Fluorimetric determinations by ion-pair extraction

The use of fluorescent probes in pharmaceutical analysis

Even though many pharmaceuticals show native fluorescence, there is also an important group of compounds which is not fluorescent. A main object of studies is to make them fluorescent, principally by using fluorescent probes through derivatisation reactions. An account of the fluorescent probes more widely used for the determination of drugs and related compounds is presented in this review paper. A wide variety of fluorescent probes is described on the basis of their ability to react specifically with various functional groups. Attention is focused on derivatisation reactions used in spectrofluorimetry and chromatographic techniques (HPLC, TLC) with fluorimetric detection. The review covers only those fluorescent probes whose use involves a chemical reaction with the analyte, and not those methods that involve physico-chemical interactions such as sensitised or charge transfer processes. Many of these derivatisation reactions have been widely used in the detection of primary and secondary amines. Reagents such as dansyl chloride, fluorescamine, o-phtalaldehyde are very well known. Other reagents have also been developed for other functional groups, for example dansyl hydrazine for compounds with a carbonyl function or 4-bromomethyl-7-methoxy-coumarin for acidic compounds . Acid chlorides such as dansyl chloride may also react with different functional groups carrying active hydrogens as do phenols. The use and development of new fluorescent probes in pharmaceutical analysis is a subject for further studies.

A high performance liquid chromatographic post-column fluorescent ion pair extraction system: application to physostigmine and its metabolite eseroline in human serum

A high performance liquid chromatographic post-column fluorescent ion pair extraction system was developed for the analysis of quaternary ammonium and amine drugs in serum. A new fluorescent ion pair reagent, sodium alpha-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl) cinnamonitrile-2'-sulfonate (DPS), was synthesized and characterized. The post-column extraction system consisted of a three-dimensional knitted teflon mixing coil and a membrane phase separator which was modified from an original literature design. Physostigmine and its metabolite eseroline were used as model cations. A solid phase extraction procedure using octadecylsilane columns was developed to extract the compounds and neostigmine bromide (internal standard) from human serum. The compounds were chromatographed on a diol column using a 80:20 aqueous phosphate buffer pH 4 absolute methanol mobile phase at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. Methylene chloride was used as the on-line extraction solvent for the DPS ion pairs formed. Fluorescence of the extracted ion pairs was measured using an excitation of 243 nm and an emission cut-off filter at 418 nm. Linearity was in the 2-100 ng/mL and 5-100 ng/mL ranges for physostigmine and eseroline, respectively. Detection limits based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 2, were 2 and 5 ng/mL, respectively. Precision of the method was found to be in the 1.5-3% range and percentage error in the 1.5-7% range for both compounds.

Sample extraction detector for the liquid chromatographic determination of secoverine in biological samples

A simple detection system for liquid chromatography based on post-column ion-pair extraction in a solvent-segmented stream is described. The fluorescent ion-pairing reagent 9,10-dimethoxyanthracene-2-sulphonate is added to the aqueous mobile phase prior to the column. An organic solvent, used for extraction of the ion pairs and for segmentation purposes, is added to the column effluent by gravity; about 70% of this phase is drawn through the detector cell using the siphon principle. The noise is significantly less than that of system with a pulsating peristaltic pump. The system has been used for the detection of the prospective drug secoverine. Under optimized conditions, band broadening due to the extraction detection system is sigma t = 7 sec. The detection limit of secoverine is ca. 20 pg, the repeatability in the nanogram range is 2% (relative standard deviation) (n = 6) and the linear range is at least 4 decades. The use of pre-column containing a 1--2-mm layer of stationary phase for clean-up and trace enrichment allows the direct injection of 200--1000 microliters of plasma or serum. In this way, secoverine can be determined in the parts per 10(12) range.

Preliminary studies of the kinetics of citalopram in man

The plasma concentrations of citalopram, a potent serotonin reuptake inhibitor, and its demethylated metabolite have been determined by a specific fluorescence coupling technique during single dose experiments in volunteers and in clinical tests. Citalopram was found to have linear kinetics within the dose range investigated, which were characterized by fairly rapid absorption and slow elimination (biological half-life 1--21/2 days). Steady state levels in the range 120--340 nM (i.e. slightly above those associated with pharmacodynamic activity in animals) were attained within a week. A drug/metabolite ratio of 2--3 was recorded.