This thesis describes dip tank field trials and laboratory investigations on the acaricide Amitraz. Amitraz is a triazapenta- diene compound which is relatively unstable in fouled dip washes. The field trials were conducted on the farm Sea View according to the "Total Replacement Method" and on the farm Sea Ways according to the "Lime Stabilization Method" of dipping. The results of these trials showed that Amitraz was stable in clean dip washes, and under conditions of high pH resulting from the addition of slaked lime to the dip wash. Using mixed bacterial populations optimum conditions for degradation of Amitraz in the laboratory were determined. Bacterial cultures degraded Amitraz most efficiently in media supplemented with yeast extract or with a high content of sterile cattle faeces. Amitraz concentrations were determined by gas chromatography. A culture. efficient at degrading Amitraz was enriched from a dip tank sludge inoculum. From this culture ten bacterial isolates were identified; nine of these were of the genus Pseudomonas and one was an Achromobacter sp. Experiments with both mixed and pure cultures demonstrated that bacterial degradation of Amitraz was by the process of co-metabolism. The existence of four degradation products was shown using thin layer chromatography. Tentative identification of two of the products was made.

M.Sc. (Chemistry) / The storage as solid Ag12BI(s) of reactor produced 12BI (t~ = 1.6 x 107 a) in underground respositories can present an environmental problem due to the potential release of radioactive 12BI into the environment over extended storage periods. One process that causes concern is the solubilization of AgI through complexation when brought into contact with underground water, particularly those with high salt content. In this work the charaqterization of the complexation equilibria in the AgI(s)/I-(aq),CI-(aq) system was studied. Solu- I tions containing high CI- and low 1- concentrations were of special interest with regard to the possible formation of ternary complexes. The presence of AgICI22- was indicated experimentally but no evidence of other ternary species like AgI2CI2- or AgIsCIS- could be established. Solubilities were determined radiochemically by using specially prepared 110mAgI. Solubility curves for AgI in different I-/CI- mixtures were adequately explained in terms of models consisting of the species AgCls2-, AgC14S-, AgIs2-, AgI4s- and AgICI22-. Distribution curves were calculated for different I-/CI- mixtures. As an alternative detection mode for silver-determination a flow injection system incorporating a micro-column of activated alumina was used in conjuntion with flame atomic absorption spectrometry for the pre-concentration and determination of silver in water. The procedure was successfully applied to a range of water samples, but no determination of silver in halide or perchlorate media was possible. The limit of detection based on a sample volume of 15 cms was 4.5 ~gdm-3 and the relative standard deviations at 50 and 5 ~gdm-3 were 5.4 and 19%, respectively. In part B of this work a method for the determination of chloride in organic compounds (oils provided by the Atomic Energy Corporation) by using an Parr oxygen bomb and ion chromatography was studied. The combustion products were absorbed in H20. The solution was injected into an ion chromatograph equipped with an anion analytical column, membrane suppressor and conductivity detector. The instrument response was calibrated using different standard solutions. These were prepared from several organic solutions, an organic salt and from sodiumchloride. Calibration curves were linear over a wide range and presented good reproducibility. It differed however according to the type of standard solution used. The limit of detection was 255 ~gdm-3 and the relative standard deviations at 10, 1 and 0.5 ugcm-3 were 0.52, 1.64 and 3.5%, respectively. As an alternative decomposition method wet decomposition within a sealed system (autoclave) was used. Due to the high blank values in this method no analysis of substances could be made in the lower ugcm-3 range.

M.Tech. (Microbiology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

D.Sc. (Chemistry) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

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This study aims to identify the challenges and opportunities of a small challenger company in a rigid and conservative high technology life science market. Strategies for finding a foothold, establish a position and creating a viable company is discussed. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected through interviews, online survey and conjoint analysis which were used as market research tools. For an entrepreneurial firm in the life science market it is important to tend to their most valuable resource, the employees, and it is vital that they have an extensive knowledge of the market that they are active in. Strategic planning tools and templates aid in executing and implementing the proposed business model. Recommendations for a model case entrepreneurial company regarding continued market research, increasing sales and strategies for marketing are made. Included in the thesis is also a discussion of wall effects in HPLC and ways to counteract them.

The process of investigating plants to identify chemical substances is of great interest to natural product scientists because there is a need to discover new drugs for treating diseases. In our study, plant extracts were prepared from the bulbs of Crinum macowanii, Boophane disticha as well as Eucomis autumnalis and further experiments were made on the extracts. High performance liquid chromatography with other instruments (ultra-violet detector, mass spectrometer) coupled to it, were used in the search for the active ingredients in the extracts prepared. Old methods of separation and identification such as flash column chromatography and thin layer chromatography also played an important role in the investigation of these extracts. Other techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), helped in the structural elucidation once the compounds had been purified. The use of analytical techniques (HPLC-MS, NMR) was found to be important in the process of investigating the extracts and the presence of various active ingredients was confirmed. The methods used traditionally for extract preparation (boiling plants in water for certain amount of time) were investigated and the important relationship between the boiling time and concentration of the active components was established. It was found that the increase in boiling time of the plants during preparation decreases the concentrations of the active components. The experiments conducted provide some scientific evidence which motivates that the traditional preparations of the plants are related to the dosage. / Dissertation (MSc (Chemistry))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Chemistry / unrestricted

Erythromycin is a macrolide antibiotic with a spectrum similar to penicillin and is used mainly in the treatment of infections caused by gram-positive organisms. Since its discovery in 1952, erythromycin has achieved wide-spread clinical use. Susceptibility of erythromycin base to inactivation by acid results in decreased availability following exposure to acidic gastric fluids. Formulation of acid resistant dosage forms and the preparation of acid stable chemical derivatives have been attempted to improve absorption and subsequent clinical efficacy . Two of the most commonly used erythromycin derivatives are the stearic acid salt (erythromycin stearate) and the lauryl sulphate salt of the propionyl ester (erythromycin estolate). Although it has been known for many years that erythromycin is susceptible to acid degradation, very few reports on the stability of erythromycin in aqueous solutions appear in the literature. In this study, a high-performance liquid chromatographic system using electrochemical detection was employed for a kinetic study of erythromycin degradation. The effect of varying acid pH on the degradation rate of both erythromycin base and erythromycin stearate, and the effect on the hydrolysis rate of erythromycin estolate is presented. In addition, the effect of temperature on erythromycin degradation was also investigated. Until recently, the majority of pharmacokinetic and bioavailability studies have utilized relatively non-specific microbiological assay procedures. However, in this study a solid phase extraction, followed by the use of a high-performance liquid chromatographic system using electrochemical coulometric detection was employed for the determination of erythromycin in biological fluids. Human volunteers each received enteric coated erythromycin base pellets in capsule dosage form and also film coated erythromycin stearate tablets on separate occasions. Results from the clinical trials revealed the enteric coated erythromycin base pellets had a greater bioavailability than the film coated erythromycin stearate tablets. Computer fitting of data revealed no intra-volunteer variability in elimination rate constants, suggesting differences in serum levels following administration of both dosage forms are due to variation in absorption. Results from the clinical trials were also compared with those obtained from a further trial, during which the same volunteers received erythromycin estolate