The implementation of FT-Raman spectroscopy to study solid state moisture induced changes in the crystallographic nature of pharmaceutical excipients - a lesson in humidity

An aqueous solution of sucrose was lyophilised, producing amorphous sucrose. This wasthen stored under different humidity at 25ºC for 1 week, allowing some samples tocrystallise. FT-Raman spectroscopy and PXRD have been successfully shown toqualitatively distinguish between amorphous and crystalline samples of sucrose. The datafrom the two techniques is complementary.

Conference report: 7th Annual Congress of International Drug Discovery Science and Technology

This is a report on the 7th Annual Congress of International Drug Discovery Science and Technology held in Shanghai, China from 22–25 October, 2009. The conference, organized by BIT Life Sciences, comprised several parallel sessions, keynote presentations and a selection of selection of 20-minute presentations covering a range of therapeutic areas, including general medicinal chemistry, oncology, inflammation, receptors and ion channels, drug, metabolism and pharmokinetics, and fragment-based drug discovery. There were also sessions devoted to genomics, biomarkers, immunology, cell biology, molecular imaging and biochips. Supported by an exhibition of services/products and posters, the conference underlined the marked presence of Asian CROs.

In vitro drug release studies of polymeric freeze-dried wafers and solvent-cast films using paracetamol as a model soluble drug

Drug dissolution and release characteristics from freeze-dried wafers and solvent-cast films prepared from sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) have been investigated to determine the mechanisms of drug release from the two systems. The formulations were prepared by freeze-drying (wafers) or drying in air (films), the hydrated gel of the polymer containing paracetamol as a model soluble drug. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine differences between the physical structure of the wafers and films. Dissolution studies were performed using an exchange cell and drug release was measured by UV spectroscopy at 242 nm. The effects of drug loading, polymer content and amount of glycerol (films) on the release characteristics of paracetamol were investigated. The release profiles of paracetamol from the wafers and films were also compared. A digital camera was used to observe the times to complete hydration and dissolution of the wafers containing different amounts of CMC and how that impacts on drug release rates. Both formulations showed sustained type drug release that was modelled by the Korsmeyer–Peppas equation. Changes in the concentration of drug and glycerol (films) did not significantly alter the rate of drug release while increasing polymer content significantly decreased the rate of drug release from both formulations. The results show that the rate of paracetamol release was faster from the wafers than the corresponding films due to differences in their physical structures. The wafers which formed a porous network, hydrated faster than the more dense and continuous, (non-porous) sheet-like structure of the films.

Effects Of Aromatic-Hydrocarbons On The Metabolism Of The Digestive Gland Of The Mussel Mytilus-Edulis-L

1. The results presented in this paper show that the exposure of mussels to a sublethal concentration of oil-derived aromatic hydrocarbons (30 μg 1−1) for a period of 4 months significantly decreases the protein level in the digestive gland of the animals (−17%). 2. The activity of the nuclear RNA polymerase I and II is also significantly decreased in the digestive gland of hydrocarbon-exposed mussels (−64% and −18%, respectively). 3. The RNAase(s) activity present in the nuclei from the digestive gland cells increases following the exposure of the mussels to aromatic hydrocarbons. This effect is particularly evident at high ionic strength [200 mM (NH4)2SO4]. 4. The analysis of some characteristics of the nuclear RNAase(s) (most of which is soluble and shows a maximum of activity at pH 4−5) could indicate that part of this hydrolytic enzyme may have a lysosomal origin. 5. This fact appears to be in agreement with the finding that in the mussels exposed for 4 months to aromatic hydrocarbons the lysosomal stability decreases drastically and the total content of lysosomal enzymes is significantly increased (+42.4%).

Invivo Changes In The Activity Of Gill ATPases And Hemolymph Ions Of Carcinus Maenas Exposed To p p'-DDT And Reduced Salinities

1. Haemolymph osmoregulation by the shore crab, Carcinus maenas was confirmed over a range of salinities. 2. Na+K+-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase activities in gill tissue increased with a decrease in salinity. 3. Na+K+-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase activities were inhibited after exposure to p,p′-DDT. 4. K+ ion levels of the haemolymph remained unchanged, but Na+ ion levels were affected after 7 hr when transferred from 100 to 5% SW after exposure to DDT.

Quantification of urinary excretion of ethosuximide enantiomers and their major metabolites in the rat.

A chiral gas chromatographic assay has been developed for quantitative analysis of ethosuximide and its major metabolites in rat urine. The extraction procedure was found to be precise and reproducible. Recovery was in the range of 94-98%, intraday CV(%) was 0.92% for (S)-ethosuximide (50 mug/ml) and 0.51% for (R)-ethosuximide (50 mug/ml). Interday CV(%) was 1.12% for (S)-ethosuximide and 0.72% for (R)-ethosuximide. The limit of detection was determined to be around 0.01 mug/ml for each enantiomer. Following administration of rac-ethosuximide by i.v., i.p. and oral routes, unchanged ethosuximide was detected in urine up to 72h after drug administration. The appearance of all detected metabolites occurred Within 24h of drug administration. Significantly more (S)-ethosuximide was excreted unchanged than (R)-ethosuximide with all three routes studied. A substantial amount of the drug was eliminated as the 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-2-methylsuccinimide (2 pairs of diastereoisomers). Much less drug was eliminated as the 2-ethyl-3-hydroxy-2-methylsuccinimide with only one diastereoisomer observed. Examination of the one pair of diastereoisomers of 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-2-methylsuccinimide that was resolved showed preferential excretion of one isomer. Comparison of both pairs of diastereoisomers showed that one pair was formed in preference to the other with a ratio of approximately 0.8:1. It is concluded that stereoselective metabolism of ethosuximide occurs. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Author Keywords: chiral pharmacokinetics; ethosuximide enantiomers; metabolism; rat; urinary excretion; gas chromatography

Diastereotopic analysis of mesoridazine besylate (serentil)

NMR studies were conducted with the aim of determining the diastereoisomeric ratio of a commercially supplied sample of mesoridazine (MES) and to compare the results with a freshly synthesised sample of MES. The results indicated that the commercially supplied MES consisted almost entirely of one diastereoisomeric pair, which was in agreement with previous findings reported by Eap et al. (J Chromatogr 669:271-279, 1995). The synthesised sample of MES was analysed by NMR in two stages: 1) as the initial product isolated as the free base from the direct synthesis, and 2) as the free base isolated from the crystallised besylate salt of the synthetic product. The NMR results show that the initial synthetic product consisted of two equal pairs of diastereoisomers. The diastereoisomeric pairs were further separated by the addition of the chiral shift reagent (R)-(-)-N-(3,5 dinitrobenzoyl)-alpha-benzylamine to reveal equal quantities of all four enantiomers, clearly observed at the methyl sulfoxide proton peak of the NMR scan. The sample obtained from the crystallisation of MES besylate, however, indicated a significant difference, with a diastereoisomeric ratio of 75:25. The results suggest that MES besylate undergoes preferential crystallisation of one pair of diastereoisomers, with the other pair remaining in solution. (C) 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.