HPLC-DAD and MS/MS analysis of novel drug candidates from the group of aromatic hydrazones revealing the presence of geometric isomers

Design of balanced COX inhibitors based on anti-inflammatory and/or COX-2 inhibitory ascidian metabolites

The aim of this study was to design and synthesize COX-1/COX-2 balanced inhibitors incorporating the structural motifs of anti-inflammatory ascidian metabolites. We designed a series of substituted indole analogs that incorporate the key structures of the ascidian metabolites, herdmanines C and D. The synthesized analogs were tested for their inhibitory activity against COX-1 and COX-2, and compound 5m, which displayed balanced inhibition, was further evaluated for in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. Compound 5m suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory factors, including iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, and IL-6 in LPS-stimulated murine RAW264.7 macrophages. The reduction of PGE₂, NO, and ROS was also observed, together with the suppression of NF-κB, IKK, and IκBα phosphorylation. Our results characterized 5m as a COX-1/COX-2 balanced inhibitor that subsequently caused ROS inhibition and NF-κB suppression, and culminated in the suppression of iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, and IL-6 expression.

Metal-binding hydrazone photoswitches for visible light reactivity and variable relaxation kinetics

The range of applications for photoswitching moieties is diverse, and the ability to design switches with variable photochemical and physical properties is consequently important for realizing their potential. Previously we reported on the photochromism of (E)-N'-(1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethylidene)isonicotinohydrazide (HAPI), an aroylhydrazone compound first developed as a transition metal chelator. Herein we report the synthesis of structurally related aroylhydrazone chelators and explore the effect of these modifications on their UVA, UVC and blue light photoreactivity, photostationary state composition, photoisomer thermal stability, and relative iron(iii) binding affinity. These findings will inform the next generation of aroylhydrazone photoswitches for metal-gated photoswitching applications.

Mass spectrometry based identification of geometric isomers during metabolic stability study of a new cytotoxic sulfonamide derivatives supported by quantitative structure-retention relationships

A set of 15 new sulphonamide derivatives, presenting antitumor activity have been subjected to a metabolic stability study. The results showed that besides products of biotransformation, some additional peaks occurred in chromatograms. Tandem mass spectrometry revealed the same mass and fragmentation pathway, suggesting that geometric isomerization occurred. Thus, to support this hypothesis, quantitative structure-retention relationships were applied. Human liver microsomes were used as an in vitro model of metabolism. The biotransformation reactions were tracked by liquid chromatography assay and additionally, fragmentation mass spectra were recorded. In silico molecular modeling at a semi-empirical level was conducted as a starting point for molecular descriptor calculations. A quantitative structure-retention relationship model was built applying multiple linear regression based on selected three-dimensional descriptors. The studied compounds revealed high metabolic stability, with a tendency to form hydroxylated biotransformation products. However, significant chemical instability in conditions simulating human body fluids was noticed. According to literature and MS data geometrical isomerization was suggested. The developed in sillico model was able to describe the relationship between the geometry of isomer pairs and their chromatographic retention properties, thus it supported the hypothesis that the observed pairs of peaks are most likely geometric isomers. However, extensive structural investigations are needed to fully identify isomers' geometry. An effort to describe MS fragmentation pathways of novel chemical structures is often not enough to propose structures of potent metabolites and products of other chemical reactions that can be observed in compound solutions at early drug discovery studies. The results indicate that the relatively non-expensive and not time- and labor-consuming in sillico approach could be a good supportive tool assisting the identification of cis-trans isomers based on retention data. This methodology can be helpful during the structural identification of biotransformation and degradation products of new chemical entities--potential new drugs.

Pharmaceutical impurities and degradation products: uses and applications of NMR techniques

Current standards and regulations demand the pharmaceutical industry not only to produce highly pure drug substances, but to achieve a thorough understanding of the impurities accompanying their manufactured drug substances and products. These challenges have become important goals of process chemistry and have steadily stimulated the search of impurities after accelerated or forced degradation procedures. As a result, impurity profiling is one of the most attractive, active and relevant fields of modern pharmaceutical analysis. This activity includes the identification, structural elucidation and quantitative determination of impurities and degradation products in bulk drugs and their pharmaceutical formulations. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has evolved into an irreplaceable approach for pharmaceutical quality assessment, currently playing a critical role in unequivocal structure identification as well as structural confirmation (qualitative detection), enabling the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the formation of process and/or degradation impurities. NMR is able to provide qualitative information without the need of standards of the unknown compounds and multiple components can be quantified in a complex sample without previous separation. When coupled to separative techniques, the resulting hyphenated methodologies enhance the analytical power of this spectroscopy to previously unknown levels. As a result, and by enabling the implementation of rational decisions regarding the identity and level of impurities, NMR contributes to the goal of making better and safer medicines. Herein are discussed the applications of NMR spectroscopy and its hyphenated derivate techniques to the study of a wide range pharmaceutical impurities. Details on the advantages and disadvantages of the methodology and well as specific challenges with regards to the different analytical problems are also presented.

Characterization of a photoswitching chelator with light-modulated geometric, electronic, and metal-binding properties

Photoswitching molecules are utilized for a variety of applications where the rapid manipulation of the molecules' chemical properties and spatial orientations allows for new spatiotemporal control over molecular-scale interactions and processes. Here, we present a hydrazone-containing transition metal chelator, HAPI ((E)-N'-[1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethyliden]isonicotinoylhydrazide), that displays dual-wavelength photoswitching behavior. Several of its metal complexes, however, are inert to photoreaction and thereby add another layer of control over the photoswitch system. The light-induced twist in HAPI structure is accompanied by a dramatic change in electronic properties as well as chelator strength. This work introduces HAPI as the prototype for a class of molecules with properties that may be optimized for a variety of experimental applications that take advantage of phototriggered molecular changes.

Structural investigations of aroylhydrazones derived from nicotinic acid hydrazide in solid state and in solution

Structural forms of aroylhydrazones derived from nicotinic acid hydrazide have been studied in the solid state by FT-IR spectroscopy and in solution by NMR, UV-Vis and ATR spectroscopy. The studied compounds were N'-benzylidene-3-pyridinecarbohydrazide (1), N'-(2,4-dihydroxyphenylmethylidene)-3-pyridinecarbohydrazide (2), N'-(5-chloro-2-hydroxyphenylmethylidene)-3-pyridinecarbohydrazide (3), and N'-(3,5-dichloro-2-hydroxymethoxyphenylmethylidene)-3-pyridinecarbohydrazide (4). The compound 1 adopted the most stable ketoamine form (form I, -CO-NH-N=C-) in the solid state as well as in various organic solvents. In mixtures of organic solvents with water the UV-Vis and ATR spectra implied intermolecular hydrogen bonding of 1 with water molecules. The presence of both tautomeric forms I and II (form II, -COH=N-N=C-) was proposed for the solid substance and highly concentrated solutions of 2, whereas form I was detected as the predominant one in diluted solutions. For compounds 3 and 4 a coexistence of forms I and III (form III, -CO-NH-NH-C=C-CO-) was noticed in the solid state and in polar protic organic solvents. The conversion to form III was induced by increasing the water content in the solvent mixtures. This process was the most pronounced for compound 4. When exposed to daylight, an appearance of a new band was observed during time in the UV-Vis spectrum of 4 in organic solvent/water 1/1 mixtures, which implied that tautomeric interconversion was most likely followed by E/Z isomerisation.

Structural investigation of aroylhydrazones in dimethylsulphoxide/water mixtures

Molecular structures of aroylhydrazones derived from salicylaldehyde, o-vanilin and nicotinic acid hydrazide in DMSO and DMSO/H(2)O mixtures have been studied by NMR, UV-Vis, ATR and Raman spectroscopy. The addition of water to the system did not induce the tautomeric conversion of the existing form constituted of the ketoamino hydrazide part and the enolimino aldehyde part, but it was involved in the formation of hydrated molecules. Vibrational spectra (ATR and Raman) clearly indicated hydrogen bonding of the studied hydrazones through the carbonyl, amino and hydroxyl groups with water molecules. Increasing the water content conversion from E to Z isomer was not observed.

Control and analysis of hydrazine, hydrazides and hydrazones--genotoxic impurities in active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and drug products

This is the latest of a series of reviews focused on the analysis of genotoxic impurities. This review summarises the analytical approaches reported in the literature relating to hydrazine, hydrazines, hydrazides and hydrazones. It is intended to provide guidance for analysts needing to develop procedures to control such impurities, particularly where this is due to concerns relating to their potential genotoxicity. Of particular note is the wide variety of techniques employed, both chromatographic and spectroscopic, with most involving derivatisation. Such a wide variety of options allow the analyst a real choice in terms of selecting the most appropriate technique specific to their requirements. Several generic methodologies, covering the three main analytical approaches; i.e. HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography), GC (gas chromatography) and IC (ion chromatography), are also described.