fast, simple and reliable method for the simultaneous determination and quantization of C. chinensis flavonols including hyperoside, rutin, isorhamnetin and kaempferol has been developed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The chromatographic separation was carried out on a reversed phase ACE 5 C18 with eluting at a flow rate of 1 ml/min using a gradient with O-phosphoric acid 0.25% : acetonitrile for 42 min. UV spectra were collected across the range of 200-900 nm, extracting 360 nm for the chromatograms. The method was validated according to linearity, selectivity, precision, recovery, LOD and LOQ. RESULTS: The method was selective for determination of rutin, hyperoside, isorhamnetin and kampferol. The calibration graphs of flavonols were linear with r2 > 0.999. RSDs% of intra- and inter-day precisions were found 1.3&3.4 for rutin, 1.5&2.8 for hyperoside, 1.3&3.3 for isorhamnetin and 1.7 & 2.9 for kaempferol which were satisfactory. LODs and LOQs were calculated as 1.73 & 8.19 for rutin, 0.09 & 4.19 for hyperoside, 2.09 & 6.3 for isorhamnetin and 0.18 & 0.56 for kaempferol. The recovery averages of above-mentioned flavonols were 90.3%, 97.4%, 98.7% and 90.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The simplicity of the method makes it highly valuable for quality control of C. chinensis according to quantization of flavonols.

Synthesis of N-arylidene-2-(2-Phenoxyphenyl) Acetohydrazides as Anti-Inflammatory Agents.

Diclofenac sodium has been used for its anti-inflammatory actions for about 28 years, but since all the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) suffer from the lethal gastro intestinal (GI) toxicities, diclofenac sodium is not an exception. The free -COOH group is thought to be responsible for the GI toxicity associated with all traditional NSAIDs. In the present research, the main motto was to develop new chemical entities as potential anti-inflammatory agents with no GI toxicities. A new type of 2-(2-phenoxyphenyl) acetohydrazide possessing N-arylidene substituents, was synthesized for evaluation as anti-inflammatory agents. The starting material 2-(2-Phenoxyphenyl) acetohydrazide was synthesized from 2-phenoxybenzoic acid in several steps according to the previous published method. Various substituted arylidene-2-phenoxynicotinic acid hydrazide derivatives were synthesized by the reaction of hydrazide 17 with selected aldehydes and screened for their potential anti-inflammatory activity. The structure of synthesized compounds was confirmed by different nuclear magnetic resonance technique, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Mass-spectrometry data format. Qualitative structure-activity relationship data, acquired using the carrageenan-induced rat paw edema assay, showed that this group of arylidene-2-phenoxybenzoic acid hydrazides exhibit anti-inflammatory activity with significant reduction of rat paw edema (17-58% reduction in inflammation at different time intervals) in comparison with control group and a moderate to good activity range in comparison with diclofenac as the reference drug. Compounds 9a, 9d and 9e exhibited the most prominent and consistent anti-inflammatory activity. The compound, N-(4-Chlorobenzylidene)-2-(2-phenoxyphenyl) acetohydrazide (9d), exhibited the most in-vivo activity (32-58% reduction in inflammation) compared to the reference drug diclofenac (35-74% reduction in inflammation) in a carrageenan induced rat paw-edema assay.

A Validated HPTLC-Densitometric Method for Assay of Aucubin in Vitexagnus-castusL.

Vitexagnus-castusL. is a medicinal plant which is used in several dosage forms for women hormonal disorders and standardized according to the iridoids or flavonoids content. Aucubin, an iridoid glycoside, considered as a marker in some formulations. In this research, a thin layer chromatographic method with densitometric detection has been developed for quantitative determination of aucubin in chaste tree fruits. Chromatographic separation was performed using silica gel high performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) plates with ethyl acetate-methanol-water 77 : 15 : 8 as mobile phase. Chromatograms were visualized using p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde as reagent. Aucubin RF-value was about 0.5 and spots were scanned at 580 nm through a mercury lamp. By using this method, the amount of aucubin was found 43.5 mg/100 g of dried plant fruits. The method was validated for selectivity, linearity (r(2) = 0.997, 20-100 µg/mL), precision (intra-day < 4.9, inter-day < 7.2) and accuracy measured via determination of recovery (95-98%). The limit of detection and limit of quantization were found 6.6 and 20 µg/mL, respectively. This methodology was found to be precise with respect to the validation parameters. It is simple and convenient and could be applicable to the routine determination of aucubin in different Vitexagnus-castusL. samples.

Cytotoxic glucose degradation products in fluids for peritoneal dialysis.

During the standard heat sterilization process of the lactate-buffered peritoneal dialysis solutions, glucose (an osmotic active substance) degrades to form compounds called glucose degradation products which are cytotoxic and affect the survival of the peritoneal membrane. This case presentation is based on an observation of 224 aseptic peritonitis cases of unknown etiology. For the purpose of clarification, we analyzed the peritoneal dialysis solutions for the presence of acetaldehyde by using a developed and validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) pre-column derivitazation. The method was validated with respect to validation factors such as linearity, precision, recovery and (LOD). The acetaldehyde level of solutions before heat sterilization was 1.78 ± 2.7 ppm whereas in samples after heat sterilization was about 20 ± 2.07 ppm. Based on the forementioned findings, we hypothesized that the higher levels of acetaldehyde and possibly the other glucose degradation products may have been an etiological factor in these 224 cases of chemical peritonitis. So it is important for the manufacturers to carefully review the heat of sterilization process in the production line.

Design, synthesis and anticholinesterase activity of a novel series of 1-benzyl-4-((6-alkoxy-3-oxobenzofuran-2(3H)-ylidene) methyl) pyridinium derivatives.

A novel series of benzofuranone-ylidene-methyl benzylpyridinium derivatives (6a-u) were synthesized as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. The anticholinesterase activity of synthesized compounds was measured using colorimetric Ellman's method. It was revealed that some synthesized compounds exhibited high anticholinesterase activity, among them compound 6b was the most active compound (IC(50)=10 + or - 6.87 nM).

Synthesis and antihypertensive activity of 1-(2-thiazolyl)-3, 5-disubstituted -2-pyrazolines.

Several substituted 3-aryl-1-(4-aryl-2-thiazolyl)-5-(3-pyridyl)-2-pyrazolines were synthesized by reacting substituted 3-aryl-5-(3-pyridyl)-1-thiocarbamoyl-2-pyrazolines with phenacyl bromide in ethanol. The structures of all compounds were confirmed by IR, (1)H-NMR, mass spectral data and elemental analyses. The antihypertensive activity of compounds was examined by the tail-cuff method and compared with clonidine. Compounds 24-28 showed significant antihypertensive activity.