Analysis of ceftazidime and related compounds by micellar electrokinetic chromatography.

A micellar electrokinetic chromatographic method for the separation and quantification of ceftazidime, its delta2-isomer and pyridine (two ceftazidime related impurities) was developed and validated. Optimised conditions were obtained using an electrolyte system consisting of 25 mM sodium tetraborate, at pH 9.2, and 75 mM sodium dodecylsulphate. A limit of detection of 0.2 microg ml(-1) and a limit of quantitation of 0.6 microg ml(-1) were estimated for pyridine and delta2-isomer: this means that levels of < 0.1% of pyridine and delta2-isomer in ceftazidime can be determined. Calibration curves for all analytes were linear over the studied ranges with correlation coefficients >0.999. Good reproducibility for migration times and corrected peak areas were achieved (RSD % 0.3 and 1.0, respectively). The results demonstrate that the method is reproducible, accurate and appropriate for ceftazidime assay in pharmaceutical samples.

Determination of optical purity by nonenantioselective LC using CD detection.

The use of a circular dichroism (CD) based HPLC detection system was recently described by some authors and proposed for a nonenantioselective HPLC enantiomeric purity determination. Indeed the system, measuring both CD and UV signals simultaneously, allows the evaluation of the g anisotropy factor. In order to experimentally support such an analytical procedure as an alternative to the enantioselective chromatographic method currently found in some pharmacopoeial monographs, we have studied its application to the analysis of dexchlorpheniramine maleate, an active substance which exhibits a poor CD signal in the 250-270 nm spectral region with a g value of the order of 10(-4). The results reported indicate that the suitability of the studied procedure for the enantiomeric purity determination is obtained only when the CD-detector reaches high stability; indeed a certain time lag is systematically necessary to obtain stable responses, i.e. adequate precision. The enantioselective HPLC procedure seems to be more precise for enantiomeric purity values < or = 2% than the CD based detection system; such a disadvantage might be counterbalanced by the use of non chiral stationary phases.

Stability of reconstituted solutions of ceftazidime for injections: an HPLC and CE approach.

The stability of aqueous reconstituted ceftazidime injection vials containing ceftazidime pentahydrate blended with anhydrous sodium carbonate was investigated in different storage conditions (4 degrees C and 10 degrees C for 7 days in a refrigerator, 20 and 30 degrees C for 24 h) with validated HPLC and (micellar) CE methods. Stability indicating data were obtained for ceftazidime and two degradation products: pyridine and the delta2-ceftazidime isomer. Other degradation products were also identified (the complementarity of the two used experimental procedures was useful in such exercise) and characterized by their UV spectra and retention times. Stability data (7 days at 4 degrees C in a refrigerator and 18 h at room temperature) resulted in agreements with the manufacturers prescription and point out the need of a strict temperature control of the refrigerator's compartment used to store the reconstituted solution.

Human alpha1-glycoprotein acid as chiral selector in the enantioseparation of midodrine and deglymidodrine racemates by HPLC.

Human alpha1-acid glycoprotein (alpha1-AGP) has been used as a chiral stationary phase (CSP) for the enantioseparation of midodrine and deglymidodrine racemates in the same HPLC run. The imobilized AGP resulted as the best chiral selector for the enantioresolution of two compounds. Due to the modification of alpha1-AGP characters as a result of changing the composition of the mobile phase, an attempt study of the watery mobile phase (ionic strength and pH of the buffer, nature and concentration of the organic modifier) allowed for an increase in the enantioselectivity of the chromatographic system and an optimization of the resolution base-line of both enantiomeric pairs.

HPTLC and reflectance mode densitometry of anthocyanins in Malva silvestris L.: a comparison with gradient-elution reversed-phase HPLC.

Aqueous alcoholic mallow flower extracts were analyzed both by HPTLC-densitometry in the reflectance mode at 530 nm and by reversed-phase HPLC with gradient elution. For the mallow flower anthocyanins the best chromatographic resolution was obtained by HPLC, which revealed only two main compounds, confirmed by FAB-MS: malvidin 3,5-O-diglucoside (malvin) and malvidin 3-O-(6"-O-malonylglucoside)-5-O-glucoside. The HPTLC densitometric method on cellulose plates provides accuracy, reproducibility and selectivity for the quantitative analysis of the anthocyanins and this method was shown to be much more sensitive than the HPLC-DAD system, at 530 nm. Both methods give comparable quantitative results for total anthocyanins when applied to mallow flowers from two different sources: Italy and Albania.

Analysis of venlafaxine by capillary zone electrophoresis.

Capillary electrophoresis has been used for the separation of venlafaxine and two of its impurities deriving from the synthesis process. The electrophoretic experiments were performed using background electrolytes at different pHs in the 2.5-9.2 range in order to study the effective mobilities and resolution of the three examined compounds. The optimum experimental conditions for the baseline resolution of the three analytes was found at pH 6.5. Very good repeatability for both migration time and corrected peak areas was achieved. The calibration curve was studied for venlafaxine (concentration range 26-224 micrograms/mL), and the plot of the peak area ratio (sample/internal standard [IS]) versus venlafaxine concentration was linear with a correlation coefficient of 0.9991. The effect of different cyclodextrins (CDs), namely, gamma-cyclodextrin (gamma-CD), hydroxypropyl-beta-CD (HP-beta-CD), and alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CD), on effective mobility and enantiomeric resolution (R) of venlafaxine (Wy45030) and its impurities (imp1 and imp2) was studied at different pHs, and the best results were obtained at pH 9.2. Venlafaxine was baseline resolved in its enantiomers using gamma-CD or HP-beta-CD, while imp1 (Wy45494) was baseline resolved using alpha-CD.

Chiral resolution and molecular modeling investigation of rac-2-cyclopentylthio-6-[1-(2,6-difluorophenyl)ethyl]-3,4-dihydro-5-methylpyrimidin-4(3H)-one (MC-1047), a potent anti-HIV-1 reverse transcriptase agent of the DABO class.

rac-2-Cyclopentylthio-6-[1-(2,6-difluorophenyl)ethyl]-3,4-dihydro-5-methylpyrimidin-4(3H)-one (MC-1047) is a potent inhibitor of HIV-1 multiplication in acutely infected cells. MC-1047 racemate has been resolved by chiral HPLC using, as chiral stationary phase (CSP), a commercially available (R,R)-Whelk-01 column. The optical purity and the circular dichroism (CD) of the two resolved enantiomers were determined and their biological activities tested in in vitro assays. Molecular modeling inspection of the binding of (R) and (S) enantiomers to the non-nucleoside binding site (NNBS) of reverse transcriptase (RT) using the defined model of F(2)-S-DABO/RT complex indicates the (R) enantiomer as the more active isomer.