Ultra-high Performance Liquid Chromatography Method Research Articles

Liquid chromatography method with tandem mass spectrometry and fluorescence detection for determination of inflammatory biomarkers in gingival crevicular fluid as a tool for diagnosis of periodontal disease

The new ultra-high performance liquid chromatography method with tandem mass spectrometry and fluorescence detection allowing fast, selective, and high-throughput analysis of neopterin, kynurenine, tryptophan, and creatinine in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) has been optimized. Defining the pathophysiology of periodontal disease and identification of potential diagnostic test for active periodontitis remains a significant challenge in the field of oral disease diagnosis. Analysis of GCF provides a non-invasive means of evaluating the role of the host response in periodontal disease. In addition, the analysis of GCF provides an information about current inflammation level of sampled site/tooth. Determination of GCF inflammatory biomarkers such as neopterin, kynurenine, and tryptophan can contribute to diagnosis, evaluation of treatment, and progression of periodontal diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis. The separation of target analytes was carried out using a column Kinetex™ Polar C18 100 Å, (100 × 3.0 mm) packed with 2.6 µm core-shell particles applying an elution with a gradient formed from 0.2% aqueous formic acid and 90% aqueous acetonitrile. Kynurenine, tryptophan, and creatinine were detected using mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization to improve the sensitivity while neopterin was detected using fluorescence detection. The separation of these four substances was achieved after using a very simple sample preparation technique convenient for small amount of biological sample. Only less than 20 µL sample was needed and the separation was completed in 4 min. MS/MS analysis was performed using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) under a positive ionization mode. Deuterium labeled internal standard was used for the more precise quantification. The lower limits of quantification (LLOQ) for target analytes were 0.50 × 10–3 µmol/L for neopterin, 0.10 µmol/L for kynurenine, and 0.20 µmol/L for tryptophan and creatinine. The within-run and between-run accuracy were in a range of 96.67–114.77% for all quality controls and LLOQ of all analytes. Matrix effect, extraction recovery, and stability testing have all been investigated. The method was tested with real-life samples using GCF collected from patients suffering from periodontitis and from healthy controls. Neopterin levels in patients were significantly higher (P = 0.020) than in healthy subjects and indicate good potential of this method for using in evaluation of periodontal pathogenesis and healing outcomes following a treatment.

A rapid 2AB-UHPLC method based on magnetic beads extraction for N-glycan analysis of recombinant monoclonal antibody

N-glycosylation is one of the major post-translational modifications, with significant effects on the mechanism of action, the efficacy, and the safety of antibody drugs or glycoproteins. With the growing application of therapeutic antibodies, routinely monitoring N-glycosylation becomes increasingly important during cell culture process development and quality control. However, the current pretreatment methods for N-glycan analysis are time- and labor-consuming. The purification procedure of enzymatically released glycans could also partly affect the accuracy of results due to its complexity. In this study, a rapid ultra-high performance liquid chromatography method based on magnetic bead extraction and 2-AB fluorescent labeling was developed and compared against three popular pretreatment methods for N-glycan profiling (two were solid phase extraction and the other was acetone precipitation). The method’s repeatability results showed that magnetic bead extraction has higher precision (% relative standard deviation (RSD), 0.121.06%) than solid phase extraction (SPE) (%RSD, 0.38–8.02%) and acetone precipitation (%RSD, 0.42–8.58%). This robust pretreatment method also maximized the retention of some low abundance oligosaccharides, and may thus provide a rapid and high-throughput workflow option for N-Glycan analysis in the biopharmaceutical industry.

Ultrasonic Solvent Extraction Followed by Dispersive Solid Phase Extraction (d-SPE) Cleanup for the Simultaneous Determination of Five Anthraquinones in Polygonum multiflorum by UHPLC-PDA.

A rapid and effective ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) method was developed for the determination of five anthraquinones (emodin, physcion, aloe-emodin, rhein, and chrysophanol) in Polygonum multiflorum. The target compounds were ultrasonically extracted with 70% methanol, followed by dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE) with HC-C18 and desorption with acetonitrile. The five anthraquinones were separated on an ACQUITY UPLC® HSS T3 column (2.1 × 100 mm, 1.8 μm) and detected by a photodiode array detector (PDA) at 254 nm. Under the optimized conditions, linear relationships were achieved in the range of 0.3~100 mg/L for emodin, 0.3~40 mg/L for physcion, 0.1~20 mg/L for aloe-emodin, and 0.05~20 mg/L for rhein and chrysophanol. The limits of detection of the five analytes ranged from 0.01 to 0.08 mg/L, and the recoveries were within the range of 82.8~118.4% with an RSD (n = 6) of 1.0~10.3%. The intra-day and inter-day precision (n = 5) of the five targets were in the range of 1.0~1.8% and 3.0~3.1%, respectively. Furthermore, this method was applied to analyses of Polygonum multiflorum samples collected from different regions in China with satisfactory results. All the results indicated that this method is suitable for the detection of five anthraquinones in Polygonum multiflorum.

Protective effects on ovalbumin-induced mouse asthma models and qualitative and quantitative analysis of multiple compounds in Gerberae Piloselloidis Herba.

Gerberae Piloselloidis Herba is widely used to treat cough and asthma in China. However, its effects on allergic asthma as related to its chemical compositions have not been fully elucidated, and there is a scarcity of methods to determine multi-component contents for quality control. In this study, protective effects of Gerberae Piloselloidis Herba on ovalbumin-induced asthma models were investigated, while qualitative and quantitative analyses of multiple constituents in Gerberae Piloselloidis Herba were conducted by using an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-Q Exactive hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap high-resolution accurate mass spectrometry and an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detection. The results showed that Gerberae Piloselloidis Herba could significantly mitigate asthma symptoms, reduce eosinophils counts in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, as well as decrease IgE, IL-5, and IL-13 concentration, and inflammatory cellular infiltration in lung tissues. A total of 51 compounds were tentatively identified, in which the content of 10 representative compounds was determined in 24 batches of Gerberae Piloselloidis Herba by using an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography method with good linearity, precision, repeatability, accuracy, and stability. This research presents a comprehensive strategy combining biological activity evaluation with chemical profiling, providing a useful and comprehensive reference for further application and quality control of Gerberae Piloselloidis Herba.

Identification, synthesis and characterization of avanafil process impurities and determination by UPLC.

Avanafil is a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor which is used to treat erectile dysfunction in men. The process-related impurities of avanafil were investigated, and four kinds of impurities in several laboratory batches with a content of 0.29–1.63% were detected by the newly developed gradient ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). Based on the synthesis route and UPLC-MS research, the impurities are inferred as Imp-A, Imp-B, Imp-C and Imp-D. The structures of the impurities were inferred from LC-MS studies and confirmed by synthesis, followed by spectroscopic characterization such as NMR and mass spectrometry. Especially, the synthesis of Imp-D is firstly reported. The drug-related substances can be separated well by efficient and selective ultra-high performance liquid chromatography on a Waters ACQUITY HSS C18 (50 × 2.1 mm, particle size 1.8 μm) column at 35 °C, with the mobile phase consisting of ammonium formate (20 mM) and acetonitrile, and the detection at 239 nm with a DAD detector. The method was validated in terms of specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy and sensitivity, and satisfactory results were obtained. The results indicated this developed UPLC method for avanafil and the proposed synthesis mechanism can be used for quality control purposes as required by regulatory agencies to ensure the safety and efficacy of the product.

Rapid stability-indicating UHPLC method for determination of lamivudine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in fixed-dose combination tablets

Lamivudine (3TC) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) are antiretroviral drugs widely used for AIDS treatment. Since safety, efficacy and quality are essential for drug products, stability studies must be performed. Therefore, degradation studies must be carried out to evaluate the degradation products formed. The active pharmaceutical ingredients 3TC and TDF, as well as the tablets containing the combination of these drugs were subjected to a comprehensive forced degradation. 3TC, TDF and the degradation products were analyzed by a stability-indicating ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) method developed and validated. A C8 (100 x 2.0 mm, 2.2 μm) column and a mobile phase composed of 0.1 M ammonium acetate buffer pH 4.0, acetonitrile and methanol in gradient elution, at 0.5 mL/min, were used. The injection volume was 4 μL and detection was at 260 nm. The method was selective, precise, accurate and linear in the range 0.1-0.6 mg mL-1 for the two drugs. 3TC was degraded in acidic, alkaline and oxidative environment and in the presence of metal ions. Two degradation products were observed. TDF was degraded in the same conditions than those 3TC was labile. In addition, TDF was degraded in neutral condition. Again, two degradation products were formed. Chemical structures were proposed for the degradation products using UHPLC-QTOF/MS. The stability-indicating method developed showed to be useful in stability studies and in the quality control of fixed-dose combination tablets containing 3TC and TDF.

Development and Validation of a Stability-Indicating Reversed-Phase Ultra High Pressure Liquid Chromatography Method for Assay of Delmopinol Hydrochloride and Estimation of Its Related Substances in Commercial Bulk Batches.

Delmopinol hydrochloride is widely used as an active ingredient (AI) in many human oral hygiene products. To the best of our knowledge (via literature search), there is no stability-indicating liquid chromatography method available in the public domain for assay and estimation of related substances of Delmopinol hydrochloride. A fast stability-indicating Reversed-Phase Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-UHPLC) method has been developed and validated for identification, assay and estimation of related substances in commercial bulk batches of this AI. The major peak of the AI and its related compounds are adequately separated in 6min by a gradient elution on a hybrid silica-based C18 column (Waters Acquity UPLC® BEH C18, 50mm × 2.1mm I.D., 1.7μm particle size) maintained at 50°C. Mobile phase-A is composed of aqueous 10mM NH4OH and mobile phase-B is ACN. The AI and its related compounds are detected with UV detection at 220nm and quantitated by an external Delmopinol hydrochloride reference standard. The quantitation limit of the method is 0.1% of the target analytical concentration. This UHPLC method is fast and green and has been demonstrated to be specific, accurate, linear, precise, sensitive and robust as per ICH guidelines.

Effect of CYP2C19 polymorphisms on serum valproic level acid in Chinese Han patients with schizophrenia

Valproic acid is an anticonvulsant, which is also widely used for treating psychiatric disorders. Some clinical trials have demonstrated benefits of valproic acid augmentation therapy in schizophrenia. Interindividual variability in valproic acid dose and serum concentration may reflect functional consequences of genetic polymorphisms in genes encoding drug-metabolizing enzymes. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between serum concentrations of valproic acid and single nucleotide polymorphisms of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C19 gene in patients with schizophrenia. All patients had been receiving fixed dose of valproic acid for at least 2 weeks. The daily doses were 0.5–1.5 g. No other drugs except olanzapine were coadministered. Serum concentrations of valproic acid were measured using the ultra-high performance liquid chromatography method with mass-spectrometric detection. The CYP2C19 (CYP2C19*2 G681A rs4244285 and CYP2C19*3 G636A rs4986893) genotypes were identified by real-time PCR analyses. The mean concentration/dose ratios of valproic acid were significantly higher in patients with CYP2C19 *1/*2 genotype (P < 0.01) or CYP2C19 *2/*3 genotype (P < 0.01) than in those with CYP2C12 *1/*1 genotype. The mean concentration/dose ratios of valproic acid were significantly higher in patients with 1 (P < 0.01) or 2 (P < 0.01) mutated alleles for CYP2C19 than in those without mutated alleles. And the post hoc analysis revealed that the result has acceptable statistical (power (1 – β) = 0.8486 at type I level of 0.05) to support the observed significant associations for CYP2C19 SNPs and serum C/D ratios of valproic acid. The findings of this study suggest that the genetic polymorphisms of CYP2C19 significantly affect the steady-state serum concentrations of valproic acid in Chinese Han population. The determination of the CYP2C19 genotypes may be useful for dosing adjustment in schizophrenia patients on valproic acid therapy.

VDACs Post-Translational Modifications Discovery by Mass Spectrometry: Impact on Their Hub Function.

VDAC (voltage-dependent anion selective channel) proteins, also known as mitochondrial porins, are the most abundant proteins of the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM), where they play a vital role in various cellular processes, in the regulation of metabolism, and in survival pathways. There is increasing consensus about their function as a cellular hub, connecting bioenergetics functions to the rest of the cell. The structural characterization of VDACs presents challenging issues due to their very high hydrophobicity, low solubility, the difficulty to separate them from other mitochondrial proteins of similar hydrophobicity and the practical impossibility to isolate each single isoform. Consequently, it is necessary to analyze them as components of a relatively complex mixture. Due to the experimental difficulties in their structural characterization, post-translational modifications (PTMs) of VDAC proteins represent a little explored field. Only in recent years, the increasing number of tools aimed at identifying and quantifying PTMs has allowed to increase our knowledge in this field and in the mechanisms that regulate functions and interactions of mitochondrial porins. In particular, the development of nano-reversed phase ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (nanoRP-UHPLC) and ultra-sensitive high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) methods has played a key role in this field. The findings obtained on VDAC PTMs using such methodologies, which permitted an in-depth characterization of these very hydrophobic trans-membrane pore proteins, are summarized in this review.

Highly sensitive quantification of pemetrexed in human plasma using UPLC-MS/MS to support microdosing studies.

Pemetrexed is an antifolate drug approved for the treatment of non‐small‐cell lung cancer and mesothelioma. Assessing pemetrexed pharmacokinetics after administration of a microdose (100 μg) may facilitate drug–drug interaction and dose individualization studies with cytotoxic drugs, without causing harm to patients. Therefore, a highly sensitive bioanalytical assay is required.A reversed‐phase ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography method was developed to determine pemetrexed concentrations in human ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid–plasma after microdosing. [13C5]‐Pemetrexed was used as the internal standard. The sample preparation involved solid‐phase extraction from plasma. Detection was performed using MS/MS in a total run time of 9.5 min.The assay was validated over the concentration range of 0.0250–25.0 μg/L pemetrexed. The average accuracies for the assay in plasma were 96.5 and 96.5%, and the within‐day and between‐day precision in coefficients of variations was <8.8%. Extraction recovery was 59 ± 1 and 55 ± 5% for pemetrexed and its internal standard. Processed plasma samples were stable for 2 days in a cooled autosampler at 10°C.The assay was successfully applied in a pharmacokinetic curve, which was obtained as a part of an ongoing clinical microdosing study.

Aspergillus fumigatus Fumagillin Contributes to Host Cell Damage

The activity of fumagillin, a mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus fumigatus, has not been studied in depth. In this study, we used a commercial fumagillin on cultures of two cell types (A549 pneumocytes and RAW 264.7 macrophages). This toxin joins its target, MetAP2 protein, inside cells and, as a result, significantly reduces the electron chain activity, the migration, and the proliferation ability on the A549 cells, or affects the viability and proliferation ability of the RAW 264.7 macrophages. However, the toxin stimulates the germination and double branch hypha production of fungal cultures, pointing out an intrinsic resistant mechanism to fumagillin of fungal strains. In this study, we also used a fumagillin non-producer A. fumigatus strain (∆fmaA) as well as its complemented strain (∆fmaA::fmaA) and we tested the fumagillin secretion of the fungal strains using an Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) method. Furthermore, fumagillin seems to protect the fungus against phagocytosis in vitro, and during in vivo studies using infection of immunosuppressed mice, a lower fungal burden in the lungs of mice infected with the ∆fmaA mutant was demonstrated.

METHODICAL INSIGHTS INTO REPORTED SOPHISTICATED ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES FOR THE DETERMINATION OF ANTI-DIABETIC DRUG EMPAGLIFLOZIN IN VARIOUS PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS

Empagliflozin (EMPA), chemically known as (2S,3R,4R,5S,6R)-2-[4-chloro-3-[[4-[(3S)-oxolan-3-yl]oxyphenyl]methyl]phenyl]-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol is an oral anti-diabetic drug used for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus that produces hypoglycemia by selective and competitive inhibition of sodium/glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) protein. Currently, EMPA is an emerging drug being prescribed by medical practitioners. The quality-oriented scheduled investigation of diverse commercially obtainable formulations of EMPA is a foremost challenge and recently few sophisticated analytical methods are reported for industrial-scale quantitative analysis. Review of analytical method of antidiabetic drug Empagliflozin. This interesting review article covered the recently published sophisticated instruments-based analytical methods in numerous pharmaceutical databases like PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, etc. of diverse areas like spectrophotometry (Ultraviolet-Visible), Ultra-high Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC), High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC), and analytical methods for estimation of EPMA in human plasma. From literature, about 19 HPLC methods, 4 UPLC methods, 15 UV-Vis methods, 3 HPTLC methods, and 4 human plasma-based methods were reported for the estimation of EMPA alone or in combination with other drug substances (Linagliptin, Canagliflozin, Dapagliflozin, and Metformin). The methodical insights outlined the reported characteristics like method, detection wavelength, solvent, % recovery, LOD, LOQ, mobile phase composition, flow-rate, column type, retention time, etc. This review concluded that the developed validated analytical methods have a high degree of accuracy, superior reliability, economical to apply, bears good precision, possess better robustness, and greater reproducible attributes which are compulsory features of an ideal method.

Effect of Gut Microbiota on the Metabolism of Chemical Constituents of Berberis kansuensis Extract Based on UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS Technique.

The dried stem bark of Berberis kansuensis is a commonly used Tibetan herbal medicine for the treatment of diabetes. Its main chemical components are alkaloids, such as berberine, magnoflorine and jatrorrhizine. However, the role of gut microbiota in the in vivo metabolism of these chemical components has not been fully elucidated. In this study, an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography method coupled with Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS) technology was applied to detect and identify prototype components and metabolites in rat intestinal contents and serum samples after oral administration of a B. kansuensis extract. A total of 16 prototype components and 40 metabolites were identified. The primary metabolic pathways of the chemical components from B. kansuensis extract were demethylation, desaturation, deglycosylation, reduction, hydroxylation, and other conjugation reactions including sulfation, glucuronidation, glycosidation, and methylation. By comparing the differences of metabolites between diabetic and pseudo-germ-free diabetic rats, we found that the metabolic transformation of some chemical components in B. kansuensis extract such as bufotenin, ferulic acid 4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, magnoflorine, and 8-oxyberberine, was affected by the gut microbiota. The results revealed that the gut microbiota can affect the metabolic transformation of chemical constituents in B. kansuensis extract. These findings can enhance our understanding of the active ingredients of B. kansuensis extract and the key role of the gut microbiota on them.

A novel electrochemical sensor based on gold nanoparticles decorated functionalized carbon nanofibers for selective determination of xanthine oxidase inhibitor febuxostat in plasma of patients with gout

Febuxostat is an antihyperuricemic drug used for the treatment of hyperuricemia in patients with chronic gout. Hence, in this work, there was an impetus to construct a sensitive electrochemical sensor for the detection of febuxostat (FBX) drug in human plasma of patients. A novel electrochemical sensor was successfully fabricated based on gold nanoparticles decorated functionalized carbon nanofibers AuNPs@f-CNFs modified pencil graphite rod electrode (PGRE) to determine FBX drug. The new sensor showed a superior performance in terms of a wide linear range (0.03–77 µM) with high sensitivity (5.9 μA μM−1 cm−2). The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of FBX were deliberated to be 12.7 nM and 42.5 nM, respectively. Furthermore, electrochemical sensing of FBX in the presence of ascorbic acid, dopamine and uric acid was examined. The fabricated electrode directly paved the new way for the electrochemical quantification of FBX in pharmaceutical formulations, plasma of patients with gout and human biological fluids. Finally, the ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) method was performed to validate the reliability of the proposed method.

Ultra-fast liquid chromatography method coupled with ultraviolet detection to quantify dimethylsulfoxide, dimethylformamide and dimethylacetamide in short half-lives radiopharmaceuticals.

Radiolabelling with short half-lives radionuclides (e.g., fluorine-18 and carbon-11) must be as efficient and as fast as possible. Nucleophilic radiofluorinations and radiomethylations are conducted in polar aprotic solvents, such as dimethylsulfoxyde (DMSO), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA), at high temperature. Those solvents are classified as toxic according to the ICH guidelines and must be evaluated in drug such as radiopharmaceuticals. Headspace gas chromatography is the standard method for the quantification of residual solvents but is not optimized for a rapid quantification of low vapor pressure solvents such as DMSO, DMF and DMA in radiopharmaceuticals. Direct injection gas chromatography is an interesting option without incubation step but the analysis run-time remains beyond 10 min long. In consequence, we developed a very simple ultra-high performance liquid chromatography method coupled with UV detection. Following the EMA requirements, we successfully validated a 3-min run-time analysis for quantification of three solvents in short half-lives radiopharmaceuticals. We currently use this method for the quality control of radiopharmaceuticals produced in our PET center.

Determination of Seven Organic Impurities in FD&C Yellow No. 6 by Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) batch certifies FD&C Yellow No. 6 (Y6) to ensure that the color additive meets requirements published in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), including specifications for seven organic manufacturing impurities consisting of two intermediates, a reaction by-product, an impurity originating from an intermediate, and three subsidiary colors. An ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) method was developed and validated for determining seven organic impurities in Y6. For comparison, the currently used high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was also validated. The new UHPLC method uses a 1.7 µm particle size biphenyl column with aqueous ammonium formate and methanol as eluants. Analytes are identified by comparing their retention times and UV-visible spectra to those of reference standards. Calibration is performed in the presence of the dye matrix and analyte levels are determined from their peak areas. UHPLC and HPLC validation studies obtained linear calibration curves and excellent values for limits of detection, limits of quantitation, recovery, repeatability, and intermediate precision for all analytes. Survey analyses of 30 samples using the UHPLC and HPLC methods yielded results that were consistent within experimental error; however, the UHPLC method provided more accurate results for two analytes that coelute using the HPLC method. The UHPLC method satisfies the accuracy and precision requisites for routine certification of Y6. The UHPLC method is faster and generates less waste than the HPLC method while delivering better sensitivity, separation, and accuracy.

Detection of the adulteration of camel milk powder with cow milk by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)

Economically motivated milk powder adulteration is an emerging and serious food safety problem in China. An effective method for detecting fraudulent addition of cow milk to camel milk powder by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC), employing the bovine β-lactoglobulin as an adulteration marker, is described. The calibration curve showed good linearity for adulterated milk powder samples, with the linear correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.9978. The limit of detection of the adulteration for camel milk powder was 5%. Finally, this method was successfully applied to examine 20 batches of commercial camel milk products, and 8 of them were found to be adulterated with a high level of cow milk (>5%). The findings indicated that this new developed UPLC method could be applied as a simple and effective technique for the routine authentication of camel milk powder products.

Computer-assisted UHPLC method development and optimization for the determination of albendazole and its related substances

Computer-aided ultrahigh performance liquid chromatographic (UHPLC) method development and optimization was undertaken in order to replace an underperforming European Pharmacopoeia method for the determination of albendazole and its related substances. In the preliminary screening, a temperature-gradient time bidimensional model was chosen to aid selection of the proper stationary phase. Hereinafter temperature-gradient time-ternary composition and temperature-gradient time-pH tridimensional models were applied for the optimization of critical method parameters. The simulation and in silico robustness testing were realized using DryLab modeling software. The final method was validated for quantification of impurities and assay of the active substance according to the current ICH guidance. The validated methods were tested on a real, commercial tablet formulation. The experimental design-based and software-assisted method development proved to be a fast and reliable way of replacing a method with inadequate selectivity and long runtime with a robust UHPLC-based method, which offers baseline separation for all monitored impurities in 10 min. Results confirm that software-based chromatographic modelling can not only speed up the analytical method development process, but also improve the reliability of the developed method.

Development of a Fast and Robust UHPLC Method for Apixaban In-Process Control Analysis.

In-process control (IPC) is an important task during chemical syntheses in pharmaceutical industry. Despite the fact that each chemical reaction is unique, the most common analytical technique used for IPC analysis is high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Today, the so-called “Quality by Design” (QbD) principle is often being applied rather than “Trial and Error” approach for HPLC method development. The QbD approach requires only for a very few experimental measurements to find the appropriate stationary phase and optimal chromatographic conditions such as the composition of mobile phase, gradient steepness or time (), temperature (T), and mobile phase pH. In this study, the applicability of a multifactorial liquid chromatographic optimization software was studied in an extended knowledge space. Using state-of-the-art ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), the analysis time can significantly be shortened. By using UHPLC, it is possible to analyse the composition of the reaction mixture within few minutes. In this work, a mixture of route of synthesis of apixaban was analysed on short narrow bore column (50 × 2.1 mm, packed with sub-2 µm particles) resulting in short analysis time. The aim of the study was to cover a relatively narrow range of method parameters (, T, pH) in order to find a robust working point (zone). The results of the virtual (modeled) robustness testing were systematically compared to experimental measurements and Design of Experiments (DoE) based predictions.

In vitro-in vivo evaluation of olopatadine incorporated chitosan nanoparticles for the treatment of ocular allergy

In this study, antihistaminic agent Olopatadine hydrochloride (OLO) was incorporated into chitosan nanoparticles for the treatment of ocular allergy. Nanoparticles were prepared with spray drying method. Physicochemical properties and efficacy of the formulations were evaluated by in vitro and in vivo studies. SEM analyses were performed for the determination of morphology of the particles. Particle size analyses showed that particles were within the nanometer range (119 ± 9 nm to 227 ± 18 nm) with relatively homogenous size distribution (0.453 ± 0.078 to 0.643 ± 0.124 PDI data). Regarding cationic character of chitosan, nanoparticles were cationic as expected with zeta potentials within the range of +27.8 ± 0.3 mV to +35.5 ± 1.2 mV. DSC, FT-IR and 1H NMR analyses revealed the physical integrity of nanoparticles. High encapsulation efficacy up to 73.33 ± 0.25% were detected by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (U-HPLC) method. For the determination of corneal residence time of nanoparticles in vivo studies were performed on sheeps. Analyses results revealed that, ocular residence time was enhanced up to 24 h with single instillation. As a result of the study OLO incorporated cationic chitosan nanoparticles remained on the ocular surface for longer periods due to the electrostatic interactions with negatively charged corneal surface, which will provide effective treatment of ocular allergy.