Anđelija Malenović

Properties of diclofenac sodium sorption onto natural zeolite modified with cetylpyridinium chloride.

In this study an investigation of a model drug sorption onto cationic surfactant-modified natural zeolites as a drug formulation excipient was performed. Natural zeolite was modified with cetylpyridinium chloride in amounts equivalent to 100, 200 and 300% of its external cation-exchange capacity. The starting material and obtained organozeolites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, zeta potential measurements and thermal analysis. In vitro sorption of diclofenac sodium as a model drug was studied for all surfactant/zeolite composites by means of sorption isotherm measurements in aqueous solutions (pH 7.4). The modified zeolites with three levels of surfactant coverage within the short activation time were prepared. Zeta potential measurements and thermal analysis showed that when the surfactant loading level was equal to external cation-exchange value, almost monolayer of organic phase were present at the zeolitic surface while higher amounts of surfactant produced less extended bilayers, ordered bilayers or admicelles at the zeolitic surface. Modified zeolites, obtained in this manner, were effective in diclofenac sodium sorption and the organic phase derived from adsorbed cetylpyridinium chloride was the primary sorption phase for the model drug. The Langmuir isotherm was found to describe the equilibrium sorption data well over the entire concentration range. The separate contributions of the adsorption and partition to the total sorption of DS were analyzed mathematically. Results revealed that that adsorption and partitioning of the model drug take place simultaneously.

Chemometrical evaluation of ropinirole and its impurity's chromatographic behavior

The aim of this study was the chemometrical evaluation of ropinirole and its impuritys (4-[2-(dipropylamino)ethyl]-1H-indol-2,3-dione) chromatographic behavior in systematic and the most efficient way. For that purpose, as very descriptive, response surface designs are most preferable. Face-centered central composite design (CCD) with 2(3) full factorial design, +/-1 star design and four replication in central point was applied for a response surface study, in order to examine in depth the effects of the most important factors. Factors-independent variables (acetonitrile content, pH of the mobile phase and concentration of sodium heptane sulfonate in water phase) were extracted from the preliminary study and as dependent variables five responses (retention factor of ropinirole, retentin factor of its impurity, resolution, symmetry of ropinirole peak and symmetry of impurity peak) were selected. For the improvement of method development and optimization step, Derringers desirability function was applied to simultaneously optimize the five chosen responses. The procedure allowed deduction of optimal conditions and the predicted optimum was acetonitrile-5mM of sodium heptane sulfonate (21.6:78.4, v/v), pH of the mobile phase adjusted at 2.0 with ortho phosphoric acid. By calculating global desirabilitys determination coefficients (R(D)(2)), as well as by the visual inspection of 3D graphs for global desirability, robustness of the proposed method was also estimated.

Improved chromatographic response function in HILIC analysis: Application to mixture of antidepressants

This paper presents exploration of chromatographic behavior in HILIC system by experimental design and improved chromatographic response function denoted as N(CRF)*. As a model mixture six antidepressants were chosen: selegiline, mianserine, sertraline, moclobemide, fluoxetine and maprotiline. Due to complexity of retention mechanisms in HILIC system, detailed examination of experimental space assessing the influence of important factors (acetonitrile content in the mobile phase, buffer concentration and pH of the mobile phase) and their interactions was done by applying 3(3) experimental design. N(CRF)* is developed and designed to be the only output of the system which simultaneously measures the separation of all the examined substances, the chromatographic run duration and the quality of the obtained peaks shape. It allowed objective estimation of overall chromatogram quality and excluded the arbitrary judgment in ambiguous situations. The applied function highlighted the influence of investigated factors on entire mixture and enabled identification of experimental regions where the chromatographic behavior was satisfactory. Applied experimental design strategy combined with N(CRF)* proved to be valuable assistance in HILIC separation of complex mixtures.

Development of liquid chromatographic method for the analysis of dabigatran etexilate mesilate and its ten impurities supported by quality-by-design methodology.

In this paper, the development of reversed-phase liquid chromatographic method for the analysis of dabigatran etexilate mesilate and its ten impurities supported by quality by design (QbD) approach is presented. The defined analytical target profile (ATP) was the efficient baseline separation and the accurate determination of the investigated analytes. The selected critical quality attributes (CQAs) were the separation criterions between the critical peak pairs because the mixture complexity imposed a gradient elution mode. The critical process parameters (CPPs) studied in this research were acetonitrile content at the beginning of gradient program, acetonitrile content at the end of gradient program and the gradient time. Plan of experiments was defined by Box-Behnken design. The experimental domains of the three selected factors x1--content of the acetonitrile at the start of linear gradient, x2--content of the acetonitrile at the end of linear gradient and x3--gradient time (tG) were [10%, 30%], [48%, 60%] and [8 min, 15 min], respectively. In order to define the design space (DS) as a zone where the desired quality criteria is met providing also the quality assurance, Monte Carlo simulations were performed. The uniform error distribution equal to the calculated standard error was added to the model coefficient estimates. Monte Carlo simulation included 5000 iterations in each of 3969 defined grid points and the region having the probability π ≥ 95% to achieve satisfactory values of all defined CQAs was computed. As a working point, following chromatographic conditions suited in the middle of the DS were chosen: 22% acetonitrile at the start of gradient program, 55.5% acetonitrile at the end of gradient program end and the gradient time of 11.5 min. The developed method was validated in order to prove its reliability.

Chaotropic agents in liquid chromatographic method development for the simultaneous analysis of levodopa, carbidopa, entacapone and their impurities.

The simultaneous pharmaceutical analysis of multi-component drugs represents a challenge due to a large total number of analytes present in the sample. These analytes are not only the active pharmaceutical ingredients, but also the impurities that might follow the active substances. The aim of this study was to develop an efficient reversed-phase LC method for the simultaneous analysis of antiparkinsonian drugs levodopa, carbidopa and entacapone along with their six related impurities. For the achievement of desirable separation, different acids with anions possessing different properties according to Hofmeister classification (ortho-phosphoric, trifluoroacetic and perchloric acid) were tested. Finally, in order to draw the unbiased conclusions when optimizing the analytical method, for the final tuning of the gradient program, Box-Behnken experimental design and Derringers desirability function were used. The experiments were performed on Zorbax Extend C18, 150 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm particle size column with the UV detection at 280 nm and mobile phase flow rate of 1 mL/min. The optimal mobile phase consisted of methanol and 20mM trifluoroacetic acid (pH 2.0 adjusted with NaOH), while their ratio is changed according to previously defined gradient program. The method was tested for selectivity, sensitivity, linearity, accuracy and precision, and proved to be suitable for routine qualitative and quantitative analysis of levodopa, carbidopa, entacapone and their impurities in their mixture.

Cationic surfactants-modified natural zeolites: improvement of the excipients functionality

Context: In this study an investigation of cationic surfactants-modified natural zeolites as drug formulation excipient was performed. Objective: The aim of this work was to carry out a study of the purified natural zeolitic tuff with high amount of clinoptilolite as a potential carrier for molecules of pharmaceutical interest. Materials and methods: Two cationic surfactants (benzalkonium chloride and hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide) were used for modification of the zeolitic surface in two levels (equal to and twice as external cation-exchange capacity of the zeolitic tuff). Prepared samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric, high-performance liquid chromatography analysis, and powder flow determination. Different surfactant/zeolite composites were used for additional investigation of three model drugs: diclofenac diethylamine, diclofenac sodium, and ibuprofen by means of adsorption isotherm measurements in aqueous solutions. Results: The modified zeolites with two levels of surfactant coverage within the short activation time were prepared. Determination of flow properties showed that modification of zeolitic surface reflected on powder flow characteristics. Investigation of the model drugs adsorption on the obtained composites revealed that a variation between adsorption levels was influenced by the surfactant type and the amount present at the surface of the composites. Discussion and conclusion: In vitro release profiles of the drugs from the zeolite-surfactant-drug composites revealed that sustained drug release could be attained over a period of 8 hours. The presented results for drug uptake by surfactant-zeolite composites and the afterward drug release demonstrated the potential use of investigated modified natural zeolite as excipients for advanced excipients in drug formulations.

Monitoring of Impurity Level of Valsartan and Hydrochlorothiazide Employing an RP–HPLC Gradient Mode

Abstract The multi‐component preparation Co–Diovan® is indicated for the hypertension treatment in patients whose blood pressure is not adequately controlled by monotherapy. Its active ingredients are valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide. The reversed–phase high performance liquid chromatographic method (RP–HPLC) for the determination of valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide, as well as their impurities level, was developed and described in this paper. As the investigated substances were structurally different with extremely different lipophilicity and polarity, isocratic elution was not possible, so an optimal gradient mode was settled on. The chromatograms were recorded using the Agilent 1100 Series chromatographic system with DAD detector. Separations were performed on a Hypersil 120–5 ODS column (250 mm×4.6 mm; 5 µm particle size) at 25°C column temperature. The gradient high performance liquid chromatographic system was developed, and the following mobile phases were used: A) mixture acetonitrile–water (10:90 V/V); pH of the mobile phase was adjusted to 2.5 with 85% orthophosphoric acid, and B) mixture acetonitrile–water (90:10 V/V); pH of the mobile phase was adjusted to 2.5 with 85% orthophosphoric acid. Injection volume was 50 µL, flow rate 1 mL min−1 and UV detection was performed at 256 nm. Methyl parahydroxybenzoate was used as an internal standard and acetonitrile–water (40:60 V/V) as a solvent. Afterwards, the developed method was subjected to the method validation. The investigated validation parameters (selectivity, linearity, precision, accuracy, LOQ, and LOD) proved the suitability of the method for the simultaneous determination of valsartan, hydrochlorothiazide, and their impurities in appropriate tablets.

Quantitation of pregabalin in dried blood spots and dried plasma spots by validated LC–MS/MS methods

In this paper, novel LC-MS/MS methods for the determination of antiepileptic drug pregabalin in dried matrix spots (DMS) are presented. This attractive technique of sample collection in micro amount was utilized in the form of dried blood spots (DBS) and dried plasma spots (DPS). Following a pre-column derivatization procedure, using n-propyl chloroformate in the presence of n-propanol, and consecutive liquid-liquid extraction, derivatized pregabalin and its internal standard, 4-aminocyclohexanecarboxylic acid, were detected in positive ion mode by applying two SRM transitions per analyte. A YMC-Pack Octyl column (50mm×4.0mm, 3μm particle size) maintained at 30°C, was utilized with running mobile phase composed of acetonitrile: 0.15% formic acid (85:15, v/v). Flow rate was 550μL/min and total run time 2min. Established methods were fully validated over the concentration range of 0.200-20.0μg/mL for DBS and 0.400-40.0μg/mL for DPS, respectively, while specificity, accuracy, precision, recovery, matrix-effect, stability, dilution integrity and spot homogeneity were found within acceptance criteria. Validated methods were applied for the determination of pregabalin levels in dried blood and plasma samples obtained from patients with epilepsy, after per os administration of commercial capsules. Comparison of drug level in blood and plasma, as well as correction steps undertaken in order to overcome hematocrit issue, when analyzing DBS, are also given.

The influence of inorganic salts with chaotropic properties on the chromatographic behavior of ropinirole and its two impurities.

Chaotropic agents recently gained popularity as interesting and useful mobile phase additives in liquid chromatography due to their effect on analytes retention, peak symmetry and separation efficiency. They mimic the role of classical ion-pairing agents, but with less drawbacks, so their use becomes attractive in the field of pharmaceutical analysis. In this paper, the influence of sodium trifluoroacetate and sodium perchlorate on the chromatographic behavior of ropinirole and its impurities is examined. By the extended thermodynamic approach, it was shown that the separation in the given system was predominantly governed by electrostatic interactions between the protonated analytes and the charged surface of the stationary phase, but the ion-pair complex formation in the eluent also proved to be significant. Further, the employment of face-centered central composite design enabled the understanding of the effect of chaotropic agent concentration and its interactions with other factors (acetonitrile content and pH of the water phase) that influence the given chromatographic system. Finally, the same data was used for multi-objective optimization based on the grid point search method. After the method validation, the adequacy of the suggested approach in development of methods for routine pharmaceutical analysis was proven.

Assessment of β‐lactams retention in hydrophilic interaction chromatography applying Box–Behnken Design

In this paper, the retention prediction models for mixture of β-lactam antibiotics analyzed by hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) are presented. The aim of the study was to investigate the retention behavior of some organic acids and amphoteric compounds including cephalosporins (cefotaxime, cefalexin, cefaclor, cefuroxime, and cefuroxime axetil) and penicillins (ampicillin and amoxicillin). Retention of substances with acidic functional group in HILIC is considered to be interesting since the majority of publications in literature are related to basic compounds. In the beginning of the study, classical silica columns were chosen for the retention analysis. Then, preliminary study was done and factors with the most significant influence on the retention factors were selected. These factors with the impact on the retention factors were investigated employing Box-Behnken design as a tool. On the basis of the obtained results the mathematical models were created and tested using ANOVA test and finally verified. This approach enables the presentation of chromatographic retention in many ways (three-dimensional (3-D) graphs and simple two-dimensional graphical presentations). All of these gave the possibility to predict the chromatographic retention under different conditions. Furthermore, regarding the structure of the analyzed compounds, the potential retention mechanisms in HILIC were suggested.