Abstract
Nowadays, the interest in preparing new, cheap and simple adsorbents that are used in sample preparation is on the rise. Graphene oxide (GO) nanomaterials and nanocomposites have become increasingly popular due to the novel methods of syntheses that have been published. Owing to their vast specific surface area and their π-delocalized electron system they possess, they are appropriate for the adsorption of a variety of aromatic organic compounds, being utilized either as adsorbents in analytical methods or as filter materials for the removal of pollutants in water. Pharmaceutical compounds, such as benzodiazepines, end up in surface waters caused by consumption or their disposal through sewage, thus becoming pollutants. In the present study, an analytical method has been developed and validated for the determination of two model-analytes of benzodiazepines by HPLC-DAD and their sample preparation protocol which consists of the Stir bar magnetic solid phase extraction (SB-MSPE) method, evaluating therefore the nanocomposite material as a decent adsorbent. The separation took place with the usage of an analytical column C18 RP-HPLC in 10 min. For the alprazolam (ALP) and the flunitrazepam (FLT), the LODs and LOQs were 3 ng/mL and 10 ng/mL, respectively, while the relative recoveries ranged between 93.6–112.9% and the RSDs were 1.11–9.50%. Finally, the material was examined for its reusability and was found that it can be used for over eight cycles of extraction/elution.
Highlights
Benzodiazepines (BZs) belong in a category of pharmaceuticals that are used for their anxiolytic, hypnotic, antispasmodic and muscle relaxant properties
A decrease in benzodiazepine consumption was seen in the 1980s and 1990s due to the side effects and the potential for the user to become addicted. [1,2] Alprazolam belongs to the group of triazolobenzodiazepines and it is the main component of Xanax® pills, which are used to treat general forms of stress, depression and panic, while flunitrazepam under the brand name Rohypnol is a potent sedative, hypnotic and amnestic drug that is used to treat insomnia and belongs to the 7-nitrobenzodiazepines group [3]
Acetonitrile (ACN) for HPLC was purchased from ChemLab (Zedelgem, Belgium), Methanol (MeOH) for HPLC was from VWR (Gliwice, Poland), Xanax® of 1 mg of Alprazolam (ALP) was from Pfizer (Athens, Greece), Flunitrazepam (FLT), FeCl2·4H2O, FeCl3·6H2O, Chitosan of high molecular weight and glutaraldehyde were bought from Sigma-Aldrich (Steinheim, Germany), Sodium Alginate (SA) was from Panreac (Barcelona, Spain) and Calcium Chloride, Sodium Chloride, Acetic Acid and Sodium Acetate were purchased from Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany)
Summary
Benzodiazepines (BZs) belong in a category of pharmaceuticals that are used for their anxiolytic, hypnotic, antispasmodic and muscle relaxant properties. [1,2] Alprazolam belongs to the group of triazolobenzodiazepines and it is the main component of Xanax® pills, which are used to treat general forms of stress, depression and panic, while flunitrazepam under the brand name Rohypnol is a potent sedative, hypnotic and amnestic drug that is used to treat insomnia and belongs to the 7-nitrobenzodiazepines group [3]. Both drugs interact with the receptors of γaminobutyric acid (GABA), enhancing their activity by opening a chloride ions channel that hyperpolarizes the neurons of the brain in the extracellular area [1,2,4]
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