Validated analytical study of the effect of Lycopene on the pharmacokinetics of Paracetamol and Chlorzoxazone in rats

Lycopene was reported to influence some cytochrome P450 enzymes activity. The present study investigates the effect of lycopene on the pharmacokinetics of paracetamol and chlorzoxazone. Lycopene (20 mg/kg) was intra-peritoneally administered to two groups of rats for eight consecutive days and two other groups were given vehicle. On the eighth day, chlorzoxazone and paracetamol were separately intravenously administered to a lycopene group and a control group. Blood samples were collected at different time intervals, treated and analyzed using HPLC. The HPLC method used for paracetamol analysis was based on isocratic elution using a mobile phase consisting of water: methanol, (77:23 v/v) at a flow rate 1 mL min−1, Kromasil C18 column, and UV detection at 254 nm using caffeine as internal standard. About chlorzoxazone, separation was carried out using water: acetonitrile (60: 40, v/v) as the mobile phase at a flow rate 1 mL min−1, Inertsil ODS-3 C18 column, UV detection at 283 nm and esomeprazole as internal standard. Statistical analysis of the pharmacokinetic data using student t test showed a significant increase in AUC 0-t , AUC 0-Inf and t1/2 of paracetamol (P<0.05) and of chlorzoxazone (P<0.05) in the groups pretreated with lycopene (20 mg/kg), significant increase in the volume of distribution of paracetamol (P < 0.05), but no significant difference in that of chlorzoxazone. In other words, paracetamol and chlorzoxazone showed significant decrease (P < 0.05), respectively. These results demonstrate that treatment of rats with Lycopene (20mg/kg, ip) has a significant effect on the metabolic clearance and the pharmacokinetics of both drugs

Resolution of overlapped spectra for the determination of ternary mixture using different and modified spectrophotometric methods.

Four new spectrophotometric methods were developed, applied to resolve the overlapped spectra of a ternary mixture of [aliskiren hemifumarate (ALS)-amlodipine besylate (AM)-hydrochlorothiazide (HCT)] and to determine the three drugs in pure form and in combined dosage form. Method A depends on simultaneous determination of ALS, AM and HCT using principal component regression and partial least squares chemometric methods. In Method B, a modified isosbestic spectrophotometric method was applied for the determination of the total concentration of ALS and HCT by measuring the absorbance at 274.5nm (isosbestic point, Aiso). On the other hand, the concentration of HCT in ternary mixture with ALS and AM could be calculated without interference using first derivative spectrophotometric method by measuring the amplitude at 279nm (zero crossing of ALS and zero value of AM). Thus, the content of ALS was calculated by subtraction. Method C, double divisor first derivative ratio spectrophotometry (double divisor (1)DD method), was based on that for the determination of one drug, the ratio spectra were obtained by dividing the absorption spectra of its different concentrations by the sum of the absorption spectra of the other two drugs as a double divisor. The first derivative of the obtained ratio spectra were then recorded using the appropriate smoothing factor. The amplitudes at 291nm, 380nm and 274.5nm were selected for the determination of ALS, AM and HCT in their ternary mixture, respectively. Method D was based on mean centering of ratio spectra. The mean centered values at 287, 295.5 and 269nm were recorded and used for the determination of ALS, AM and HCT, respectively. The developed methods were validated according to ICH guidelines and proved to be accurate, precise and selective. Satisfactory results were obtained by applying the proposed methods to the analysis of pharmaceutical dosage form.

A validated spectrofluorimetric method for the determination of nifuroxazide through coumarin formation using experimental design.

BACKGROUND: Nifuroxazide (NF) is an oral nitrofuran antibiotic, having a wide range of bactericidal activity against gram positive and gram negative enteropathogenic organisms. It is formulated either in single form, as intestinal antiseptic or in combination with drotaverine (DV) for the treatment of gastroenteritis accompanied with gastrointestinal spasm. Spectrofluorimetry is a convenient and sensitive technique for pharmaceutical quality control. The new proposed spectrofluorimetric method allows its determination either in single form or in binary mixture with DV. Furthermore, experimental conditions were optimized using the new approach: Experimental design, which has many advantages over the old one, one variable at a time (OVAT approach). RESULTS: A novel and sensitive spectrofluorimetric method was designed and validated for the determination of NF in pharmaceutical formulation. The method was based upon the formation of a highly fluorescent coumarin compound by the reaction between NF and ethylacetoacetate (EAA) using sulfuric acid as catalyst. The fluorescence was measured at 390 nm upon excitation at 340 nm. Experimental design was used to optimize experimental conditions. Volumes of EAA and sulfuric acid, temperature and heating time were considered the critical factors to be studied in order to establish an optimum fluorescence. Each two factors were co-tried at three levels. Regression analysis revealed good correlation between fluorescence intensity and concentration over the range 20-400 ng ml-1. The suggested method was successfully applied for the determination of NF in pure and capsule forms. The procedure was validated in terms of linearity, accuracy, precision, limit of detection and limit of quantification. The selectivity of the method was investigated by analysis of NF in presence of the co-mixed drug DV where no interference was observed. The reaction pathway was suggested and the structure of the fluorescent product was proposed. Statistical comparison between the presented method and a reported spectrophotometric one was carried out on pure and pharmaceutical formulation and revealed no significant difference. CONCLUSION: The proposed method was considered economic, accurate, precise and highly sensitive. It could be easily applied in laboratory quality control for the analysis of NF in pure form and in pharmaceutical dosage form.

Synthesis of some floctafenine derivatives of expected anti-inflammatory/analgesic activity.

New derivatives related to floctafenine were synthesized and representative examples were screened for their anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. All compounds tested were found to exhibit anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities and some were more potent than the references, floctafenine and indomethacin, in carragenan-induced rat's paw edema. None of the tested compounds showed an ulcerogenic effect on the p-benzoquinone-induced writhing test in mice.