Uma metodologia rápida e seletiva foi desenvolvida para a quantificação da piridoxina em medicamentos. O método foi padronizado para aplicação da espectrofotometria derivada no ultravioleta na análise direta da vitamina em preparações multivitamínicas sólidas (cápsulas) e líquidas (solução oral e injetável). As interferências do espectro UV convencional devidas aos excipientes (veículos) e demais fármacos presentes foram eliminados. As retas de calibração foram calculadas, obtendo-se, para a derivada de 1ª ordem, o coeficiente de correlação linear de 0.99997. Os resultados foram estatisticamente estudados e determinaram-se o desvio padrão, coeficiente de variação e intervalo de confiança. O método foi empregado na análise de amostras comerciais e simuladas e os resultados, quando comparados com aqueles provenientes da aplicação do método da Farmacopéia Americana XXII rev., evidenciaram nítidas vantagens quanto à exatidão e precisão, além da facilidade operacional. / A rapid and selecrive method for rhe dererminarion of pyridoxine in pharmaceuticals has been described. The procedure has been developed using direct UV first-derivative spectrofotometry in solid and liquid preparations (tablets, oral solution and injection). Spectral inrerferences from formulation excipienrs and other drugs in simple UV spectrophotometric methods have been eliminated by the application of the proposed method. Calibration curves have been made and the correlation coefficienr for. the first-order derivative was 0,99997. Standard deviation, coefficient of variation and confidence interval were calculated. The method was applied in the analysis of commercial and simulated samples. The results when compared with those obtained by using the USP 22nd. ed. official method shows clear advanrages related to accuracy, precision and practical application.

A análise de fármacos e outras moléculas relacionadas em fluidos biológicos é essencial no âmbito farmacêutico. Atualmente, a demanda por análises rápidas e mais complexas impulsiona a química analítica para o desenvolvimento de soluções inovadoras. A cromatografia líquida multidimensional com acoplamento de colunas para injeção direta de fluidos biológicos tem ganhado atenção nos últimos anos. Ao mesmo tempo, o acoplamento entre cromatografia líquida e espectrometria de massas proporcionou marcante desenvolvimento científico na área biomédica e bioquímica. Esta tese apresenta os diversos estágios na redução da escala em sistemas de column switching utilizando colunas RAM, para a análise de fármacos em fluidos biológicos. Na escala convencional, com colunas de 4,6 mm de diâmetro interno, desenvolveu-se um sistema para a análise de fluoxetina em plasma. A metodologia desenvolvida foi adequadamente validada para aplicação na monitorização terapêutica, com tempo de análise de 20 minutos (incluído o preparo de amostras) e consumo de apenas 100 µL de amostra. Avaliou-se a escala microbore (2,1 mm), a qual apresentou excelente potencialidade para o acoplamento com a espectrometria de massas utilizando ionização por electrospray. Na primeira etapa em escala capilar, com colunas de 520 µm de diâmetro interno, desenvolveu-se um sistema para análise de fluoxetina em plasma. Esse sistema proporcionou análises em 25 minutos, também aplicáveis à monitorização terapêutica, consumindo poucos microlitros de amostra. Finalmente, foi desenvolvido um sistema de column switching capilar com colunas na ordem de 200 µm. Esse sistema foi acoplado à espectrometria de massas em tandem proporcionando, inovadoramente, análises altamente sensíveis e simultâneas, com baixo consumo de amostras. Um grupo de cinco antidepressivos e o albendazol, com seus produtos de biotransformação, tiveram suas análises validadas em menos de 8 minutos, consumindo menos de um microlitro de amostra. Esse sistema capilar contrasta com os sistemas convencionais comumente utilizados, os quais consomem entre centenas e milhares de vezes mais amostra para atingir a mesma detectabilidade. / Analysis of drugs and other related molecules in biofluids is essential in the pharmaceutical field. Nowadays, the development of innovative solutions in analytical chemistry has been pushed by the needs for speed and more complex analysis. Lately, multidimensional liquid chromatography using column switching for direct injection of biofluids has gained attention. At the same time, liquid chromatography hyphenated with mass spectrometry provided remarkable scientific development in biomedical and biochemical area. This thesis presents the scale reduction steps in RAM column switching, for drug analysis in biofluids. In the conventional scale, using 4.6 mm i.d. columns, a system was developed, providing fluoxetine analysis in plasma. The developed method resulted in a 20 min long run, including the sample preparation step, which consumed 100 µL of sample. The method was adequately validated, being applicable to therapeutic drug monitoring. The microbore scale (2.1 mm) was evaluated, presenting great potentiality for coupling with electrospray-mass spectrometry. In the first capillary scale step, using 520 µm columns, a system was developed for fluoxetine analysis. Fluoxetine analysis was achieved in 25 min, within the application range for therapeutic drug monitoring, and consuming few microliters of sample. Finally, a RAM capillary column switching system employing columns on the order of 200 µm was developed, in an innovative way. This system was coupled with a tandem mass spectrometer, rendering sensitive and simultaneous analysis with reduced sample volume. The analysis of one group containing five antidepressants, as well as the analysis of albendazol and its metabolites was validated. These analyses took only 8 minutes and consumed less than one microliter of sample. In contrast with conventional systems, this system consumes about hundreds or thousands times less sample, with the same detectability.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / In forensic chemistry, a quicker and more accurate analysis of a sample is always being pursued. Speedy analyses allow the analyst to provide quick turn-around times and potentially decrease back-logs that are known to be a problem in the field. Accurate analyses are paramount with the futures and lives of the accused potentially on the line. One of the most common methods of analysis in forensic chemistry laboratories is gas chromatography, chosen for the relative speed and efficiency afforded by this method. Two major routes were attempted to further improve on gas chromatography applications in forensic chemistry. The first route was to decrease separation times for analysis of ignitable liquid residues by using micro-bore wall coated open-tubular columns. Micro-bore columns are much shorter and have higher separation efficiencies than the standard columns used in forensic chemistry, allowing for faster analysis times while maintaining the expected peak separation. Typical separation times for fire debris samples are between thirty minutes and one hour, the micro-bore columns were able to achieve equivalent performance in three minutes. The reduction in analysis time was demonstrated by analysis of ignitable liquid residues from simulated fire debris exemplars. The second route looked at a relatively new detector for gas chromatography known as a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectrophotometer. The VUV detector uses traditional UV and far-ultraviolet light to probe the pi and sigma bonds of the gas phase analytes as well as Rydberg traditions to produce spectra that are nearly unique to a compound. Thus far, the only spectra that were not discernable were from enantiomers, otherwise even diastereomers have been differentiated. The specificity attained with the VUV detector has achieved differentiation of compounds that mass spectrometry, the most common detection method for chromatography in forensic chemistry labs, has difficulty distinguishing. This specificity has been demonstrated herein by analyzing various classes of drugs of abuse and applicability to “real world” samples has been demonstrated by analysis of de-identified seized samples.

Separation technologies have occupied a central role in the current practices of analytical methods used for drug analysis today. As the emphasis in contemporary drug analysis shifts towards ultra-trace concentrations, the contribution from unwanted matrix interferences takes on greater significance. In order to single out a trace substance with confidence from a rapidly expanding list of drug compounds (and their metabolites) in real complex specimens, analytical technologies must evolve to keep up with such trends. Today, the task of unambiguous identification in forensic toxicology still relies heavily upon chromatographic methods based on mass spectrometric detection, in particular GC-MS in electron ionisation (EI) mode. Although the combined informing power of (EI) GC-MS has served faithfully in a myriad of drug application studies to date, we may ask if (EI) GC-MS will remain competitive in meeting the impending needs of ultra-trace drug analysis in the fut ure? To what extent of reliability can sample clean-up strategies be used in ultra-trace analysis without risking the loss of important analytes of interest? The increasing use of tandem mass spectrometry with one-dimensional (1D) chromatographic techniques (e.g. GC-MS/MS) at its simplest, considers that single-column chromatographic analysis with mass spectrometry alone is not sufficient in providing unambiguous confirmation of the identity of any given peak, particularly when there are peak-overlap. Where the mass spectra of the individual overlapping peaks are highly similar, confounding interpretation of their identities may arise. By introducing an additional resolution element in the chromatographic domain of a 1D chromatographic system, the informing power of the analytical system can also be effectively raised by the boost in resolving power from two chromatographic elements. Thus this thesis sets out to address the analytical challenges of modern drug analysis through the application of high resolut ion comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC„eGC) to a series of representative drug studies of relevance to forensic sciences.

In forensic chemistry, a quicker and more accurate analysis of a sample is always being pursued. Speedy analyses allow the analyst to provide quick turn-around times and potentially decrease back-logs that are known to be a problem in the field. Accurate analyses are paramount with the futures and lives of the accused potentially on the line. One of the most common methods of analysis in forensic chemistry laboratories is gas chromatography, chosen for the relative speed and efficiency afforded by this method. Two major routes were attempted to further improve on gas chromatography applications in forensic chemistry.<br> The first route was to decrease separation times for analysis of ignitable liquid residues by using micro-bore wall coated open-tubular columns. Micro-bore columns are much shorter and have higher separation efficiencies than the standard columns used in forensic chemistry, allowing for faster analysis times while maintaining the expected peak separation. Typical separation times for fire debris samples are between thirty minutes and one hour, the micro-bore columns were able to achieve equivalent performance in three minutes. The reduction in analysis time was demonstrated by analysis of ignitable liquid residues from simulated fire debris exemplars.<br> The second route looked at a relatively new detector for gas chromatography known as a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectrophotometer. The VUV detector uses traditional UV and far-ultraviolet light to probe the pi and sigma bonds of the gas phase analytes as well as Rydberg traditions to produce spectra that are nearly unique to a compound. Thus far, the only spectra that were not discernable were from enantiomers, otherwise even diastereomers have been differentiated. The specificity attained with the VUV detector has achieved differentiation of compounds that mass spectrometry, the most common detection method for chromatography in forensic chemistry labs, has difficulty distinguishing. This specificity has been demonstrated herein by analyzing various classes of drugs of abuse and applicability to “real world” samples has been demonstrated by analysis of de-identified seized samples.<br>