Solid-phase extraction and HPLC analysis of methylparaben and propylparaben in a concentrated antibiotic suspension

An accurate and precise solid-phase extraction coupled with high performance liquid chromatography (SPE/HPLC) method developed for the quantification of antimicrobial preservatives (methylparaben and propylparaben) in oxytetracycline injectable suspension is described in this article. The SPE technique was necessary to quantify the preservatives since the high concentration of the drug and excipients was masking low levels of preservatives, making quantification difficult. This developed HPLC method was stability-indicating and found to be linear between 1.3 to 2.4 mg/mL for methylparaben and 0.15 to 0.27 mg/mL for propylparaben in this concentrated antibiotic suspension formulation. The extraction recoveries were 98.8-101.6%. System precision and sample extraction precision (RSD) were less than 1%.     

Solid-Phase Extraction and HPLC Analysis of Methylparaben and Propylparaben in a Concentrated Antibiotic Suspension

ABSTRACT

An accurate and precise solid-phase extraction coupled with high performance liquid chromatography (SPE/HPLC) method developed for the quantification of antimicrobial preservatives (methylparaben and propylparaben) in oxytetracycline injectable suspension is described in this article. The SPE technique was necessary to quantify the preservatives since the high concentration of the drug and excipients was masking low levels of preservatives, making quantification difficult. This developed HPLC method was stability-indicating and found to be linear between 1.3 to 2.4 mg/mL for methylparaben and 0.15 to 0.27 mg/mL for propylparaben in this concentrated antibiotic suspension formulation. The extraction recoveries were 98.8–101.6%. System precision and sample extraction precision (RSD) were less than 1%.     

Airflow rate in the quantitation of volatiles in air streams by solid-phase microextraction

A previously reported method for nonequilibrium quantitation of air-borne volatiles from air streams by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was improved by broadening its scope. The original method was defined for the 100-microm poly(dimethylsiloxane) fiber type for a wide range of analytes, sampling temperatures, and sampling times, but only for four specific airflow configurations. The present study extends the choice of volumetric airflow rates to a continuous range between 2 and 220 mL/min. Kinetics of absorption was characterized for 21 different airflow rates within this range using n-alkanes of 11-18 carbons. Nonlinear regression analysis was used to develop a relationship between airflow rate and absorption kinetics and then to integrate these results into the previous model. The overall model (with 8 fitted degrees of freedom and based on 2240 measurements) had an r2 value of 0.9972 and residual variability (RSD) of 9.75%, which compared favorably with the sampling precision of SPME (approximately 5%). The method allows absolute quantitation by SPME for a broad range of analytes and sampling parameters without prior calibration of the individual fiber and regardless of whether equilibration is complete. Simulations are presented that demonstrate how the choice of airflow rate can affect quantitation.     

Interactions between preservatives and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin

The interactions between several commonly used preservatives, i.e. benzalkonium chloride, chlorhexidine gluconate, chlorobutanol, methylparaben and propylparaben, and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin were investigated. The interactions were shown to be twofold. Firstly, the preservative molecules can displace the drug molecules from the cyclodextrin cavity, thus, reducing the solubilizing effects of the cyclodextrin. Secondly, the antimicrobial activity of the preservatives were reduced by formation of preservative-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes. The magnitude of the interactions were dependent on the degree of complexation.     

Optimization of the coating procedure for a high-throughput 96-blade solid phase microextraction system coupled with LC-MS/MS for analysis of complex samples

Biocompatible C18-polyacrylonitrile (PAN) coating was used as the extraction phase for an automated 96-blade solid phase microextraction (SPME) system with thin-film geometry. Three different methods of coating preparation (dipping, brush painting, and spraying) were evaluated; the spraying method was optimum in terms of its stability and reusability. The high-throughput sample preparation was achieved by using a robotic autosampler that enabled simultaneous preparation of 96 samples in 96-well-plate format. The increased volume of the extraction phase of the C18-PAN thin film coating resulted in significant enhancement in the extraction recovery when compared with that of the C18-PAN rod fibers. Various factors, such as reusability, reproducibility, pH stability, and reliability of the coating were evaluated. The results showed that the C18-PAN 96-blade SPME coating presented good extraction recovery, long-term reusability, good reproducibility, and biocompatibility. The limits of detection and quantitation were in the ranges of 0.1-0.3 and 0.5-1 ng/mL for all four analytes.     

Combining drop-to-drop solvent microextraction with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry using electronic ionization and self-ion/molecule reaction method to determine methoxyacetophenone isomers in one drop of water

A novel analytical technique termed drop-to-drop solvent microextraction (DDSME) was developed to determine three methoxyacetophenone isomers in one drop of water, which were then detected by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry using electronic ionization mass spectrometry for quantification analysis and self-ion/molecule reaction/tandem mass spectrometry for isomer differentiation. The best optimum parameters for the DDSME technique were as follows: extraction time, 5 min; using toluene as the extraction solvent; volume of extraction solvent, 0.5 microL and no salt addition. The advantages of this method are rapidity, convenience, ease of operation, simplicity of the device, and extremely little solvent and sample consumption. The limit of detection (LOD) for this technique was 1 ng/mL. The relative standard deviation was less than 2.6% (n = 5). The linear range of the calibration curve of DDSME is from 0.01 to 5 microg/mL with correlation coefficient (r2) of >0.954. In the comparison of the LOD of DDSME with other sample pretreatment methods including liquid/liquid extraction (LLE), single-drop microextraction (SDME), solid-phase microextraction (SPME), and liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) using a dual gauge microsyringe with hollow fiber methods, this method shows much better in sensitivity than the LLE (25 ng/mL) and it is compatible with SDME (0.5 ng/mL), SPME (0.5 ng/mL), and LPME using a dual gauge microsyringe with a hollow fiber (1 ng/mL). However, DDSME was more convenient than the LPME using a dual gauge microsyringe with a hollow fiber method and much lower cost than the SPME technique.     

Interactions between preservatives and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin

Abstract

The interactions between several commonly used preservatives, i.e. benzalkonium chloride, chlorhexidine gluconate, chlorobutanol, methylparaben and propylparaben, and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin were investigated. The interactions were shown to be twofold. Firstly, the preservative molecules can displace the drug molecules from the cyclodextrin cavity, thus, reducing the solubilizing effects of the cyclodextrin. Secondly, the antimicrobial activity of the preservatives were reduced by formation of preservative-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes. The magnitude of the interactions were dependent on the degree of complexation.     

Direct determination of benzodiazepines in biological fluids by restricted-access solid-phase microextraction

A biocompatible solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber was prepared using an alkyl-diol-silica (ADS) restricted-access material as the SPME coating. The ADS-SPME fiber was able to simultaneously fractionate the protein component from a biological sample, while directly extracting several benzodiazepines, overcoming the present disadvantages of direct sampling in biological matrixes by SPME. The fiber was interfaced with an HPLC-UV system, and an isocratic mobile phase was used to desorb, separate, and quantify the extracted compounds. The calculated clonazepam, oxazepam, temazepam, nordazepam, and diazepam detection limits were 600, 750, 333, 100, and 46 ng/mL in urine, respectively. The method was confirmed to be linear over the range of 500-50000 ng/mL with an average linear coefficient (R2) value of 0.9918. The injection repeatability and intraassay precision of the method were evaluated over 10 injections, resulting in a RSD of approximately 6%. The ADS-SPME fiber was robust and simple to use, providing many direct extractions and subsequent determination of benzodiazepines in biological fluids.     

高分子聚羧酸-纳米Fe3O4磁性复合颗粒的制备及其对水中对羟基苯甲酸酯类化合物的吸附作用

采用悬浮聚合法制备高分子聚羧酸-纳米Fe₃O₄磁性复合颗粒(PC-NMPs)。通过热重差热分析(TGA)、有机元素分析(EA)、原子吸收光谱(AAS)、X-射线衍射(XRD)、红外光谱(IR)、透射电镜(TEM)、振动样品磁强计(VSM)对合成的磁性复合颗粒进行了组成、结构、形貌、磁性等表征,并研究了其吸附和去除水中对羟基苯甲酸酯类化合物(Parabens)的性能。结果表明：合成的磁性复合颗粒平均粒径为100～150 nm,饱和磁化强度为10.66 emu/g,剩余磁化强度为0.61 emu/g,矫顽力为14.96 Oe;该磁性复合颗粒对4种常用的对羟基苯甲酸酯类化合物(Parabens)的等温吸附线基本符合Langmuir模式,对羟基苯甲酸甲酯(MPB)、对羟基苯甲酸乙酯(EPB)和对羟基苯甲酸丙酯(PPB)的饱和吸附量为556 mg/g;对羟基苯甲酸丁酯(BPB)的饱和吸附量为588 mg/g。该复合颗粒能有效去除水中对羟基苯甲酸甲酯类化合物,是潜在的环境激素吸附剂和去除剂。该复合颗粒表面富含羧基可与Parabens类化合物形成氢键、苯环间存在π-π相互作用,有利于吸附过程快速有效地进行。     

Determination of total chromium in seawater by isotope dilution sector field ICPMS using GC sample introduction

A method for the accurate determination of total Cr in seawater by isotope dilution (ID) sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SF-ICPMS) using GC as a means of sample introduction is described. Chromium was reduced to Cr(III) by addition of SO(2)-saturated water and derivatized with trifluoroacetylacetonate (TFA) to form volatile Cr(TFA)(3). Derivatized analyte was either extracted into hexane or directly sampled by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) using a poly(dimethylsiloxane)-coated fused-silica fiber for GC/SF-ICPMS analysis. With medium resolution required to efficiently separate argide, argon chloride and oxide interferences, a concentration of 0.154 +/- 0.013 ng mL(-1) (1 SD, n = 4) was obtained for Cr in NRCC seawater CRM CASS-4 using a 1-microL hexane extract, in agreement with the certified value of 0.144 +/- 0.029 ng mL(-1) (95% confidence interval). A detection limit of 20 pg mL(-1) was achieved. Low-resolution GC/SF-ICPMS in combination with solvent-free SPME sampling effectively eliminated spectroscopic interferences, yielding a concentration of 0.132 +/- 0.004 ng mL(-1) (1 SD, n = 4) for Cr in CASS-4 with a method detection limit of 3.9 pg mL(-1). By comparison, SPME sampling with GC/SF-ICPMS in medium-resolution mode provided a concentration of 0.146 +/- 0.013 ng mL(-1) (1 SD, n = 4) and a method detection limit of 9.1 pg mL(-1).     

Antimicrobial Activity of Parabens in Submicron Emulsions Stabilized with Lecithin

Antimicrobial efficacy of methyl and propylparaben combination as potential preservatives for submicron emulsions, and the effect of oil and lecithin concentration on the microbial growth were investigated. Parabens were ineffective in standard or doubled concentrations as per pharmacopoeial criteria. Poor growth inhibition and multiplication of reference strains point to protective and growth properties of submicron emulsions. No correlation was observed between oil/lecithin ratio and efficacy of parabens; partitioning of the latter into the oily phase and lipophilic domains could be the reason for such effect. Further studies are necessary to establish a stable and safe composition of such formulations.     

Antimicrobial activity of parabens in submicron emulsions stabilized with lecithin

Antimicrobial efficacy of methyl and propylparaben combination as potential preservatives for submicron emulsions, and the effect of oil and lecithin concentration on the microbial growth were investigated. Parabens were ineffective in standard or doubled concentrations as per pharmacopoeial criteria. Poor growth inhibition and multiplication of reference strains point to protective and growth properties of submicron emulsions. No correlation was observed between oil/lecithin ratio and efficacy of parabens; partitioning of the latter into the oily phase and lipophilic domains could be the reason for such effect. Further studies are necessary to establish a stable and safe composition of such formulations.     

Anodized aluminum wire as a solid-phase microextraction fiber

The efficiency of anodized aluminum wire was investigated as a new fiber for solid-phase microextraction (SPME). Aluminum wires were anodized by direct current in a solution of sulfuric acid at room temperature and were conditioned at 300 degrees C for 30 min. These fibers were used for the extraction of some aliphatic alcohols, BTEX, and petroleum products from gaseous samples. The extracted analytes were transferred to a GC injector using an (inhouse-designed) SPME syringe that also allowed for an easy change of SPME fibers. The results obtained prove the ability of anodized aluminum wire as a new fiber for sampling of organic compounds from gaseous samples. This behavior is due most probably to the porous layer of aluminum oxide, which is formed on the metal surfaces. In this work, the optimum conditions for the preparation and conditioning of fibers and the extraction of analytes from gaseous samples were obtained. In the optimum conditions, one fiber was used in several equal analyses and the relative standard deviations were below 5% (n = 5). However, fiber-to-fiber reproducibility was 8% (n = 5). This fiber is firm, inexpensive, and durable and can be prepared simply.     

Strategies for the analysis of polar solvents in liquid matrixes

Various approaches to the analysis of polar compounds in different matrixes by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) were studied. The analysis of polar analytes in nonpolar matrixes was performed with custom-made SPME fibers coated with Nafion perfluorinated resin. The sensitivity of this fiber in this type of analysis was better by 1 order of magnitude on average as compared to those of any of the commercially available fibers. The fiber was the most sensitive for the most polar of the compounds studied, i.e., methanol. Determination of methanol, ethanol, and 2-propanol in unleaded gasoline was illustrated. Except for methanol, the fiber did not perform very well in the analysis of alcohols in water. The fiber was capable of extracting water from benzene. SPME analysis of polar compounds in water was studied using aqueous solutions of acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), 2-propanol, 2-methyl-2-propanol, and tetrahydrofuran. Fibers coated with poly(dimethylsiloxane)/divinylbenzene yielded the highest sensitivity in this type of analysis. Low- or sub-ppb detection limits were obtained for all the analytes with FID detection when the samples were saturated with NaCl. Since fibers of this type extract analytes by adsorption rather than absorption, nonlinear responses were observed when all the analytes were allowed to equilibrate because of the limited number of adsorption sites on the surface of the coating and displacement of compounds with low distribution ratios by compounds with high distribution ratios (mainly MIBK). Two approaches allowed a significant improvement in linearity: extraction of a vigorously stirred sample for a short time, or extraction under static conditions for a time much shorter than that required for equilibration of all the analytes. In both cases the amount of MIBK extracted was significantly reduced, while the remaining analytes were affected to a much lesser degree. The sensitivity of acetone determination was greatly improved by in-solution derivatization with o-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine hydrochloride and extraction of the oxime formed.     

Time-weighted average sampling with solid-phase microextraction device: implications for enhanced personal exposure monitoring to airborne pollutants

The solid-phase microextraction (SPME) device is used as a time-weighted average (TWA) sampler for gas-phase analytes by retracting the coated fiber a known distance into its needle housing during the sampling period. Unlike in conventional spot sampling with SPME, the TWA sampling approach does not allow the analytes to reach equilibrium with the fiber coating, but rather they diffuse through the opening in the needle to the location of the sorbent. The amount of analytes accumulated over time gives the measurement of the average concentration to which the device was exposed to. Depending on the sorbent used as the sink, TWA sampling for various analytes is possible with times ranging from 15 min to at least 16 h. Both the poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and poly(dimethylsiloxane)/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) fiber coating phases were tested, with the latter employing on-fiber derivatization for reactive carbonyl compounds, e.g., formaldehyde. Described herein are the theoretical and practical considerations for using the SPME device as a TWA sampler.     

Automated in-tube solid-phase microextraction coupled with HPLC for the determination of N-nitrosamines in cell cultures

An automated in-tube solid-phase microextraction (SPME) HPLC analysis method for 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and several metabolites has been developed. NNK is one of the tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines (TSNA), which has been linked to cancers associated with the use of or exposure to tobacco products. In-tube SPME is an on-line extraction technique in which analytes are extracted and concentrated from the sample directly into a coated capillary by repeated draw/eject steps. In this study, a tailor-made polypyrrole (PPY)-coated capillary and several commercially available capillaries (capillary GC columns) were used to evaluate their extraction efficiencies for NNK and several metabolites in cell cultures. Compared with commercial capillaries that were currently used for in-tube SPME, the PPY-coated capillary showed better extraction efficiency for all of the compounds studied. After optimization of the extraction conditions, NNK and five metabolite compounds were analyzed in spiked cell cultures, confirming the applicability of the developed method. Excellent linearity was observed for all compounds (av R2 = 0.9942) and detection limits that ranged from 20 to 250 ng/mL. The average within-day and between day variations (% RSD) were 2.9 and 3.6%, respectively. This automated extraction and analysis method simplified the determination of the TSNA, requiring a total sample analysis time of only approximately 30 min.     

Electrochemically controlled solid-phase microextraction based on conductive polypyrrole films

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coatings based on conductive polypyrrole films were prepared for the electrochemical extraction and desorption of ionic analytes. Simple preparation of each of the PPY extraction coatings on a platinum wire was possible with a constant potential method, but more importantly, cycling of the film between oxidation and reduction potentials facilitated the extraction and desorption of ionic analytes. The analytes were desorbed into a sample aliquot of water and were determined by flow injection analysis using a mass spectrometer. The fiber coatings and the developed electrochemical SPME method were found to be stable and reproducible (RSD < 5%; N = 5) and could be extended to several cations and anions, confirming the versatility of the approach. Preconcentration of the analyte on the fiber was also possible by repeating the processes to increase the amount of analyte extracted.     

Automated in-tube solid-phase microextraction coupled with liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry for the determination of beta-blockers and metabolites in urine and serum samples.

The technique of automated in-tube solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS) was evaluated for the determination of beta-blockers in urine and serum samples. In-tube SPME is an extraction technique for organic compounds in aqueous samples, in which analytes are extracted from the sample directly into an open tubular capillary by repeated draw/eject cycles of sample solution. LC/MS analyses of beta-blockers were initially performed by liquid injection onto a LC column. Nine beta-blockers tested in this study gave very simple ESI mass spectra, and strong signals corresponding to [M + H]+ were observed for all beta-blockers. The beta-blockers were separated with a Hypersil BDS C18 column using acetonitrile/methanol/water/acetic acid (15:15:70:1) as a mobile phase. To optimize the extraction of beta-blockers, several in-tube SPME parameters were examined. The optimum extraction conditions were 15 draw/eject cycles of 30 microL of sample in 100 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.5) at a flow rate of 100 microL/min using an Omegawax 250 capillary (Supelco, Bellefonte, PA). The beta-blockers extracted by the capillary were easily desorbed by mobile-phase flow, and carryover of beta-blockers was not observed. Using in-tube SPME/LC/ESI-MS with selected ion monitoring, the calibration curves of beta-blockers were linear in the range from 2 to 100 ng/mL with correlation coefficients above 0.9982 (n = 18) and detection limits (S/N = 3) of 0.1-1.2 ng/mL. This method was successfully applied to the analysis of biological samples without interference peaks. The recoveries of beta-blockers spiked into human urine and serum samples were above 84 and 71%, respectively. A serum sample from a patient administrated propranolol was analyzed using this method and both propranolol and its metabolites were detected.     

Kinetics and the on-site application of standards in a solid-phase microextraction fiber

The kinetics of the desorption of analytes from a SPME fiber into an agitated sample matrix was studied, and a theoretical model was proposed to describe the dynamic desorption process, based on the steady-state diffusion of analytes in the extraction phase and in the boundary layer. It was found that the desorption of analytes from a SPME fiber into an agitated sampling matrix is isotropic to the absorption of the analytes onto the SPME fiber from the sample matrix under the same agitation conditions, and this allows for the calibration of absorption using desorption. The calibration was accomplished by exposing a SPME fiber, preloaded with a standard, to an agitated sample matrix, during which desorption of the standard and absorption of analytes occurred simultaneously. When the standard was the isotopically labeled analogue of the target analyte, the information from the desorption process, i.e., time constant a, could be directly used for estimating the concentration of the target analyte. When the standard varied from the target analyte, the mass-transfer coefficient of the analyte could be extrapolated from that of the standard. These predictions agree well with experimental results. This approach facilitates the full integration of sampling, sample preparation, and sample introduction, especially for on-site or in vivo investigations, where the addition of standards to the sample matrix, or control of the velocity of the sample matrix, is very difficult.     

Quantitation of amphetamine,methamphetamine, and their methylenedioxy derivatives in urine by solid-phase microextraction coupled with electrospray ionization-high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry

Amphetamine, methamphetamine, and their methylenedioxy derivatives have been identified and measured in a human urine matrix using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) in combination with electrospray ionization (ESI) and mass spectrometric detection (MS). Limits of detection in human urine between 200 pg/mL and 7.5 ng/mL have been achieved. The use of a simple extraction method, SPME, combined with the high sensitivity and selectivity of ESI-FAIMS-MS eliminates the need for chromatographic separation and allows for very rapid sample processing.