Chromatographic Methods for Quantitative Determination of Ampicillin, Dicloxacillin and Their Impurity 6-Aminopenicillanic Acid.

Two accurate, precise and sensitive high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods were developed for assay of ampicillin (AMP) and dicloxacillin (DX) in the presence of their impurity, 6-aminopenicillanic acid (APA). Method (A) is HPTLC method; using silica gel HPTLC F254 plates as a stationary phase with methanol: chloroform: acetic acid (1:9: 0.2, by volume) as a developing system. All the bands were scanned at 220 nm. Method (B) is reversed phase- HPLC which depended on isocratic elution using C18 column and mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile: water (60:40, v/v), pH adjusted to 4 with orthophosphoric acid, at a flow rate of 1 mL min-1 and ultraviolet detection at 240 nm. The proposed methods were validated as per ICH guidelines and their linearity was evident in the ranges of 0.5-2 µg band-1, 0.4-2 µg band-1 and 0.2-1.2 µg band-1 for method (A) and 5-40 µg mL-1, 5-40 µg mL-1 and 2-16 µg mL-1 for method (B) for AMP, DX and APA, respectively. The proposed methods were successfully used for assay of AMP and DX in pure form and in pharmaceutical formulation where no interference from the excipients was detected.

Radical-scavenging activity of penicillin G, ampicillin, oxacillin, and dicloxacillin.

The aim of this study was to characterize the antioxidant activity of penicillin G (PG), ampicillin (AMP), oxacillin (OX) and dicloxacillin (DOX) through their reactivity towards reactive oxygen species (superoxide anion radical, O2•̅; hydroxyl radical, HO• ; peroxyl radical, ROO• ; hydrogen peroxide, H2 O2 ; DPPH• ) using various in vitro antioxidant assays with chemiluminescence (CL) and spectrophotometry as measurement techniques. In hydroxyl radical assays , PG, OX and AMP were found to inhibit the CL signal arising from the Fenton-like reaction in a dose-dependent manner with IC50  = 0.480 ± 0.020 mM, IC50  = 0.569 ± 0.021 mM, and IC50  = 0.630 ± 0.019 mM, respectively. The highest reactivity of PG among the tested penicillins towards the HO radical was confirmed in the deoxyribose degradation assay. In the ABAP-derived ROO radical assay, the radical-scavenging ability of the test penicillins was in the following order: AMP > PG > DOX > OX. The number of reduced DPPH radicals by the drugs tested was <1 being the biggest for PG. The weak antioxidant capacity of the test penicillins was confirmed in the trolox antioxidant capacity assay (0.075 ± 0.004; 0.093 ± 0.006; 0.123 ± 0.005; 0.126 ± 0.004) for OX, AMP, DOX, PG, respectively. Use of luminol as a CL probe for estimation of penicillin reactivity towards H2 O2 showed that only AMP was able to quench light emission; the remaining antibiotics demonstrated a strong enhancing effect. All the examined compounds showed a weak antioxidant potential when estimated using the ferric-ferrozine assay. This study is the first to report the evaluation of test penicillins as antioxidants under the same reaction conditions.

Co-release of dicloxacillin and thioridazine from catheter material containing an interpenetrating polymer network for inhibiting device-associated Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Approximately half of all nosocomial bloodstream infections are caused by bacterial colonization of vascular catheters. Attempts have been made to improve devices using anti-adhesive or antimicrobial coatings; however, it is often difficult to bind coatings stably to catheter materials, and the low amounts of drug in thin-film coatings limit effective long-term release. Interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) are polymer hybrid materials with unique drug release properties. While IPNs have been extensively investigated for use in tablet- or capsule-based drug delivery systems, the potential for use of IPNs in drug release medical devices remains largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the use of silicone-hydrogel IPNs as a catheter material to provide slow anti-bacterial drug-release functionality. IPN catheters were produced by the sequential method, using supercritical CO2 as a solvent to polymerize and crosslink poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) in silicone elastomer. The design was tested against Staphylococcus aureus colonization after loading with dicloxacillin (DCX) alone or in combination with thioridazine (TDZ), the latter of which is known to synergistically potentiate the antibacterial effect of DCX against both methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant S. aureus. The hydrophilic PHEMA component allowed for drug loading in the catheters by passive diffusion and provided controlled release properties. The drug-loaded IPN material inhibited bacterial growth on agar plates for up to two weeks and in blood cultures for up to five days, and it withstood 24h of seeding with resilient biofilm aggregates. The combined loading of DCX+TDZ enhanced the antibacterial efficiency in static in vitro experiments, although release analyses revealed that this effect was due to an enhanced loading capacity of DCX when co-loaded with TDZ. Lastly, the IPN catheters were tested in a novel porcine model of central venous catheter-related infection, in which drug-loaded IPN catheters were found to significantly decrease the frequency of infection.

Evaluation of water matrix effects, experimental parameters, and the degradation pathway during the TiO2 photocatalytical treatment of the antibiotic dicloxacillin.

The photocalytic degradation of dicloxacillin (DXC) using TiO2 was studied in synthetic and natural waters. The degradation route and the effect of different experimental variables such as pH, applied power, and the initial concentrations of DXC and the catalyst were investigated. The best performances were achieved at a natural pH 5.8 and using 2.0 g L(-1) of TiO2 with 150 W of applied power. The photodegradation process followed Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics. The water matrix effect was evaluated in terms of degradation efficiency in the presence of organic compounds (oxalic acid, glucose), Fe(2+) ion and natural water. An increase in degradation was observed when ferrous ion was part of the solution, but the process was inhibited with all evaluated organic compounds. Similarly, inhibition was observed when natural water was used instead of distilled water. The extent of degradation of the process was evaluated following the evolution of chemical oxygen demand (COD), antimicrobial activity (AA), total organic carbon (TOC) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5). Total removal of DXC was achieved after 120 min of treatment and 95% mineralization was observed after 480 min of treatment. Additionally, the total removal of antimicrobial activity and a high level of biodegradability were observed after the photocalytical system had been operating for 240 min.

Enhancement and inhibition effects of water matrices during the sonochemical degradation of the antibiotic dicloxacillin.

The sonochemical degradation of dicloxacillin (DXC) was studied in both synthetic and natural waters. Degradation routes and the effect of experimental conditions such as pH, initial DXC concentration and ultrasonic power were evaluated. Experiments were carried out with a fixed frequency (600kHz). The best performances were achieved using acidic media (pH=3) and high power (60W). The degradation process showed pseudo-first order kinetics as described by the Okitsu model. To evaluate water matrix effects, substrate degradation, in the presence of Fe(2+) and organic compounds such as glucose and 2-propanol, was studied. A significant improvement was achieved with Fe(2+) (1.0mM). Inhibition of the degradation process was observed at a relatively high concentration of 2-propanol (4.9mM), while glucose did not show any effect. Natural water showed an interesting effect: for a low concentration of DXC (6.4µM), an improvement in the degradation process was observed, while at a higher concentration of DXC (0.43mM), degradation was inhibited. Additionally, the extent of degradation of the process was evaluated through the analysis of chemical oxygen demand (COD), antimicrobial activity, total organic carbon (TOC) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5). A 30% removal of COD was achieved after the treatment and no change in the TOC was observed. Antimicrobial activity was eliminated after 360min of ultrasonic treatment. After 480min of treatment, a biodegradable solution was obtained.

Solubilization and stabilization of sodium dicloxacillin by cyclodextrin inclusion.

The aim of this work is to analyze the effect of cyclodextrin (CD) complexation on the solubilization and stabilization of sodium dicloxacillin in acid aqueous solutions. The effect of four cyclodextrins alpha-, beta-, gamma- and hydroxypropyl-beta-CD was studied. Phase solubility diagrams obtained are AL or BS type, depending on the cyclodextrin used and on the pH of the solution. The highest stability constants of the inclusion complexes are obtained with gamma-CD at pH 1 and 2 and HPbeta-CD at pH 3. The structure of the inclusion complex in solution is characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR). This study suggests that the 7-oxo-4-thia-1-azabicyclo group is located in the CD cavity. Nevertheless, molecular modelling calculations predict two different orientations of dicloxacillin in the gamma-CD cavity in vacuum and in aqueous solution. In vacuum, the results predict the inclusion of the dichlorophenyl ring of dicloxacillin instead of 7-oxo-4-thia-1-azabicyclo group into the gamma-CD cavity. However, the results are different in aqueous solution and this conformation is confirmed by the NMR study. The effect of gamma-CD and HPbeta-CD in the stability of the drug in solution was studied. The degradation of sodium dicloxacillin in solution follows a pseudo-first-order kinetics and the cyclodextrin do not change this fact. Both cyclodextrins increase the stability of the drug but the efficacy is higher with gamma-CD.

Identification and characterization of degradation products of dicloxacillin in bulk drug and pharmaceutical dosage forms.

Impurity profiling of dicloxacillin sodium bulk drug and pharmaceutical dosage forms subjected to stability studies is evaluated. Of many impurities detected in HPLC analysis, three were not reported in the literature. The impurities have been identified by LC-MS; isolated by preparative HPLC; and characterised by NMR, Mass spectroscopy and IR. Pure impurities obtained by isolation were co-injected with dicloxacillin sodium sample to confirm the retention times in HPLC. Structure elucidation of these degradation products by spectral data has been discussed in detail.

Spectrophotometric study of the reaction mechanism between DDQ as pi-acceptor and potassium iodate and flucloxacillin and dicloxacillin drugs and their determination in pure and in dosage forms.

Two simple and accurate spectrophotometric methods are presented for the determination of beta-lactam drugs, flucloxacillin (Fluclox) and dicloxacillin (Diclox), in pure and in different pharmaceutical preparations. The charge transfer (CT) reactions between Fluclox and Diclox as electron donors and 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone (DDQ) pi-acceptor and potassium iodate via oxidation reduction reaction where the highly coloured complex species or the liberated iodine have been spectrophotometrically studied. The optimum experimental conditions have been studied carefully. Beer's law is obeyed over the concentration range of 2-450 microg ml(-1) for Fluclox and 10-450 microg ml(-1) for Diclox using DDQ reagent and at 50-550 microg ml(-1) for Fluclox and 50-560 microg ml(-1) for Diclox using iodate method, respectively. For more accurate results, Ringbom optimum concentration range is calculated and found to be 6-450 and 15-450 microg ml(-1) for Fluclox and Diclox using DDQ, respectively, and 65-550 and 63-560 microg ml(-1) for Fluclox and Diclox using iodine, respectively. The Sandell sensitivity is found to be 0.018 and 0.011 microg cm(-2) for DDQ method and 0.013 and 0.011 microg cm(-2) for iodate method for Fluclox and Diclox, respectively, which indicates the high sensitivity of both methods. Standard deviation (S.D.=0.01-0.80 and 0.07-0.98) and relative standard deviation (R.S.D.=0.13-0.44 and 0.11-0.82%) (n=5) for DDQ and iodate methods, respectively, refer to the high accuracy and precision of the proposed methods. These results are also confirmed by between-day precision of percent recovery of 99.87-100.2 and 99.90-100% for Fluclox and Diclox by DDQ method and 99.88-100.1 and 99.30-100.2% for Fluclox and Diclox by iodate method, respectively. These data are comparable to those obtained by British and American pharmacopoeias assay for the determination of Fluclox and Diclox in raw materials and in pharmaceutical preparations.

Surface and bulk properties of two anionic amphiphilic penicillins in a selective solvent.

The surface physicochemical properties of two anionic penicillins-cloxacillin and dicloxacillin-in mixed ethanol-water solvent were investigated by surface tension and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The data were analyzed according to the treatment of the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory to study the stability of the systems. The aim of the study is to obtain information about the effects of ethanol on the surface activity, bulk properties, and aggregate stability of these amphiphilic drugs, keeping in mind that both penicillins have the same counterion, and the difference in their structures is only a Cl atom in the phenyl ring that makes dicloxacillin more hydrophobic. The surface tension data show a minimum area per molecule increment with ethanol concentration that is related to the variation of the dielectric constant with the alcohol. Dicloxacillin has lower values of the standard Gibbs energies of adsorption than does cloxacillin, which gives this drug a more marked escaping tendency from the aqueous environment to the air-water monolayer. DLS data was fitted to an exponential function for cloxacillin at any drug or alcohol concentration in the range of concentrations studied that indicates that the system can be modeled as an ergodic system of dilute diffusing monodisperse particles. Dicloxacillin DLS data at an ethanol concentration of 5% (v/v) had to be fitted at a sum of an exponential and a stretched exponential function, which indicates that, besides the drug aggregates, a small population of penicillin clusters with longer relaxation times is present. The stability curves predicted by the DLVO theory, for both penicillins, indicate the predominance of electrostatic repulsion, leading to a stable system over the drug-ethanol concentration range studied, but the height of the reduced pair interaction potential energy barrier decreases with ethanol concentration, thus it is expected to undergo a transition from a stable dispersion to a coagulated one.

Thermodynamic study of the effect of ethanol on two amphiphilic penicillins.

The effect of ethanol on the thermodynamic properties on two anionic amphiphilic penicillins, cloxacillin and dicloxacillin, has been investigated. Cloxacillin and dicloxacillin are two molecules that are similar structurally, differing only by an additional chlorine atom on the phenyl ring of dicloxacillin. The penicillins can be considered as hydrotropes if we considered that the term comprises hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties that form aggregates by a stacking mechanism as is the case of both penicillins. By means of ultrasound velocities and densities, we have calculated the apparent molar volumes and adiabatic compressibilities. The critical concentrations, cc, and partition coefficients, K, have been determined, the latter using an indirect method based on the pseudophase model with the help of apparent molar data. This method has the advantage of allowing one to calculate the distribution coefficients at concentrations of the solubilizate below the saturation. The standard molar energy of Gibbs change, DeltaG0, on transfer from the aqueous to the micelar phase was calculated from the partition coefficient. The effect of the alcohol involves a slight decrease of the critical concentration because of a headgroup repulsion decrease. The enthalpies of dilution of dicloxacillin in a mixture of water and 15% w/v of ethanol were calculated. The aggregation process is more exothermic in ethanol that in pure water.

Compatibility between active components of a commercial drug.

A thermal and a kinetic analysis on the decomposition processes of a commercial drug named diamplicil (AD), obtained by an antibiotic combination of ampicillin (A) and dicloxacillin (D), have been carried out to find their thermal stability. The DSC/TG curves of this commercial drug were compared with those of its active components and an excipient, the magnesium stearate (M). Kinetic study was carried out using both isothermal and dynamic TG curves. Decomposition mechanisms for both active components and commercial drug tested were not found. The kinetic data obtained by the non-isothermal isoconversional method showed that D component causes a decrease of the kinetic stability of the active A component. Additive magnesium stearate does not decrease the stability of the two components. Moreover, storage time values at room temperature were calculated.

Metal complexes of antibiotic drugs. Studies on dicluxacillin complexes of FeII, FeIII, CoII NiII and CuII.

The synthesis and characterization of dicluxacillin (DC) complexes with di- and tri-valent metal ions are described. The nature of bonding of the chelated DC and its metal complexes structures have been elucidated on the basis of their spectroscopic (infrared, solid reflectance, magnetic spectra, mass and thermal analysis) properties. In all the complexes studied, the DC acts as a chelate monoanionic ligand with coordination involving the carboxylate O atom and the endocyclic N of the thiazole ring. The DC ligand forms mono-ligand complexes of the general formula [M(DC)(H2O)x(A)]. yH2O where DC is the uninegatively charged bidentate ligand and A = OAc in case of CuII and Cl in case of FeIII, FeII, CoII and NiII ions. IR, solid reflectance spectra and magnetic moment measurement are used to infer the structure and to illustrate the coordinating capacity of the ligand. From the thermal decomposition curves, the water molecules of crystallization are removed in a single stage while the decomposition of the ligand and coordinated water molecules occur in the second and subsequent stages. Different thermodynamic kinetic parameters namely activation energy (E*), enthalpy of activation (AH*), entropy of activation (AS*) and free energy change of activation (AG*) are calculated using Coats and Redfern equation.

High-performance liquid chromatographic and derivative ultraviolet spectrophotometric determination of amoxycillin and dicloxacillin mixtures in capsules.

Two rapid assay procedures based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and derivative ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometry have been developed for the simultaneous determination of amoxycillin and dicloxacillin in two-component capsule formulations. The HPLC determination was carried out on a reversed-phase C8 column with use of a mobile phase consisting of methanol-0.02 mol dm-3 ammonium acetate (pH 5) (50 + 50) at a flow rate of 1.0 cm3 min-1, with UV detection at 230 nm. The fourth-derivative spectrophotometric procedure depends on the measurement of the derivative amplitudes, in 0.1 mol dm-3 NaOH, at 308.5 and 275 nm for amoxycillin and dicloxacillin, respectively. For both procedures, the calibration graphs were linear in the ranges 20-200 and 20-140 micrograms cm-3 for the HPLC and UV derivative methods, respectively, with an almost zero intercept and a correlation coefficient of 0.999. Commercial capsules and laboratory-prepared mixtures containing both penicillins in different proportions were assayed by the developed procedures. The results were of comparable accuracy as indicated by a statistical analysis of the data, using both t- and F-tests.