Preconcentration of pharmaceuticals residues in sediment samples using microwave assisted micellar extraction coupled with solid phase extraction and their determination by HPLC-UV.

An analytical method combining microwave assisted micellar extraction (MAME) and solid phase extraction (SPE) has been developed to extract and preconcentrate a selected group of eight pharmaceutical compounds in sediment samples prior to their determination using liquid chromatography with an UV-DAD detector. A non-ionic surfactant, Polyoxyethylene 10 lauryl ether (POLE) was used for the MAME extraction and the different parameters for the optimization process were studied. Then, SPE was used to clean-up and preconcentrate the target analytes in the extract, prior to their determination using HPLC-UV. The method was applied to the determination of the selected pharmaceuticals compounds in several kinds of sediment samples with different characteristics. Relative recoveries for spiked sediment samples were over 70% and relative standard deviations (RSDs) were under 11% for all recoveries tested. Detection limits between 4 and 167ngg(-1) were obtained. The method was validated using Soxhlet extraction procedure.

NIR analysis of pharmaceutical samples without reference data: improving the calibration.

Using an appropriate set of samples to construct the calibration set is crucial with a view to ensuring accurate multivariate calibration of NIR spectroscopic data. In this work, we developed and optimized a new methodology for incorporating physical variability in pharmaceutical production based on the NIR spectrum for the process. Such a spectrum contains the spectral changes caused by each treatment applied to the component mixture during the production process. The proposed methodology involves adding a set of process spectra (viz. difference spectra between those for production tablets and a laboratory mixture of identical nominal composition) to the set of laboratory samples, which span the wanted concentration range, in order to construct a calibration set incorporating all physical changes undergone by the samples in each step of the production process. The best calibration model among those tested was selected by establishing the influence of spectral pretreatments used to obtain the process spectrum and construct the calibration models, and also by determining the multiplying factor m to be applied to the process spectra in order to ensure incorporation of all variability sources into the calibration model. The specific samples to be included in the calibration set were selected by principal component analysis (PCA). To this end, the new methodology for constructing calibration sets for determining the Active Principle Ingredients (API) and excipients was applied to Irbesartan tablets and validated by application to the API and excipients of paracetamol tablets. The proposed methodology provides simple, robust calibration models for determining the different components of a pharmaceutical formulation.

Controlling individual steps in the production process of paracetamol tablets by use of NIR spectroscopy.

Various physical and chemical parameters of interest to the pharmaceutical industry were determined by NIR spectroscopy with a view to assessing the potential of this technique as an effective, expeditious alternative to conventional methods for this purpose. To this end, the following two steps in the production process of tablets containing 1g of paracetamol were studied: (1) intermediate granulation, which was characterized in terms of Active Principle Ingredient (API) content, average particle size and particle size distribution and (2) manufactured tablet, which was examined in relation to compaction pressure and API content of the tablets. The ultimate aim was to identify critical attributes of the process influencing the quality of the end-product. Based on the results, a new method for determining the API in the end-product was developed and validated for its quality control.

Microwave-assisted micellar extraction coupled with solid-phase extraction for preconcentration of pharmaceuticals in molluscs prior to determination by HPLC.

A simple and specific analytical method was developed and tested for the determination of pharmaceuticals in mollusc samples. A combination of microwave-assisted micellar extraction (MAME) and solid-phase extraction (SPE) using a non-ionic surfactant, polyoxyethylene 10 lauryl ether, was examined to extract and determine simultaneously a group of pharmaceuticals such as carbamazepine, clorfibric acid, ketoprofen, naproxen, bezafibrate and ibuprofen by liquid chromatography using UV-diode array detector. The MAME extraction performance was evaluated by studying various parameters such as the volume and concentration of surfactant and microwave conditions. Finally, an OASIS HLB cartridge was used as an optimum SPE sorbent to clean up the extracts and preconcentrate the selected analytes. The proposed method showed satisfactory linearity and reproducibility (between 3 and 15%), as well as detection limits ranging from 30 to 220 ng/g. Finally, the method was successfully applied to the determination of the target pharmaceuticals in various kinds of mollusc samples. This study has demonstrated that microwave-assisted micellar extraction with solid-phase extraction may be used as a viable alternative to conventional methods for the extraction of pharmaceuticals in this type of matrices.