Validation of a liquid chromatographic method for determination of tacrolimus in pharmaceutical dosage forms.

An accurate, simple, and reproducible liquid chromatographic method was developed and validated for the determination of tacrolimus in capsules. The analysis is performed at room temperature on a reversed-phase C18 column with UV detection at 210 nm. The mobile phase is methanol-water (90 + 10) at a constant flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. The method was validated in terms of linearity, precision, accuracy, and specificity by forced decomposition of tacrolimus, using acid, base, water, hydrogen peroxide, heat, and light. The response was linear in the range of 0.09-0.24 mg/mL (r2 = 0.9997). The relative standard deviation values for intra- and interday precision studies were 1.28 and 2.91%, respectively. Recoveries ranged from 98.06 to 102.52%.

Simultaneous determination of chlorpheniramine maleate and dexamethasone in a tablet dosage form by liquid chromatography.

An accurate, simple, reproducible, and sensible liquid chromatographic method was developed and validated for the determination of chlorpheniramine maleate and dexamethasone in a tablet formulation. The analysis was performed at room temperature on a reversed-phase C18 column with UV detection at 254 nm. The mobile phase consisted of 7.5 mM monobasic potassium phosphate in methanol-water (62.5 + 37.5) at a constant flow rate of 1 mL/min. The method was validated in terms of linearity, precision, accuracy, and specificity by forced decomposition of chlorpheniramine maleate and dexamethasone initiated by using acid, base, water, hydrogen peroxide, heat, and light. The response was linear in the ranges of 0.04-0.12 and 0.006-0.016 mg/mL for chlorpheniramine maleate (r2 = 0.9999) and dexamethasone (r2 = 0.9994), respectively. The relative standard deviation values for intra- and interday precision studies were 2.39 and 2.02, respectively, for chlorpheniramine maleate and 2.39 and 1.25, respectively, for dexamethasone. Recoveries ranged from 95.07 to 101.95% for chlorpheniramine maleate and from 97.75 to 102.10% for dexamethasone.

Antitumoral activity of a new series of 5,6-dihydrobenzo(a)carbazoles.

The overlapping of three-dimensional structures of 5,6-dihydrobenzo(a)carbazole (DHBC) derivatives over the structure of 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OH-TAM), by means of the MDL CHEMLAB 11.0 computational program, shows a reasonable structural and spatial resemblance. This finding raised the hypothesis of their possible antitumoral activity, similar to that of tamoxifen (TAM). A number of DHBCs with an alkyl chain and a second basic nitrogen as substituent were synthesized in our laboratory and their possible antitumoral activity was tested by means of: 1) competitive radioligand assays to determine relative drug affinity for the estrogen receptor (ER); 2) in vivo studies, giving the synthetic drugs subcutaneously (1 mg kg-1 day-1) to Sprague-Dawley rats with N-nitroso-N-methylurea (NMU)-induced mammary tumors; and 3) in vitro cell proliferation experiments employing the soft agar clonogenic technique. Besides, studies on toxicity and histopathological analyses of organs and tumors from treated animals were performed. Results obtained showed that: 1) relative binding affinities (RBA) for the ER were similar to that of TAM; 2) some structures showed significant antitumoral activity and induced tumoral regression similar to TAM; and 3) these compounds had in vitro inhibitory effect on cell proliferation. Even though all the compounds of the series of synthesized DHBCs showed affinity for the ER similar to TAM, the results of in vivo experiments confirmed the crucial role of hydroxyl groups in the molecule and of the interatomic distance between them, similar to that of estradiol, as well as the necessary presence of the aminoalkyl chain on the annular N atom. However, the effect of alkyl chain enlargement in the nitrogen substituent on the biological activity of those drugs is as yet unclear.

Trypanocidal activity of 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydrocarbazoles

Uma nova série de tetrahidrocarbazois di-substituidos e sua atividade tripanomicida foi avaliada quanto à sua habilidade para lisar formas epimastigotas de T. cruzi marcadas com trítio. Os doze compostos examinados nestas séries mostraram-se ativos