A comparative analysis of univariate versus multivariate eco-friendly spectrophotometric manipulations for resolving severely overlapped spectra of vonoprazan and amoxicillin new combination

Vonoprazan and amoxicillin are pharmacological combinations that demonstrate synergistic effects in treating Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a global public health concern associated with peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. Four spectrophotometric methods were developed, including two univariate techniques (Fourier self-deconvolution and ratio difference) and two multivariate chemometric approaches (partial least squares and principal component regression). These methods provide innovative solutions for effectively resolving and accurately quantifying the overlapping spectra of vonoprazan and amoxicillin. The concentration ranges covered were 3-60 μg ml-1 for vonoprazan and 5-140 μg ml-1 for amoxicillin. To assess the environmental sustainability of the methodologies, various measures such as the Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI), National Environmental Method Index (NEMI), Analytical GREEnness Calculator, and Analytical Eco-scale, as well as RGB12 and hexagon toll were implemented. The validation of the developed techniques was carried out in compliance with ICH standards. The present study is highly significant because it is the first time that the mixture has been determined using the current approaches. The comparative analysis demonstrated no significant difference in terms of accuracy and precision compared to reference HPLC method (p = 0.05). The established spectrophotometric methods offer a straightforward, rapid, and cost-effective alternative to complex analytical techniques for determining the vonoprazan and amoxicillin mixture. They show potential for routine analysis in research laboratories and pharmaceutical industries.

RETRACTED: Ahmed et al. Application of Nanopharmaceutics for Flibanserin Brain Delivery Augmentation Via the Nasal Route. Nanomaterials 2020, 10, 1270

The Journal retracts the article "Application of Nanopharmaceutics for Flibanserin Brain Delivery Augmentation Via the Nasal Route" [...].

Exploitation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes/Cu(ii)-metal organic framework based glassy carbon electrode for the determination of orphenadrine citrate

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs), with structural tunability, high metal content and large surface area have recently attracted the attention of researchers in the field of electrochemistry. In this work, an unprecedented use of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/copper-based metal-organic framework (Cu-BTC MOF) composite as an ion-to-electron transducer in a potentiometric sensor is proposed for the determination of orphenadrine citrate. A comparative study was conducted between three proposed glassy carbon electrodes, Cu-MOF, (MWCNTs) and MWCNTs/Cu-MOF composite based sensors, where Cu-MOF, MWCNTs and their composite were utilized as the ion-to-electron transducers. The sensors were developed for accurate and precise determination of orphenadrine citrate in pharmaceutical dosage form, spiked real human plasma and artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF). The sensors employed β-cyclodextrin as a recognition element with the aid of potassium tetrakis(4-chlorophenyl)borate (KTpCIPB) as a lipophilic ion exchanger. The sensors that were assessed based on the guidelines recommended by IUPAC and demonstrated a linear response within the concentration range of 10-7 M to 10-3 M, 10-6 M to 10-2 M and 10-8 M to 10-2 M for Cu-MOF, MWCNTs and MWCNTs/Cu-MOF composite based sensors, respectively. MWCNTs/Cu-MOF composite based sensor showed superior performance over other sensors regarding lower limit of detection (LOD), wider linearity range and faster response. The sensors demonstrated their potential as effective options for the analysis of orphenadrine citrate in quality control laboratories and in different healthcare activities.

Accumulation of oxysterols in the erythrocytes of COVID-19 patients as a biomarker for case severity

BACKGROUND

Due to the high risk of COVID-19 patients developing thrombosis in the circulating blood, atherosclerosis, and myocardial infarction, it is necessary to study the lipidome of erythrocytes. Specifically, we examined the pathogenic oxysterols and acylcarnitines in the erythrocyte homogenate of COVID-19 patients. These molecules can damage cells and contribute to the development of these diseases.

METHODS

This study included 30 patients and 30 healthy volunteers. The erythrocyte homogenate extract was analyzed using linear ion trap mass spectrometry combined with high-performance liquid chromatography. The concentrations of oxysterols and acylcarnitines in erythrocyte homogenates of healthy individuals and COVID-19 patients were measured. Elevated levels of toxic biomarkers in red blood cells could initiate oxidative stress, leading to a process known as Eryptosis.

RESULTS

In COVID-19 patients, the levels of five oxysterols and six acylcarnitines in erythrocyte homogenates were significantly higher than those in healthy individuals, with a p-value of less than 0.05. The mean total concentration of oxysterols in the red blood cells of COVID-19 patients was 23.36 ± 13.47 μg/mL, while in healthy volunteers, the mean total concentration was 4.92 ± 1.61 μg/mL. The 7-ketocholesterol and 4-cholestenone levels were five and ten times higher, respectively, in COVID-19 patients than in healthy individuals. The concentration of acylcarnitines in the red blood cell homogenate of COVID-19 patients was 2 to 4 times higher than that of healthy volunteers on average. This finding suggests that these toxic biomarkers may cause the red blood cell death seen in COVID-19 patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The abnormally high levels of oxysterols and acylcarnitines found in the erythrocytes of COVID-19 patients were associated with the severity of the cases, complications, and the substantial risk of thrombosis. The concentration of oxysterols in the erythrocyte homogenate could serve as a diagnostic biomarker for COVID-19 case severity.

Development of validated methods for the simultaneous quantification of Finasteride and Tadalafil in newly launched FDA-approved therapeutic combination: greenness assessment using AGP, analytical eco-scale, and GAPI tools

The primary objectives of green chemistry are the reduction of generation and use of hazardous substances. In healthcare, the most active areas of research in green chemistry are medication manufacturing and analysis. Analysts take serious steps for converting traditional analytical methods to eco-friendly ones that minimize the negative effects of solvents and chemicals on the environment and improve the healthcare. In the proposed work, two analytical methods are presented for the quantification of Finasteride (FIN) and Tadalafil (TAD) simultaneously in newly launched FDA-approved dosage form without prior separation. The first method is derivative spectrophotometry, which is based on measuring the amplitudes of first derivative spectrophotometric peaks of FIN and TAD in ethanolic solution at 221 nm and 293 nm, respectively. On the other hand, measuring the peak-to-peak amplitudes of second derivative spectrum of TAD solution at 291-299 nm was also performed. Regression equations show good linearity for FIN and TAD in the ranges of 10-60 μg mL^-1 and 5-50 μg mL^-1, respectively. The second method is the RP-HPLC method, where the chromatographic separation was achieved using the XBridgeTM C18 (150 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column. The eluent was the mixture of acetonitrile:phosphate buffer with triethylamine, 1% (v/v) adjusted to pH = 7 in the ratio of 50 : 50 (by volume). The flow rate was 1.0 mL min^-1 with DAD-detection at 225 nm. This analytical procedure was linear over the ranges of 10-60 μg mL^-1 and 2.5-40 μg mL^-1 for FIN and TAD, respectively. The presented methods were validated (regarding ICH guidelines) and statistically compared by applying the t-test and F-test with the reported method. The greenness appraisal was performed using three different tools. The proposed validated methods were found to be green, sensitive, selective, and can be successfully used for quality control test.

Design, Synthesis and Anticancer Evaluation of New 1-allyl-4-oxo-6-(3,4,5- trimethoxyphenyl)-1,4-dihydropyrimidine-5-carbonitrile Bearing Pyrazole Moieties

AIM

pyrimidine and pyrazole have various biological and pharmaceutical applications such as antibacterial, antifungal, antileishmanial, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and anti-cancer.

INTRODUCTION

In this search, the goal is to prepare pyrimidine-pyrazoles and study their anticancer activity.

METHODS

1-allyl-4-oxo-6-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-1,4-dihydropyrimidine-5-carbonitrile bearing pyrazoles (4,6-8) have been synthesized. Firstly, the reaction of 1-allyl-2-(methylthio)-4-oxo-6- (3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-1,4-dihydropyrimidine-5-carbonitrile (1) with chalcones 2a-b produced the intermediates 3a-b. The latter was reacted with hydrazine hydrate to give the targets 4a-b. On the other hand, hydrazinolysis of compound 1 yielded the hydrazino derivative 5 which upon reaction with chalcones 2c-i or 1,3-bicarbonyl compounds afforded the compounds 6-8. Finally, the new compounds were characterized by spectral data (IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR) and elemental analysis. Moreover, they were evaluated for Panc-1, MCF-7, HT-29, A-549, and HPDE cell lines as anticancer activity.

RESULTS

All the tested compounds 3,4,6-8 showed IC50 values > 50 μg/mL against the HPDE cell line. Compounds 6a and 6e exhibited potent anticancer activity where the IC50 values in the range of 1.7- 1.9, 1.4-182, 1.75-1.8, and 1.5-1.9 μg/mL against Panc-1, MCF-7, HT-29, and A-549 cell lines.

CONCLUSION

New pyrimidine-pyrazole derivatives were simply synthesized, in addition, some of them showed potential anticancer activity.

Etodolac Fortified Sodium Deoxycholate Stabilized Zein Nanoplatforms for Augmented Repositioning Profile in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Assessment of Bioaccessibility, Anti-Proliferation, Pro-Apoptosis and Oxidant Potentials in HepG2 Cells

This work aimed to enhance the purposing profile of Etodolac (ETD) in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) HepG2 cells using sodium deoxycholate stabilized zein nanospheres (ETD-SDZN NSs). ETD-SDZN NSs were formulated using the nan-precipitation method and were characterized, in particular, in terms of mean particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, colloidal stability and bioaccessibility. Estimations of cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, cell cycle progression, Annexin-V staining, mRNA expression of apoptotic genes and oxidative stress evaluations were conducted. The ETD-SDZN NSs selected formula obtained an average particle size of 113.6 ± 7.4 nm, a zeta potential value of 32.7 ± 2.3 mV, an encapsulation efficiency of 93.3 ± 5.2%, enhanced bioaccessibility and significantly reduced IC50 against HepG2 cells, by approximately 13 times. There was also enhanced cellular uptake, accumulation in G2-M phase and elevated percentage cells in pre-G1 phase, significant elevated mRNA expression of P53, significant reduced expression of Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) and Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) with enhanced oxidative stress by reducing glutathione reductase (GR) level, ameliorated reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and lipid peroxidation outputs. ETD-SDZN NSs obtained a supreme cell death-inducing profile toward HepG2 cells compared to free ETD. The method of formulation was successful in acquiring the promising profile of ETD in HCC as a therapeutic molecule due to ameliorated cellular uptake, proapoptotic and oxidant potentials.

Mokko Lactone Attenuates Doxorubicin-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats: Emphasis on Sirt-1/FOXO1/NF-κB Axis

Doxorubicin (DOX), a common chemotherapeutic agent, suffers serious adverse effects including hepatotoxicity. Mokko lactone (ML) is a guainolide sesquiterpene with promising biological activities. The study aimed to evaluate the protection offered by ML against hepatotoxicity induced by DOX in rats. Our data indicated ML exhibited protective effects as evidenced by ameliorating the rise in serum activities of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase. This was confirmed histologically as ML prevented DOX-induced pathological alteration in liver architecture. Further, ML administration significantly prevented malondialdehyde accumulation, glutathione depletion and superoxide dismutase and catalase exhaustion. Antioxidant action of ML was associated with enhanced expression of the nuclear translocation of NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and a lower expression of forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1). Also, ML showed potent anti-inflammatory activities highlighted by decreased expression of interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor α and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB). The anti-apoptotic effects of ML were associated with decreased Bax and enhanced Bcl-2 mRNA expression in liver tissues. ML caused a significant up-regulation in the expression of silent information regulator 1 (Sirt-1). Therefore, it can be concluded that ML prevents liver injury caused by DOX. This could partially be due to the ML regulatory activities on Sirt-1/FOXO1/NF-κB axis.

Formulation, optimization, and nephrotoxicity evaluation of an antifungal in situ nasal gel loaded with voriconazole‒clove oil transferosomal nanoparticles

Fungal infections of the paranasal cavity are among the most widely spread illnesses nowadays. The aim of the current study was to estimate the effectiveness of an in situ gel loaded with voriconazole‒clove oil nano-transferosomes (VRC-CO-NT) in enhancing the activity of voriconazole against Aspergillus flavus, which causes rhinosinusitis. The nephrotoxic side effects of voriconazole may be reduced through the incorporation of the clove oil, which has antioxidant activity that protects tissue. The Box‒Behnken design was applied to formulate the VRC-CO-NT. The particle size, entrapment efficiency, antifungal inhibition zone, and serum creatinine concentration were considered dependent variables, and the soybean lecithin, VRC, and CO concentrations were considered independent ones. The final optimized formulation was loaded into a deacetylated gellan gum base and evaluated for its gelation, rheological properties, drug release profile, permeation capabilities, and in vivo nephrotoxicity. The optimum formulation was determined to be composed of 50 mg/mL lecithin, 18 mg/mL VRC, and 75 mg/mL CO, with a minimum particle size of 102.96 nm, an entrapment efficiency of 71.70%, an inhibition zone of 21.76 mm, and a serum creatinine level of 0.119 mmol/L. The optimized loaded in situ gel released 82.5% VRC after 12 hours and resulted in a 5.4-fold increase in drug permeation. The in vivo results obtained using rabbits resulted in a nonsignificant differentiation among the renal function parameters compared with the negative control group. In conclusion, nasal in situ gel loaded with VRC-CO-NT is considered an efficient novel carrier with enhanced antifungal properties with no signs of nephrotoxicity.

Optimization of Hyaluronate-Based Liposomes to Augment the Oral Delivery and the Bioavailability of Berberine

Various perspectives had been utilized to enhance the poor intestinal permeability and bioavailability of drugs with low water solubility. Berberine (Brb) is a unique molecule that possesses multiple therapeutic activities such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-hyperglycemic effects. To improve Brb permeability and bioavailability, this study presents a newly developed formulation, namely Brb hyaluronate-based liposomes, prepared by using film hydration method and characterized by dynamic light scattering measurements, entrapment efficiency percentage (EE%), transmission electron microscope (TEM), in vitro drug release and physical stability. The bioavailability of the selected formulations was assessed in vivo after oral administration to rats. The results revealed an enhanced effect of hyaluronic acid on the entrapment efficiency, reaching 78.1 ± 0.1% with mean size 520.7 ± 19.9 nm. Sustained release of Brb was recorded up to 24 h in comparison to Brb solution. Physical stability was maintained for three months at refrigeration temperature. Results of pharmacokinetics studies indicated the potential of the liposomal formulation to increase the oral bioavailability of Brb and to accelerate its entry into the bloodstream. The obtained results are accredited to the lipophilic nature of the prepared system, resembling the structural features of bio-membrane, in addition to their small size that enhances intestinal penetration.

LC-MS/MS determination of glimepiride in human plasma with a high recovery at picogram scale: Pharmacokinetic study after oral administration

Although glimepiride (GLM) is the first-line treatment of Type II diabetes, low extraction recovery is still a significant limitation in previous plasma analysis methods. An optimized solid-phase extraction method of GLM in human plasma with excellent extraction recovery, 100 ± 0.06%, was achieved using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry and Gliclazide (GLZ) as an internal standard. GLM was extracted from 100 µL plasma sample using Sep-Pak® vac 1cc (100 mg) C18 column and methylene chloride: methanol (2: 1, v/v) as eluant. Both GLM and GLZ were monitored by a triple quad mass spectrometer applying positive multiple reaction monitoring mode (+MRM). The protonated precursor ions and product ions of GLM and GLZ were m/z 491(352), and m/z 324 (127), respectively. The detection and measurement of low levels of GLM in human plasma reached to picogram range (limit of detection (LOD) = 60 pg/mL, limit of quantification (LOQ) = 200 pg/mL). The method was validated in terms of selectivity, linearity, recovery, accuracy, and precision. The method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of GLM following oral administration of 1 mg GLM tablets to 12 healthy volunteers.

Amelioration of Pterostilbene Antiproliferative, Proapoptotic, and Oxidant Potentials in Human Breast Cancer MCF7 Cells Using Zein Nanocomposites

Purpose

This study aimed to explain the influence of zein nanosphere (ZN NS) formulation on the pharmacotherapeutic profile of PTS in MCF7 cells.

Methods

Liquid–liquid phase separation was used to formulate PTS-ZN NSs. The formulations developed were evaluated for particle-size analysis, encapsulation efficiency, and in vitro diffusion. Also, assays of cytotoxicity, uptake, cell-cycle progression, annexin V, apoptotic gene mRNA expression and biochemical assays were carried out.

Results

The PTS-ZN NS formulation selected showed 104.5±6.2 nm, 33.4±1.8 mV, 95.1%±3.6%, and 89.1%±2.65% average particle size, zeta-potential, encapsulation efficiency and in vitro diffusion, respectively. With MCF7 cells, IC₅₀ was reduced approximately 15-fold, with increased cellular uptake, accumulation in the G₂/M phase, increased percentage of cells in the pre-G₁ phase, amelioration of early and late apoptosis, raised mRNA expression of CASP3 and CASP7, lower expression of cyclin-CDK1, and enhanced oxidant potential through decreased glutathione reductase (GR) activity, and enhanced reactive oxygen–species generation and lipid-peroxidation products.

Conclusion

PTS-ZN NSs indicated enhanced antiproliferative, proapoptotic, and oxidant potential toward MCF7 cells compared to free PTS. Ameliorated results of nanosized carriers, cellular uptake, and sustained diffusion may contribute to these outcomes.

Comparative metabolic study of Citrus sinensis leaves cultivars based on GC-MS and their cytotoxic activity

Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck, (family Rutaceae), known as sweet orange, is a fruit-bearing shrub that widely cultivated all over the world due to its nutritive value, nutraceutical attributes and economic importance. In the present study, a comparative metabolic profile study of the essential oils of the leaves of nine cultivars of Citrus sinensis cultivated in Egypt was carried out based on GC-MS analysis coupled to chemometrics. A total of 47 compounds were identified, where monoterpenes hydrocarbons (61.39 %-78.26 %) represented the main recognized class in the essential oils. Sabinene (8.25 %-28.81 %), 2-carene (11.25 %-16.72 %) and cis-β-ocimene (10.22 %-13.93 %) were the major components identified in different cultivars. Chemometric analyses comprising Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) were experienced for their ability to discriminate between closely related cultivars. Both PCA score plot and HCA dendrogram could successfully segregate different cultivars based on their metabolic profiles. The MTT assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of essential oils of Citrus sinensis leaves cultivars on different cell lines; MCF-7, HepG-2, HeLa, were all essential oils showed moderate cytotoxic activity. The MCF-7 cell lines were the most resistant cells with IC50 range from 243 to 343 μg/mL, while HeLa cells were the most sensitive cell lines IC50 range from 203 to 283 μg/mL. This may be attributed to the synergistic effects of different chemical components.

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method for quantitation of the recently Food and Drug Administration approved combination of vaborbactam and meropenem in human plasma

A parenteral medical combination containing vaborbactam and meropenem is used mainly to treat complicated urinary tract infections. A novel ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometric method was developed for the sensitive determination of both compounds in human plasma. Sample preparation was performed by precipitation technique. The chromatographic separation was accomplished using the Acquity C18-BEH column, 0.01 M ammonium formate: acetonitrile (47 : 53, v/v) as a mobile phase with a flow rate of 0.2 ml min-1. Analytes were monitored by applying multiple reaction monitoring. The bioanalytical validation criteria were conducted following the Food and Drug Administration recommendations. The method was linear within range 0.5 to 50 µg ml-1, for both drugs. The intra-day and inter-day precision, as coefficient variation (% CV) and the accuracy, as % bias did not exceed 15% for both drugs. The percentage recovery of targeted analytes was not less than 77%, calculated at three quality control levels. The proposed method showed a suitable lower level of quantification value of 0.50 µg ml-1 for both analytes, which is far lower than the expected C max, which permits the use of this method for pharmacokinetic studies. The proposed method proved to be useful for the evaluation of this combination in both human plasma and pharmaceutical formulation.

Application of Nanopharmaceutics for Flibanserin Brain Delivery Augmentation Via the Nasal Route

Flibanserin (FLB) is a nonhormonal medicine approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat the hypoactive sexual appetite disorder in females. However, the peroral administration of the medicine is greatly affected by its poor bioavailability as a result of its extensive first-pass effect and poor solubility. Aiming at circumventing these drawbacks, this work involves the formulation of optimized FLB transfersome (TRF) loaded intranasal hydrogel. Box-Behnken design was utilized for the improvement of FLB TRFs with decreased size. The FLB-to-phospholipid molar ratio, the edge activator hydrophilic lipophilic balance, and the pH of the hydration medium all exhibited significant effects on the TRF size. The optimized/developed TRFs were unilamellar in shape. Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose based hydrogel filled with the optimized FLB TRFs exhibited an improved ex vivo permeation when compared with the control FLB-loaded hydrogel. In addition, the optimized TRF-loaded hydrogel exhibited higher bioavailability and enhanced brain delivery relative to the control hydrogel following intranasal administration in Wistar rats. The results foreshadow the possible potential application of the proposed intranasal optimized FLB-TRF-loaded hydrogel to increase the bioavailability and nose-to-brain delivery of the drug.

Spectral signal processing approaches for selective quantification of the recently FDA approved brand-new combination of Vaborbactam and Meropenem; for conformity assessment of bulk and batch release

Vaborbactam (VBR) and Meropenem (MRP) is a recently approved combination for treatment of complicated urinary tract infection (cUTI). Three different signal processing approaches utilizing UV spectral data has been applied for quality assessment of Vabromere® injection. First, the simplest signal processing method, dual wavelength (DW) was developed, where VBR and MRP were determined at (234.0 & 291.0 nm) and (219.5 & 245.5 nm), respectively. The second one utilized signal processing through derivatization, where, each drug was determined without any interference. This was achieved at 250.0 & 318.0 nm for VBR and MRP, respectively. The third approach is the recently developed algorithm, pure component contribution (PCCA), which efficiently extracts the pure spectrum of each drug and therefore determination is achieved at their λ_max with maximum sensitivity and lowest error. The applied methods were found to be linear in the concentration range of 5.00-100.00 μg/mL and 5.00-150.00 μg/mL, for VBR and MRP, respectively. Minimum solvent consumption and diminished preparation or extraction steps are achieved associated with accurate quantitation of VBR and MRP in bulk powders and injection. The developed methods were successfully compared to a reported HPLC method, where no significant difference was found regarding both accuracy and precision.

LC-MS/MS determination of avanafil and its metabolites in rat plasma and brain: pharmacokinetic study after oral administration and transdermal film application

Avanafil (AVA) has been FDA approved in 2012 as a phosphodiesterase-type five inhibitor drug (PDE-5), for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). It was necessary to study the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability parameters of AVA since it exhibits side effects, a long time from drug administration. As a result of this, we described a sensitive high-performance-liquid chromatography-triple quad-mass spectrometric method (LC-QqQ-MS) for the analysis of AVA in rat plasma and brain. Furthermore, the concentrations of AVA and its primary metabolites were determined in rat brain since it is known that PDE-5 inhibitor drugs are capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The liquid-liquid extraction method was developed, optimized, and applied for maximum recovery of AVA from plasma and brain homogenates. The percentage of recovery was 96.60 ± 2.44% and 94.50 ± 1.86%, in rat plasma and brain homogenate, respectively. The separation was performed on a Nucleodur C18 column, with mobile phase composed of 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile (29 : 71, v/v), at flow rate 0.5 mL min-1, and monitored with QqQ-MS applying positive multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The calculated pharmacokinetic parameters, noncompartmental model, were: C max 1503.82 ± 354.11 ng mL-1 with a t 1/2 value of 4.87 ± 0.42 h and C max 141.94 ± 22.57 ng mL-1 with a t 1/2 value of 7.05 ± 1.59 h, for oral AVA suspension and transdermal film, respectively. The average percentage of total metabolites in plasma and brain was 27.1 ± 2.2% and 7.0 ± 1.0%, respectively.

Phospholipidomic identification of potential serum biomarkers in dengue fever, hepatitis B and hepatitis C using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry

The serum phospholipid (PL) profiles of healthy volunteers (HE) and patients with recently diagnosed dengue fever (DF), hepatitis B (HBV), and hepatitis C (HCV) were investigated using liquid chromatography-ion trap-mass spectrometry (LC-IT-MS) and liquid chromatography-triple quad-mass spectrometry (LC-TQ-MS). Major PLs, including lyso-phosphatidylcholins (LPCs), phosphatidylcholins (PCs), phosphatidylinositols (PIs), phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs) and phosphatidylserines (PSs), were characterized in human serum using LC-IT-MS. Thirty-five PLs were quantified using seven non-endogenous odd-carbon PL standards. An MS search protocol for the identification of PLs is described. The analytical method was optimized to achieve maximum recovery and detection. PLs were detected with minimal ionization suppression. The PLs species were characterized on the basis of (i) MS(2) peaks due to polar head, (ii) precursor ion or neutral loss scans, (iii) identification of fatty acid, (iv) identification of sn-1 and sn-2 fatty acid. The quantitation data were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA), and a significant difference was observed between the PL profiles of the investigated diseases and those of HE subjects. The significance of the changes in each lipid among the four groups was statistically assessed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Bonferroni post hoc multiple comparison. The serum profiles of 28 PLs were determined to be significantly different and enabled the discrimination between HE individuals and the studied patients. Potentially dysregulated PLs were considered as differentiating biomarkers to diagnose DF, HBV, and HCV.