Sensitive determination of vincristine in plasma of children with leukaemia using vortex-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent.

Vincristine has a wide spectrum of clinical activity and is currently used in the treatment of leukemia. Despite its high therapeutic properties, vincristine has common side effects. Accordingly, it is desirable to determine vincristine in plasma for the use of the drug with strict monitoring. In the present research, for the first time a hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent (DES) composed of methyltrioctylammonium chloride (MTOAC) and n-butanol in a molar ratio of 1 : 3 was used as the extractant in dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) for the extraction and determination of vincristine in the plasma of children with leukemia prior to its analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). Under optimal experimental conditions, the method showed good linearity with a correlation coefficient (R 2) of 0.9986 in the linear range of 0.06-300 µg L-1, low limit of detection of 0.02 µg L-1 and acceptable extraction efficiency (EE) of 88.4%. In the final stage of the study, this proposed technique was successfully applied to determine vincristine in real plasma, and the obtained results demonstrated the ability of the synthesized DES to extract drugs from biological fluids.

Speciation of organic/inorganic mercury and total mercury in blood samples using vortex assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on the freezing of deep eutectic solvent followed by GFAAS.

In this research, a new vortex assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on the freezing of deep eutectic solvent (VADLLME-FDES) has been developed for the determination of organic mercury (R-Hg) and inorganic mercury (Hg2+) in blood samples prior to their analysis by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). In this method, a green solvent consisting of 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride and 1-undecanol was used as an extraction solvent, yielding the advantages of material stability, low density, and a suitable freezing point near room temperature. Under the optimum conditions, enrichment factor is 112. The calibration graph is linear in the range of 0.30-60 µg L-1 and limit of detection (LOD) is 0.10 µg L-1. Repeatability and reproducibility of the method based on seven replicate measurements of 5.0 µg L-1 of Hg2+ in analyzed samples were 3.7% and 6.2%, respectively. The relative recoveries of blood samples which have been spiked with different levels of Hg2+ are 90-109%. A new deep eutectic solvent consists of two parts: [DMIM]Cl and 1-undecanol in the molar ratio of 1-2. The accuracy of the proposed procedure was also assessed by determining the concentration of the mercury in a standard reference material. All organic mercury (R-Hg) species were converted to Hg2+ and finally, the concentration of R-Hg is simply calculated by mathematically subtracting the concentrations of Hg2+ from the concentration of total mercury (t-Hg). The extraction methodology is simple, rapid, cheap and green since small amounts of non-toxic solvents are necessary.

Combination of counter current salting-out homogenous liquid-liquid extraction and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction as a novel microextraction of drugs in urine samples.

The counter current salting-out homogenous liquid-liquid extraction (CCSHLLE) joined with the dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic drop (DLLME-SFO) has been developed as a high preconcentration technique for the determination of different drugs in urine samples. Amphetamines were employed as model compounds to assess the extraction procedure and were determined by high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). In this method, initially, NaCl as a separation reagent is filled into a small column and a mixture of urine and acetonitrile is passed through the column. By passing the mixture, NaCl is dissolved and the fine droplets of acetonitrile are formed due to salting-out effect. The produced droplets go up through the remained mixture and collect as a separated layer. Then, the collected acetonitrile is removed with a syringe and mixed with 30.0µL 1-undecanol (extraction solvent). In the second step, the 5.00mLK2CO3 solution (2% w/v) is rapidly injected into the above mixture placed in a test tube for further DLLME-SFO. Under the optimum conditions, calibration curves are linear in the range of 1-3000µgL(-1) and limit of detections (LODs) are in the range of 0.5-2µgL(-1). The extraction recoveries and enrichment factors ranged from 78 to 84% and 157 to 168, respectively. Repeatability (intra-day) and reproducibility (inter-day) of method based on seven replicate measurements of 100µgL(-1) of amphetamines were in the range of 3.5-4.5% and 4-5%, respectively. The method was successfully applied for the determination of amphetamines in the actual urine samples. The relative recoveries of urine samples spiked with amphetamine and methamphetamine are 90-108%.

Effect of Oral Dimenhydrinate in Children with Acute Gastroenteritis: A Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVES: One of the major causes of mortality in children is acute gastroenteritis. Vomiting is common in early stages of the disease. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of oral dimenhydrinate (DH) in the control of vomiting in cases of acute gastroenteritis in children. METHODS: This double-blind, randomized, clinical trial was conducted in a university-affiliated hospital in a western province of Iran. Two hundred children aged one to 12 years old were randomly assigned to either drug or placebo groups. Children in the drug group received oral DH as four doses of 1 mg/kg every six hours (maximum 200 mg), and children in the placebo group received a placebo drug. The patients variables were compared 24 hours after receiving the first dose and at seven and 14 days after discharge. RESULTS: The mean number of episodes of vomiting was 4.4±2.5 in the drug group versus 4.4±2.1 in the placebo group, which was not statistically significant (p<0.050). The mean number of episodes of diarrhea was 7.4±3.2 and 10.1±2.8 in the drug and placebo groups, respectively, (p<0.050). The duration of diarrhea, side effects, need to revisit, and parent's satisfaction in both groups were also significantly different (p>0.050). CONCLUSIONS: Oral DH in children with acute gastroenteritis does not reduce the number and duration of vomiting. However, our results showed that consumption of DH in acute gastroenteritis patients was effective in reducing the frequency and duration of diarrhea and further investigation into this is warranted.