A Novel Validated GC-MS/MS Method for the Estimation of N-Nitroso Dimethyl Amine and N-Nitroso Diethyl Amine in Zidovudine.

A novel method has been developed for the estimation of N-Nitroso dimethyl amine impurities (NDMA) and N-Nitroso diethyl amine (NDEA) in Zidovudine by using Gas chromatograph Triple Quadrupole Mass with Liquid autosampler (GC-MS/MS) and the method is validated as per International Conference on Harmonization recommendations. Sample analysis was executed for Zidovudine by developed method. Both NDMA and NDEA were detected in below quantitation limit for the Zidovudine batches. Efficient chromatographic separation was achieved on a DB-WAX 30 m length × 0.25 mm internal diameter, 0.5-µm film thickness, Triple quad-8040 GC-MS/MS. Quantification was carried out at Triple quad electron ionization source was at a column flow of 1.5 mL/min at a column oven temperature 50°C. The precision was in the range of 0.9-2.5% for NDMA and 0.8-2.3% for NDEA, and regression analysis shows as r value (correlation coefficient) of is >0.99. This method is capable to detect the NDMA and NDEA impurities in Zidovudine at a level of 0.006 ppm for limit of detection and 0.018 ppm for limit of quantitation with respect to test concentration of 66.66 mg/mL.

Rapid, user-friendly, and inexpensive detection of azidothymidine.

Strict adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is very important to improve the quality of life for HIV-positive patients to reduce new infections and determine treatment success. Azidothymidine (AZT) is an antiretroviral drug commonly used in HAART treatment. In this research, an "add, mix, and measure" assay was developed to detect AZT within minutes. Three different probes designed to release fluorophores when samples containing AZT are added were synthesized and characterized. The limit of detection to AZT in simulated urine samples was determined to be 4 µM in 5 min for one of the probes. This simple and rapid point-of-care test could potentially be used by clinicians and health care workers to monitor the presence of AZT in low resource settings.

Simple thin layer chromatography-ultraviolet spectrophotometric method for quality assessment of binary fixed-dose-combinations of lamivudine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and lamivudine/zidovudine in tablet formulations.

Antiretroviral fixed-dose-combination drugs are best assayed with high-performance liquid chromatography, or liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. However, most scientists in developing nations have no access to these expensive instruments. A more affordable quantitative technique is the use of ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy-where often the absorption spectra of these antiretrovirals are overlapping; thus complex derivative methodologies are required for quantification. A simple, rapid, and accurate thin layer chromatography-ultraviolet spectrophotometric method for the quantification of binary mixtures of lamivudine, zidovudine, and tenofovir-disoproxil-fumarate in tablet formulations was developed. Lamivudine/tenofovir-disoproxil-fumarate and lamivudine/zidovudine were extracted and separated on glass thin-layer chromatography plates. Drugs were identified in ultraviolet light at 254 nm and quantified in acidic medium using ultraviolet spectrophotometry. The retardation factors were 0.43, 0.79, and 0.81 for lamivudine, tenofovir-disoproxil-fumarate, and zidovudine, respectively, with corresponding absorption maxima at 270, 260, and 265 nm. Linearity ranged from 1 to 40 µg/mL for all drugs (R = 0.9998-0.9999), while recovery studies were 95.10-102.11% and amount in formulations ranged from 97.99 ± 0.63 to 101.47 ± 2.39%. The paired t-test (n = 5) indicated no significant difference between the proposed and high-performance liquid chromatography methods, hence comparable and can be used as an alternative method in routine quality determination of antiretroviral medicines.

Zidovudine and Lamivudine as Potential Agents to Combat HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder.

The central nervous system has been identified as an anatomical reservoir for HIV due the difficulties in delivering therapeutic agents into the brain and this complication results in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder that persists in infected patients. The brain regions that are potentially exposed to tissue deficits due to HIV have been reported in previous reports; therefore, it is important to determine the drugs that can enter and localize in brain regions that are known to be susceptible to HIV neurodegeneration. Sprague-Dawley rats received intraperitoneal doses of zidovudine and lamivudine (50 mg kg-1). Mass spectrometry methods were used to determine the pharmacokinetics, of zidovudine and lamivudine, in the brain using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), respectively. Zidovudine and lamivudine displayed complementary pharmacokinetic curves indicating a rapid absorption and blood-brain barrier penetration of both drugs reaching Cmaxat 0.5 h after single dose. MSI of coronal brain sections showed that zidovudine and lamivudine are mostly distributed in corpus callosum, globus pallidus, striatum, and the neocortex region. Mass spectrometry techniques were used to demonstrate that zidovudine and lamivudine drugs are able to reach and localize in brain regions that are targets of HIV neurodegeneration in the brain.

Risk of false conformity decisions of multicomponent items controlled by correlated measurement results due to the sharing of analytical steps.

The assessment of the conformity of some items, such as medicines, food products or drinking waters, with limits set for several of their components, involves the determination of these components using multi-analyte measurement procedures. Since these determinations involve the sharing of relevant analytical steps, such as the sample preparation and analytical instrument run, the measurement results of the various components become correlated (i.e. 'between components metrologically correlated'). The closeness of the values of the components to the respective tolerance limits, the measurements uncertainty and the correlation of the measurements results affects the risk of false conformity decisions of the analysed item. This correlation can either increase or decrease the risk of false conformity decision and is relevant to decide if the item should be considered conform or not conform with the regulation. This work presents a methodology to estimate the 'between components metrological correlation' of results of the analysis of an item subsequently used to assess the impact of this correlation on the risk of false conformity decisions. The methodology was successfully applied to the assessment of the conformity of pharmaceutical tablets against tolerance limits for lamivudine (3TC) and zidovudine (AZT) determined from the analysis of the same analytical portion in the same HPLC-UV/Vis run. The correlation of measurement results was determined from Monte Carlo simulations of shared analytical operation (linear correlation coefficient of 0.53) being their impact on conformity decisions relevant. For instance, for measurement results of 3TC and AZT equal to the upper limit and lower limit, respectively, the risk of a wrong acceptance of the medicines is 84% while if it is assumed that measurement results are independent this risk would be wrongly considered as 75%. The Excel® spreadsheet used for this assessment is made available as supplementary material.

Capillary electrophoresis study of systemin peptides spreading in tomato plant.

Systemin (Sys) is an 18-aa plant peptide hormone involved in the regulation of plant's defensive response. Sys is considered as a fast-spreading systemic wound signal. We developed a simple and rapid CE method to monitor the spreading of Sys peptides through tomato plant. A 1,2,3-triazole-linked AZT-systemin conjugate was designed as a model to study the possibility of translocating small cargo molecules 3'-Azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine by systemin. The Sys peptides (Sys, N-propiolyl Sys, and AZT-systemin conjugate) were injected into the stem and leaves of mature tomato plant. Its transportation throughout the plant tissue was traced by CE. The peptides were clearly visible in the crude tomato exudates and an optimum separation was achieved in 25 mM phosphate "buffer" at pH 2.5 and a voltage of 20 kV using uncoated fused silica capillary. CE analysis showed that Sys peptides are well separated from tomato plant exudates ingredients and are stable in tomato stem and leaf exudates for up to 24 h. CE study revealed that the Sys peptides are effectively spreading throughout tomato stem and leaves and the peptides could be directly detected in the crude plant matrixes. The translocation was strongly inhibited by sodium azide. The results showed that the established CE method can be used to characterize plant peptides spreading under plant physiological conditions.

Simultaneous quantitation of zidovudine, efavirenz, lopinavir and ritonavir in human hair by liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-tandem mass spectrometry.

Nowadays, zidovudine, efavirenz, lopinavir and ritonavir are important components of the second-line antiretroviral therapeutic regimen of National Free Antiretroviral Treatment Program in China. The measurement of antiretroviral drugs in hair will facilitate for the evaluation of the long-term adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy. Nevertheless, no study illustrated simultaneous quantitation of the four drugs in hair. The study intended to develop a simple, sensitive and selective method for simultaneous quantitation of the four drugs in hair. The detection employed high liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization in positive mode. Hair samples were incubated in methanol at 40 °C for 16 h. The method showed the limit of detection at 18, 8, 5 and 6 pg/mg for zidovudine, efavirenz, lopinavir and ritonavir, respectively. The linear range (R2 > 0.99) was 36-5000 pg/mg for zidovudine, 16-5000 pg/mg for efavirenz, 10-50,000 pg/mg for lopinavir and 12-12,500 pg/mg for ritonavir. The intra-day and inter-day coefficients of variation were <15% and the recovery varied from 88.1 to 110.5%. The population analysis revealed that patients with high adherence showed significantly higher drug concentrations in hair than those with low adherence for both AZT and EFV (ps < 0.05). There was high association in drug contents in hair between AZT and EFV or LPV and RTV (ps < 0.05).

One-by-one imprinting in two eccentric layers of hollow core-shells: Sequential electroanalysis of anti-HIV drugs.

Double layered one-by-one imprinted hollow core-shells@ pencil graphite electrode was fabricated for sequential sensing of anti-HIV drugs. For this, two eccentric layers were developed on the surface of vinylated silica nanospheres to obtain double layered one-by-one imprinted solid core-shells. This yielded hollow core-shells on treatment with hydrofluoric acid. The modified hollow core-shells (single layered dual imprinted) evolved competitive diffusion of probe/analyte molecules. However, the corresponding double layered one-by-one imprinted hollow core-shells (outer layer imprinted with Zidovudine, and inner layer with Lamivudine) were found relatively better owing to their bilateral diffusions into molecular cavities, without any competition. The entire work is based on differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry at double layered one-by-one imprinted hollow core-shells. This resulted in indirect detection of electro inactive targets with limits of detection as low as 0.91 and 0.12 (aqueous sample), 0.94 and 0.13 (blood serum), and 0.99 and 0.20 ng mL-1 (pharmaceutics) for lamivudine and zidovudine, respectively in anti-HIV drug combination.

Simultaneous quantification of four antiretroviral drugs in breast milk samples from HIV-positive women by an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method.

The primary strategy to avoid mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) through breastfeeding is administration of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to HIV-positive pregnant women. Because significant changes in the pharmacokinetics of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs occur during pregnancy, quantifying HAART and the viral load in breast milk in this population is essential. Here, we developed an analytical assay for the simultaneous quantification of four ARV drugs in breast milk using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. We validated this method following Mexican and international guidelines. ARV drugs. We extracted the ARV drugs from 200 µL samples of breast milk and detected these drugs in a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with positive electrospray ionization. The validated concentration ranges (ng/mL) for zidovudine, lamivudine, lopinavir, and ritonavir were 12.5-750, 50-2500, 100-5000 and 5 to 250, respectively. Additionally, the absolute recovery percentages (and matrix effects) were 91.4 (8.39), 88.78 (28.75), 91.38 (11.77) and 89.78 (12.37), respectively. We determined that ARV drugs are stable for 24 h at 8°C and 24°C for 15 days at -80°C. This methodology had the capacity for simultaneous detection; separation; and accurate, precise quantification of ARV drugs in human breast milk samples according to Mexican standard laws and United States Food and Drug Administration guidelines.

Processo de fabricação de comprimidos de lamivudina e zidovudina (150+300mg): avaliação retrospectiva da variabilidade e desenvolvimento de metodologia analítica por espectroscopia no infravermelho próximo com transformada de Fourier (FT-NIR) aplicada a avaliação da homogeneidade da mistura de pós / Lamivudine and zidovudine tablet manufacturing process (150 + 300mg): retrospective evaluation of the variability and development of analytical methodology by Fourier transform (FT-NIR) near infrared spectroscopy applied to the evaluation of homogeneity of the powder mixture

O uso de ferramentas estatísticas no ciclo de vida de um produto farmacêutico permite verificar e controlar o processo tendo como objetivo a sua melhoria contínua. No presente estudo foi avaliada a estabilidade e a capacidade estatística do processo de fabricação dos comprimidos revestidos de lamivudina 3TC e zidovudina AZT (150 + 300 mg) fabricados pela Fundação para o Remédio Popular "Chopin Tavares de Lima" (FURP). Esse medicamento, distribuido gratuitamente pelo programa DST/AIDS do Ministério da Saúde, e fabricado por compressão direta, processo rápido que permite a implementação futura da tecnologia analítica de processo (Process Analytical Technology - PAT). No Capítulo I foi realizada avaliação retrospectiva da variabilidade de atributos criticos da qualidade de 529 lotes dos comprimidos fabricados de acordo com a RDC ANVISA 17/2010 e as monografias oficiais, sendo tais atributos: peso médio, uniformidade de dose unitária e % m/v de fármaco dissolvido, antes e após o revestimento. O objetivo foi identificar eventuais causas especiais de variabilidade dos processos que permitam melhorias contínuas. No Capitulo II foi desenvolvida metodologia analítica empregando a espectroscopia no infravermelho próximo com transformada de Fourier para a avaliação da homogeneidade da mistura dos pós. Nesse estudo foram analisadas amostras de misturas dos fármacos lamivudina 3TC e zidovudina AZT e mistura excipiente, empregando como método de referência a CLAE, para a quantificação desses dois fármacos. No Capitulo I, a avaliação do processo para o peso médio revelou a necessidade de investigação das causa especiais de variabilidade, evidenciada por meio das cartas de controle. Os resultados do ano de 2015 indicaram necessidade de centralização e de consistência do processo, com redução de probabilidade de falha. As cartas de controle para uniformidade de dose unitária, no ano de 2013, revelaram menor variabilidade do processo. Porem, nesse ano, a análise estatística para a dissolução revelou processo descentralizado e sem consistência, com maior evidência para o fármaco 3TC que demonstrou menor desempenho, Cpk<1,0. A avaliação da estabilidade e da capacidade do processo de fabricação de comprimidos de lamivudina + zidovudina (150+300 mg), no período de 2012 a 2015, permitiu o maior entendimento de suas fontes de variação. Foi possível detectar e determinar o grau dessa variação e seu impacto no processo e nos atributos críticos de qualidade do produto com evidentes oportunidades de melhoria do processo, reduzindo os riscos para o paciente. No capítulo II, no desenvolvimento do método, as estatísticas de validação revelaram que os menores valores de BIAS foram observados para a 3TC, 0,000116 e 0,0021, respectivamente para validação cruzada e validação. Os valores de BIAS próximos a zero indicaram reduzida porcentagem de variabilidade do método. O presente estudo demonstrou a viabilidade do uso do modelo desenvolvido para a quantificação da 3TC e AZT por FT-NIR apos ajustes que contribuam para a elevação de R, R2 e RPD para valores aceitáveis. Valores de RPD acima de 5,0 que permitem o uso do modelo para uso em controle de qualidade

The use of statistical tools in the life cycle of a pharmaceutical product allows verifying and controlling the process aiming at its continuous improvement. In the present study, the stability and statistical capacity of the lamivudine coated tablets 3TC and zidovudine AZT (150 + 300 mg) manufactured by the Chopin Tavares de Lima Foundation (FURP) were evaluated. This drug, distributed free of charge by the Ministry of Health's DST/AIDS program, is manufactured by direct compression, a rapid process that allows the future implementation of Process Analytical Technology (PAT). In Chapter I, a retrospective evaluation of the variability of critical quality attributes of 529 batches of tablets manufactured was carried out, such attributes being: mean weight, unit dose uniformity and % m/v of dissolved drug substances, before and after coating. The objective was to identify possible special causes of variability of the processes that allow continuous improvements. In Chapter II an analytical methodology was developed employing the near infrared spectroscopy with Fourier transform for the evaluation of the homogeneity of the powder mixture. In this study, samples of mixtures of the drugs lamivudine 3TC and zidovudine AZT and excipient mixture were analyzed, using as reference method the HPLC, for the quantification of these two drugs. In Chapter I, the evaluation of the process for the mean weight revealed the need to investigate the special cause of variability, as evidenced by the charts. The results of the year 2015 indicated the need for centralization and process consistency, with a reduction in the probability of failure. The control charts for unit dose uniformity, in the year 2013, revealed less process variability. However, in that year, the statistical analysis for dissolution revealed a decentralized process with no consistency, with greater evidence for the 3TC drug that showed lower performance, Cpk<1.0. The evaluation of the stability and capacity of the lamivudine + zidovudine tablet manufacturing process (150 + 300 mg) in the period from 2012 to 2015 allowed a better understanding of its sources of variation. It was possible to detect and determine the degree of this variation and its impact on the process and the critical quality attributes of the product with evident opportunities to improve the process, reducing risks for the patient. In Chapter II, in the development of the method, the validation revealed that the lowest values of BIAS were observed for 3TC, 0.000116 and 0.0021, respectively for cross validation and validation. BIAS values close to zero indicated a reduced percentage of variability of the method. The present study demonstrated the feasibility of using the model developed for the quantification of 3TC and AZT by FT-NIR after adjustments that contribute to the elevation of R, R2 and RPD to acceptable values. RPD values above 5.0 that allow the use of the model for use in quality control

Submicron Matrices Embedded in a Polymeric Caplet for Extended Intravaginal Delivery of Zidovudine.

In this study, an intravaginal delivery system able to deliver an anti-HIV-1 agent for the purpose of potentially reducing HIV-1 transmission acting over an extended duration was successfully formulated. This delivery system was a composite polymeric caplet comprising zidovudine-loaded polyethylene glycol enclatherated pectin-mucin submicron matrices embedded within a poly (D,L-lactide), magnesium stearate, Kollidon® SR, and Carbopol® 974P NF-based polymeric caplet matrix. A three-factor and three-level Box-Behnken statistical design was utilized to optimize the polymeric caplet. The optimized directly compressed composite polymeric caplet hardness was 22.1 ± 0.3 N and the matrix resilience was 62.4 ± 0.6%. The swelling- and diffusion-controlled fractional zidovudine (AZT) release from the optimized caplet was 0.74 ± 0.01 in simulated vaginal fluid (SVF), which increased to 0.81 ± 0.21 in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) simulating seminal fluid, over 30 days. Caplet matrix swelling was directly related to the percentage Carbopol 974P NF composition. An intravaginal system for AZT delivery was tested in the pig model over 28 days. X-ray analysis depicted delivery system swelling with matrix contrast fading over time as vaginal fluid permeated the matrix core. Plasma, vaginal fluid swab eluates, and tissue AZT concentrations were measured by gradient ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)-tandem photodiode array detection. Vaginal tissue and vaginal fluid swab eluate AZT concentrations remained above effective levels over 28 days and were higher than plasma AZT concentrations, availing a system with reduced systemic toxicity and more effective inhibition of viral replication at the site of entry.

A novel approach in mucoadhesive drug delivery system to improve zidovudine intestinal permeability

ABSTRACT Zidovudine (AZT) mucoadhesive solid dispersions (SD) were prepared using a sodium starch glycolate (SSG) and hypromellose phthalate (HPMCP) mixtures as carrier to enhance the intestinal permeability and bioavailability of zidovudine. SDs were prepared using the co-precipitation method followed by solvent evaporation and characterized according to their physicochemical properties such as particle size, crystallinity, thermal behavior, and liquid uptake ability. In vitro drug dissolution, mucoadhesiveness and AZT intestinal permeability were also determined. Thermal behavior and X-ray diffraction patterns demonstrated the amorphous state of AZT in SD systems. The HPMCP polymer restricted the liquid uptake ability in the acid medium; however, this property significantly increased with higher pH values. SDs allowed drug dissolution to occur in a controlled manner. HPMCP decreased the dissolution rates in the acid medium. The mucoadhesiveness of SDs was demonstrated and the permeability of AZT carried in solid dispersions was significantly improved. The effect of the SD carrier polymers on blocking efflux pump can be an important approach to improve the bioavailability of AZT.

Photolysis of three antiviral drugs acyclovir, zidovudine and lamivudine in surface freshwater and seawater.

Photodegradation is an important elimination process for many pharmaceuticals in surface waters. In this study, photodegradation of three antiviral drugs, acyclovir, zidovudine, and lamivudine, was investigated in pure water, freshwater, and seawater under the irradiation of simulated sunlight. Results showed that zidovudine was easily transformed via direct photolysis, while acyclovir and lamivudine were mainly transformed via indirect photolysis. We found that in freshwater, nitrate enhanced the photodegradation of the three antiviral drugs, bicarbonate promoted the photodegradation of acyclovir, and dissolved organic matter (DOM) accelerated the photolysis of acyclovir and lamivudine. In seawater, the photolysis of acyclovir was not susceptible to Cl(-), Br(-) and ionic strength; however, the photolysis of zidovudine was inhibited by Cl(-) and Br(-), and the photolysis of lamivudine was enhanced by Cl(-), Br(-) and ionic strength. Second-order reaction rate constants for the three antiviral drugs with (1)O2 (k1O2) and OH (kOH) were also measured. These results are important for fate and ecological risk assessment of the antiviral drugs in natural waters.

Desenvolvimento de nanopartículas de poli (n-butil-cianoacrilato) com zidovudina revestidas por ácido hialurônico para veiculação em gel de uso transdérmico / Development nanoparticles poly (n -butyl cyanoacrylate) zidovudine coated with hyaluronic acid to serve transdermal gel using

A zidovudina (AZT) ainda é o fármaco mais empregado no tratamento da AIDS, isoladamente ou em associação a outros antirretrovirais, porém é um fármaco administrado em altas doses e que apresenta efeitos adversos que comprometem a adesão do paciente ao tratamento. Assim, um novo sistema de liberação de zidovudina composto por nanopartículas de poli (n-butil-cianoacrilato) (PBCA) revestidas por ácido hialurônico (AH) foi desenvolvido e caracterizado com o objetivo de prolongar a liberação do fármaco e diminuir sua toxicidade. As nanopartículas têm sido amplamente estudadas como veículo para fármacos por permanecer na circulação por um tempo maior e, portanto, liberar o fármaco de forma prolongada. Para polimerização e, portanto, obtenção das nanopartículas, n-butil-cianoacrilato e Dextran® foram adicionados a HCl 0,1 M (pH 2,5), sob agitação a 800 rpm, por 1 h. O AZT foi adicionado e o processo foi neutralizado com adição de NaOH 0,1M após mais 3 h de agitação. Após filtração as partículas foram revestidas pela adição de uma dispersão aquosa de ácido hialurônico (AH) a baixa rotação. O diâmetro hidrodinâmico médio das nanopartículas não revestidas foi de 152,3 nm, com um índice de polidispersividade médio igual a 0,055. O potencial zeta médio dessas partículas foi -0,678 mV. O diâmetro hidrodinâmico médio das nanopartículas revestidas com AH obtido foi de 196,9 nm, com um índice de polidispersividade médio igual a 0,440. O potencial zeta médio dessas partículas foi de -25,6 mV. Os valores resultantes dessas análises são indicativos da estabilidade das nanopartículas obtidas e da boa reatividade dos monômeros dos cianoacrilatos. Ainda, pelos resultados é possível confirmar a ocorrência do revestimento. Assim, a eficiência do processo de revestimento das nanopartículas pode ser comprovada por meio dos resultados das análises de calorimetria exploratória diferencial (DSC) e pelos resultados das análises de espectroscopia de absorção na região do infravermelho. Para quantificar o fármaco associado às nanopartículas, um método empregando espectrofotometria derivada (ED1) no UV aplicando a técnica do ponto de anulação foi desenvolvido e validado. Tal método possibilitou a eliminação da interferência dos excipientes, o que permitiu a quantificação do AZT na suspensão de nanopartículas com precisão e exatidão adequadas. A porcentagem de fármaco associado às nanoestruturas obtidas pelo método foi de 64%, considerado satisfatório. As nanopartículas foram incorporadas a uma formulação base de gel de Carbopol® 940 que, apresentou estabilidade após ser submetida a diferentes condições de armazenamento, com incidência de luz e variação da temperatura

Zidovudine (AZT) is still the most widely used drug in the treatment of AIDS, alone or in combination with other antiretroviral drugs, however it is indicated in high doses and has adverse effects that compromise patient compliance to treatment. Thus, a new zidovudine delivery system made of poly (n-butyl-cyanoacrylate) nanoparticles coated with hyaluronic acid (HA) was developed and characterized in order to extend the drug release and reduce its toxicity. The nanoparticles have been widely studied as drug carriers once they remain in circulation for a longer period and, consequently, release the drug gradually. For the polymerization, and, therefore synthesis of nanoparticles, n-butyl-cyanoacrylate and Dextran® were added to 0.1 M HCl (pH 2.5) and stirred at 800 rpm for 1 hour. AZT was added and the reaction was neutralized by the addition of 0.1 M NaOH after 3 more hours of agitation. After filtration the particles were coated by addition of an aqueous dispersion of hyaluronic acid (HA) at low revs. The mean hydrodynamic diameter of non-coated nanoparticles was 152.3 nm with an average polydispersity index of 0.055. The average zeta potential of these particles was -0.678 mV. The average hydrodynamic diameter of the coated nanoparticles was 196.9 nm, presenting an average polydispersity index of 0.440. The average zeta potential of these particles was -25.6 mV. The resulting values of these tests are indicative not only of the stability of the obtained nanoparticles but also the good reactivity of the monomers of cyanoacrylates. Moreover, the results can confirm the occurrence of coating. Thus, the efficiency of the coating process of the nanoparticles can be demonstrated by the results of the analysis of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the results of the absorption spectroscopy in the infrared region. In order to quantify the drug associated with the nanoparticles, a method employing derivative spectrophotometry (ED1) UV applying the zero-crossing technique was developed and validated. This method allowed the elimination of interference of excipientes, allowing the quantification of AZT nanoparticles in suspension with adequate accuracy and precision. The percentage of the drug associated with the obtained nanostructures by the method was 64%. The nanoparticles were incorporated into a Carbopol® 940 gel formulation, which was stable after being subjected to different storage conditions, with incidence of light and temperature variation

Fluorescence derivatization method for sensitive chromatographic determination of zidovudine based on the Huisgen reaction.

A novel pre-column fluorescence derivatization method for chromatographic analysis of azide compounds was developed based on the Huisgen reaction, which is a specific cycloaddition reaction between an alkyne and an azide. We designed and synthesized a fluorescent alkyne, 2-(4-ethynylphenyl)-4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazole (DIB-ET) as a reagent. DIB-ET has a lophine skeleton carrying an alkyne acting as fluorophore and reactive center, respectively. In order to evaluate the practicality of DIB-ET, a high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection method was developed for the determination of zidovudine as a model of azide compound. Zidovudine could be reacted with DIB-ET in the presence of copper(II) sulfate and L-ascorbic acid as catalysts, and the formed derivative was detected fluorometrically. The proposed method allows sensitive and selective determination of zidovudine in plasma samples with the detection limit of 0.28ngmL(-1) at a S/N=3. Finally, the proposed method could be applied to determine the zidovudine concentration in rat plasma after administration of zidovudine without interference from biological components.

Spectra resolution for simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of lamivudine and zidovudine components in pharmaceutical formulation of human immunodeficiency virus drug based on using continuous wavelet transform and derivative transform techniques.

In the present paper, two spectrophotometric methods based on signal processing are proposed for the simultaneous determination of two components of an anti-HIV drug called lamivudine (LMV) and zidovudine (ZDV). The proposed methods are applied to synthetic binary mixtures and commercial pharmaceutical tablets without the need for any chemical separation procedures. The developed methods are based on the application of Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) and Derivative Spectrophotometry (DS) combined with the zero cross point technique. The Daubechies (db5) wavelet family (242 nm) and Dmey wavelet family (236 nm) were found to give the best results under optimum conditions for simultaneous analysis of lamivudine and zidovudine, respectively. In addition, the first derivative absorption spectra were selected for the determination of lamivudine and zidovudine at 266 nm and 248 nm, respectively. Assaying various synthetic mixtures of the components validated the presented methods. Mean recovery values were found to be between 100.31% and 100.2% for CWT and 99.42% and 97.37% for DS, respectively for determination of LMV and ZDV. The results obtained from analyzing the real samples by the proposed methods were compared to the HPLC reference method. One-way ANOVA test at 95% confidence level was applied to the results. The statistical data from comparing the proposed methods with the reference method showed no significant differences.

FT-IR method development and validation for quantitative estimation of zidovudine in bulk and tablet dosage form.

New, simple and cost effective infrared spectroscopic method has been developed for the estimation of zidovudine (CAS 30516-87-1) in bulk and tablet dosage form. The quantitative analysis of zidovudine was carried out in solid form using KBr pellet method and in liquid form using quartz cuvette. These methods were developed and validated for various parameters according to ICH guidelines. Linearity range was found to be 0.8-1.6% w/w in KBr pellet method and 250-1 500 µg ml-1 in solution. The proposed methods were successfully applied for the determination of zidovudine in pharmaceutical formulation (tablets). The results demonstrated that the proposed methods are accurate, precise and reproducible (relative standard deviation<2%), while being simple, economical and less time consuming than other available methods and can be used for estimation of zidovudine in different dosage forms.

Quantitative analysis of the effect of zidovudine, efavirenz, and ritonavir on insulin aggregation by multivariate curve resolution alternating least squares of infrared spectra.

Quantification of the effect of antiretroviral drugs on the insulin aggregation process is an important area of research due to the serious metabolic diseases observed in AIDS patients after prolonged treatment with these drugs. In this work, multivariate curve resolution alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) was applied to infrared monitoring of the insulin aggregation process in the presence of three antiretroviral drugs to quantify their effect. To evidence concentration dependence in this process, mixtures at two different insulin:drug molar ratios were used. The interaction between insulin and each drug was analysed by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. In all cases, the aggregation process was monitored during 45 min by infrared spectroscopy. The aggregates were further characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). MCR-ALS provided the spectral and concentration profiles of the different insulin-drug conformations that are involved in the process. Their feasible band boundaries were calculated using the MCR-BANDS methodology. The kinetic profiles describe the aggregation pathway and the spectral profiles characterise the conformations involved. The retrieved results show that each of the three drugs modifies insulin conformation in a different way, promoting the formation of aggregates. Ritonavir shows the strongest promotion of aggregation, followed by efavirenz and zidovudine. In the studied concentration range, concentration dependence was only observed for zidovudine, with shorter aggregation time obtained as the amount of zidovudine increased. This factor also affected the aggregation pathway.

Evaluation of saliva as an alternative matrix for monitoring plasma Zidovudine, Lamivudine and nevirapine concentrations in Rwanda.

Saliva may provide interesting advantages as matrix for compliance measurements, pharmacokinetic studies and therapeutic drug monitoring in resource limited countries. We investigated the feasibility of using saliva for compliance monitoring of zidovudine (ZDV), lamivudine (3TC) and nevirapine (NVP) in 29 HIV-1 infected patients from Rwanda. ZDV, 3TC and NVP drug levels were quantified by an LC/MS-MS method in plasma and stimulated saliva samples and compared using Bland-Altman analysis. Seven patients demonstrated undetectable saliva ZDV levels while five out of these seven also showed no 3TC salivary concentrations. For the other samples, we observed a good agreement between salivary and plasma concentrations of each antiretroviral drug. A significant relation between the difference in saliva and plasma ZDV concentrations and the average ZDV concentration in the two matrices was deduced as follow: y = -380.15 + 1.79 x. The log saliva and plasma concentration difference of both 3TC and NVP was consistent across the range of average log concentration. Overall, we showed large agreement limits suggesting a wide inter patient variability that may result to non-reliable plasma level predictions from saliva drug measurements. Therefore, our results indicate that saliva may serve as a valuable tool only for NVP compliance testing because of its high salivary concentration.

Estabilidad de una formulación de zidovudina solución oral 1 mg/mL / Stability of a1 mg/mL oral solution zidovudine

Se realizó la evaluación del desempeño de un método analítico por cromatografía líquida de alta resolución, aplicable al estudio de estabilidad de zidovudina solución oral 1 mg/mL. El método analítico resultó lineal, preciso, específico y exacto en el rango de concentraciones estudiadas. Se desarrolló el estudio de estabilidad de la solución oral de zidovudina 1 mg/mL y se determinó su fecha de vencimiento. El estudio de vida de estante se desarrolló por un periodo de 24 meses a temperatura ambiente; mientras que el de estabilidad acelerada se efectuó sometiendo el producto a la influencia de la humedad y la temperatura; se realizó el análisis durante 3 meses. La formulación cumplió con las especificaciones de calidad descritas en la Farmacopea. Los resultados del estudio de estabilidad por vida de estante después de transcurridos los 24 meses indicaron que el producto mantiene los parámetros que determinan su calidad durante ese tiempo, y en los estudios acelerados no se observó degradación significativa del producto. Se estableció 2 años como fecha de vencimiento en las condiciones señaladas

The carrying out of a high-performance liquid chromatography analytical method was assessed; applicable to stability study of oral solution zidovudine (1 mg/mL) was made. The analytical method was linear, precise, specific and exact in the study concentrations. The stability study of oral solution zidovudine (1 mg/mL) was conducted determining expiring date. The shelf life study was conducted over 24 months at room temperature; whereas that of accelerated stability was conducted with the product under wet and temperature conditions; analysis was carried out over three months. Formula met quality specifications described in Pharmacopeia. Results from the shelf life study demonstrated that product keeps the parameters determining its quality during that time and in accelerated studies there was not significant product degradation. Under above mentioned conditions two years were established as expiring date