Simultaneous quantitation of the highly lipophilic atovaquone and hydrophilic strong basic proguanil and its metabolites using a new mixed-mode SPE approach and steep-gradient LC.

A bioanalytical method is described for the simultaneous quantitative analysis of the highly lipophilic atovaquone and the strong basic proguanil with metabolites in plasma. The drugs are extracted from protein precipitated plasma samples on a novel mixed-mode solid-phase extraction (SPE) column containing carboxypropyl and octyl silica as functional groups. The analytes are further separated and quantitated using a steep-gradient liquid chromatographic method on a Zorbax SB-CN column with UV detection at 245 nm. Two different internal standards (IS) are used in the method to compensate for both types of analytes. A structurally similar IS to atovaquone is added with acetonitrile to precipitate proteins from plasma. A structurally similar IS to proguanil and its metabolites is added with phosphate buffer before samples are loaded onto the SPE columns. A single elution step is sufficient to elute all analytes. The method is validated according to published guidelines and shows excellent performance. The within-day precisions, expressed as relative standard deviation, are lower than 5% for all analytes at three tested concentrations within the calibration range. The between-day precisions are lower than 13% for all analytes at the same tested concentrations. The limit of quantitation is 25 nM for the basic substances and 50 nM for atovaquone. Several considerations regarding development and optimization of a method for determination of analytes with such a difference in physiochemical properties are discussed.

Dual-mode gradient HPLC procedure for the simultaneous determination of chloroquine and proguanil.

In order to assay the antipaludic capsule of the Service de Santé des Armées (SSA), that contains two antimalarial drugs, i.e. chloroquine sulfate (CQS, cp1) and proguanil hydrochloride (PGH, cp5), a HPLC procedure was developed. A reversed-phase ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with an ultraviolet detection at 254 nm was set up and validated. Elution system includes programming of both organic concentration and flow-rate known as 'dual-mode gradient'. This method allows the simultaneous determination of both active compounds and separation of four process related substances. The method is simple, rapid, selective and accurate, and the precision is good with an inter- and intra-assay of <2%. The sensitivity is particularly suitable for pharmaceutical quality control.

Analysis of proguanil and its metabolites by application of the sweeping technique in micellar electrokinetic chromatography.

The method of applying large sample volumes in micellar electrokinetic chromatography termed sweeping is applied to determine the conservative limits of detection of some basic drugs in plasma and urine. The biguanides proguanil, 4-chlorophenylbiguanide and cycloguanil are used as models of basic drugs and the limits of detection obtained compared with those previously reported for capillary zone electrophoresis using field-amplified sample injection (FASI) and also by LC using off-line preconcentration. It is found that the sweeping method can be applied to extracts of such biological matrices. The limits of detection obtained by sweeping are improved over FASI for plasma but not for urine and the limits of detection are higher than those reported for LC, for these compounds.

Detection of halofantrine, mefloquine and proguanil by charge--transfer complexation on thin layer plates.

A complexation phenomenon between certain antimalarials (as donors) and chloranilic acid (as an acceptor) has been studied using thin-layer-chromatography (TLC). The antimalarials were subjected to charge--transfer complexation using chloranilic acid as the pi-acceptor. This technique was used for the qualitative detection of the drugs. Drug-spotted TLC plates, when developed in suitable solvent systems and sprayed with the pi-acceptor gave a spontaneous purple colour. The Rr values of the three drugs were found to be constant and specific for each drug sample in a particular solvent system.

Optimisation of the reversed phase liquid chromatographic separation of atovaquone, proguanil and related substances.

The optimisation of the separation of the antimalarial drugs, proguanil and atovaquone and six related compounds was obtained by two independent optimisation steps; the optimisation of the mobile phase composition and the optimisation of the pH. This was done using window selection diagrams (WSD) and a mixture design. The optimal conditions allow the identification of the six related compounds down to 0.1%.

Simultaneous measurement of proguanil and its metabolites in human plasma and urine by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, and its preliminary application in relation to genetically determined S-mephenytoin 4'-hydroxylation status.

A simple high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay method was developed for the measurement of proguanil (PG) and its major metabolites, cycloguanil (CG) and 4-chlorophenyl-biguanide (CPB), in human plasma and urine. The assay allowed the simultaneous determination of all analytes in 1 ml of plasma or 0.1 ml of urine. The detection limits of PG, CG, and CPB, defined as the signal-to-noise ratio of 3, were 1 and 5 ng/ml for plasma and urine samples, respectively. Recoveries of the analytes and the internal standard (pyrimethamine) were > 62% from plasma and > 77% from urine. Intra-assay and interassay coefficients of variation for all analytes in plasma and urine were < 10% except for the values of CG and CPB, which ranged from 10% to 15% at one or two concentrations among 4-5 concentrations studied. The clinical applicability of the method was assessed by the preliminary pharmacokinetic study of PG, CG, and CPB in six healthy volunteers with the individually known phenotypes (extensive and poor metabolizers) of S-mephenytoin 4'-hydroxylation, suggesting that individuals with a poor metabolizer phenotype of S-mephenytoin have a much lower capacity to bioactivate PG to CG compared with the extensive metabolizers.

Simultaneous determination of chloroquine, proguanil and their metabolites in human biological fluids by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A reversed-phase ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatographic method with ultraviolet detection is described for the simultaneous measurement of chloroquine, proguanil and their major metabolites in human plasma, erythrocytes and urine. After a liquid-solid extraction on a Bond Elut C8 cartridge, the compounds are separated on a C8 Lichrospher 60 RP select B column by isocratic elution; the mobile phase is water-acetonitrile-methanol (78:28:4, v/v/v) with 0.5 M ammonium formate and 0.075 M perchloric acid. The eluent is monitored with an ultraviolet detector at 254 nm. The lower limits of quantification in plasma are near 6.0 ng ml-1 for chloroquine and near 9.0 ng ml-1 for proguanil. No chromatographic interference can be detected from endogenous compounds or from other antimalarial drugs. The method is accurate and precision is good with inter- and intra-assay relative standard deviations lower than 6.8% for plasma samples. N-(2-6 dichlorobenzylidene amino)guanidine is used as an internal standard. The chromatographic procedure takes 35 min and can be used for therapeutic drug monitoring and clinical studies.

DC polarographic reduction of chloroguanide hydrochloride.

Chloroguanide hydrochloride, an antimalarial drug, shows one well-defined DC polarographic wave in Britton-Robinson buffered media. In the pH range 3-9 the observed reduction wave is related to the reduction of the two azomethine centers on the monoprotonated biguanide group (BH+). The effects of pH and other experimental variables on the limiting current and half-wave potentials as well as the reduction mechanism are discussed.