Potential of multisyringe chromatography for the on-line monitoring of the photocatalytic degradation of antituberculosis drugs in aqueous solution.

In this study, a multisyringe chromatography system (MSC) using a C18 monolithic column was proposed for the on-line monitoring of the photocatalytic degradation of isoniazid (INH, 10 mg L(-1)) and pyrazinamide (PYRA, 5mgL(-1)) mixtures in aqueous solution using a small sample volume (200 µL) with an on-line filtration device in a fully automated approach. During the photocatalytic oxidation using TiO2 or ZnO semiconductor materials, total organic carbon (TOC) and the formed intermediates were analyzed off-line using ion chromatography, ion exclusion HPLC, and ESI-MS/MS. The results showed that TiO2 exhibits a better photocatalytic activity than ZnO under UV irradiation (365 nm) for the degradation of INH and PYRA mixtures, generating 97% and 92% degradation, respectively. The optimal oxidation conditions were identified as pH 7 and 1.0 g L(-1) of TiO2 as catalyst. The mineralization of the initial organic compounds was confirmed by the regular decrease in TOC, which indicated 63% mineralization, and the quantitative release of nitrate and nitrite ions, which represent 33% of the nitrogen in these compounds. The major intermediates of INH degradation included isonicotinamide, isonicotinic acid, and pyridine, while the ESI-MS/MS analysis of PYRA aqueous solution after photocatalytic treatment showed the formation of pyrazin-2-ylmethanol, pyrazin-2-ol, and pyrazine. Three low-molecular weight compounds, acetamide, acetic acid and formic acid, were detected during INH and PYRA decomposition. PYRA was more resistant to photocatalytic degradation due to the presence of the pyrazine ring, which provides greater stability against OH attack.

Behavior of uptake of moisture by drugs and excipients under accelerated conditions of temperature and humidity in the absence and the presence of light. 1. Pure anti-tuberculosis drugs and their combinations.

An investigation was carried out to determine the behavior of moisture gain by four anti-tuberculosis drugs, viz. rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol, when exposed in pure form and in combinations to accelerated conditions of 40 degrees C and 75% RH, in the absence and the presence of light. Weight gain was seen only in those samples that contained ethambutol, and this behavior was observed both in dark and lighted chambers. There was a decrease in moisture uptake with an increase in the number of drugs in the mixture. Another observation was a higher weight gain by the mixture of ethambutol and isoniazid in a dark chamber, than either pure ethambutol or drug combinations containing ethambutol. The most interesting finding was an overall acceleration of weight gain in the presence of light as compared with dark conditions, which is a hitherto unknown phenomenon.