Presented Ph.D. Thesis is focused on the development of analytical methods applicable for determination of selected xenobiotic compounds and for monitoring DNA damage they can induce. The main attention has been paid to the development and testing of non-toxic electrode materials for preparation of miniaturized electrochemical devices and novel electrochemical DNA biosensors. 2-Aminofluoren-9-one (2-AFN) was selected as a model environmental pollutant, which belongs to the group of hazardous genotoxic substances. Its carcinogenic and mutagenic effects may represent a risk to living and working environment. 2-AFN has one oxo group, where the cathodic reduction occurs, and one amino group, where the anodic oxidation occurs. The voltammetric behavior of 2-AFN in the negative potential region was investigated at a mercury meniscus modified silver solid amalgam electrode (m-AgSAE) representing a non-toxic and more mechanically robust alternative to mercury electrodes. This working electrode was subsequently used for the development of a newly designed miniaturized electrode system (MES), which has many benefits as the possibility of simple field measurements, easy portability, and the measurement in sample volume 100 µL. Moreover, a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was used for further investigation of...

9 Abstract In this Ph.D. thesis possibilities of using our proposed potential programs for a multiple-pulse amperometry and a fast scan differential pulse voltammetry in combination with flow systems are presented. The development of new sensitive amperometric and voltammetric methods for the determination of oxidisable biologically active organic compounds is another aim of this work. In the first part of the work, the flow injection system and multiple-pulse amperometric detection were employed to develop and optimize a simple, low-cost, and rapid method for the simultaneous determination of natural and synthetic antioxidants. This technique involves the application of an appropriate potential waveform consisting of a suitable sequence of pulses on a single working electrode, thus allowing distinguish the analytes in a mixture with no need of separation. Conditions for the determination of antioxidants and modelling of the potential program were tested and studied, respectively. Second part of the work describes and characterizes the application of the fast scan differential pulse voltammetry (FSDPV) in combination with the flow systems. FSDPV is the electroanalytical technique that use high scan rate to record voltammograms within several milliseconds and ensures high temporal resolution. This technique...

Present Ph.D. Thesis is focused on the development of electrochemical methods for determination of anticancer drugs using various types of membranes for their preliminary separation. Furthermore, this Thesis reports the study of transport mechanisms of heavy metals in the presence of phytochelatins across biological membranes. Sodium anthraquinone-2-sulphonate (AQS) was used as a model compound for its similar structure with anthraquinone-based (AQ-based) anticancer drugs (doxo/daunorubicin) and also due to its better availability. All these compounds can be easily electrochemically oxidized and/or reduced. Redox behaviour of AQS was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) in a cathodic region on mercury meniscus modified (m-AgSAE) and polished silver solid amalgam (p-AgSAE) electrodes, Obtained results were used for the development of a micro-volume voltammetric cell (MVVC). Its applicability for voltammetric determination of anticancer drugs was verified by using doxorubicin (DX) as a model substance. The second part of this Thesis deals with therapeutic monitoring of anticancer drugs in the blood circulation of the patients. For pilot experiments, a liquid-flow system with dialysis catheter and amperometric detection was used. The flow rate of carrier...

Presented dissertation thesis is focused on the development of electrochemical methods for the determination of three important tumour biomarkers, namely homovanillic acid (HVA), vanillylmandelic acid (VMA), and 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA). First part of the study is focused on electrochemical behaviour of these analytes in batch arrangement using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) at screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs). It has been proved that presented method is sufficiently sensitive for monitoring above mentioned analytes. Moreover, it can be used for determination of HVA and VMA in mixture. Obtained limits of detection (LODs) were 0.24 µmol·L-1 for HVA, 0.06 µmol·L-1 for VMA, and 0.12 µmol·L-1 for 5-HIAA. The requirements to speed up the analysis and at the same time to reduce its price initialized our study of the determination of tested biomarkers in flow systems. Firstly, flow injection analysis with amperometric detection was investigated for the determination of all three biomarkers at the same SPCE, and then an analogous determination of structural more similar pair, HVA and VMA, was performed at a boron doped diamond electrode (BDDE). Obtained LODs of optimized methods were as follows: at SPCE 0.07 µmol·L-1 for HVA, 0.05 µmol·L-1 for VMA, and 0.03 µmol·L-1 for 5-HIAA,...

9 Abstract In this Ph.D. thesis possibilities of using our proposed potential programs for a multiple-pulse amperometry and a fast scan differential pulse voltammetry in combination with flow systems are presented. The development of new sensitive amperometric and voltammetric methods for the determination of oxidisable biologically active organic compounds is another aim of this work. In the first part of the work, the flow injection system and multiple-pulse amperometric detection were employed to develop and optimize a simple, low-cost, and rapid method for the simultaneous determination of natural and synthetic antioxidants. This technique involves the application of an appropriate potential waveform consisting of a suitable sequence of pulses on a single working electrode, thus allowing distinguish the analytes in a mixture with no need of separation. Conditions for the determination of antioxidants and modelling of the potential program were tested and studied, respectively. Second part of the work describes and characterizes the application of the fast scan differential pulse voltammetry (FSDPV) in combination with the flow systems. FSDPV is the electroanalytical technique that use high scan rate to record voltammograms within several milliseconds and ensures high temporal resolution. This technique...

Объектом исследования являлось вещество натриевая соль 2-этилтио-6-нитро-1,2,4-триазоло-[5,1-c]-1,2,4-триазин-7-она, дигидрат (УПИ-802). Цель работы: количественное определение лекарственного вещества натриевой соли 2-этилтио-6-нитро-1,2,4-триазоло-[5,1-c]-1,2,4-триазин-7-она дигидрата методом вольтамперометрии. В случае УПИ-802 наиболее полезным для количественного определения является сигнал электровосстановления нитрогруппы. Исследованы процессы восстановления нитрогруппы исследуемого вещества в водных и апротонных растворах с применением вольтамперометрии в условиях физического удаления растворенного кислорода и без удаления кислорода. Установлено, что скорость восстановления УПИ-802 контролируется диффузией, процесс восстановления нитрогруппы является необратимым и проходит в две стадии в буферном растворе Бриттона-Робинсона. Первая волна восстановления, которая лежит в области потенциалов -0,31 – (-0,8) В, соответствует присоединению 4 электронов. Обнаружено, что электровосстановление нитрогруппы протекает с предшествующим протонированием. Выбран оптимальный режим регистрации аналитического сигнала исследуемого вещества УПИ-802 на стеклоуглеродном электроде в условиях химического способа удаления растворенного кислорода – квадратно-волновой с амплитудой импульса 0,05 В, частотой импульса 35 Гц. Показана возможность применения толстопленочных углеродсодержащих электродов для определения исследуемого вещества методом квадратно-волновой вольтамперометрии. Выполнена оценка показателей качества методики анализа, таких как линейность, повторяемость (сходимость) и внутрилабораторная прецизионность. / The object of the study was the substance 2-ethylthio-6-nitro-1,2,4-triazolo-[5,1-c]-1,2,4-triazin-7-one sodium salt dihydrate (UPI-802). Objective: quantification of 2-ethylthio-6-nitro-1,2,4-triazolo-[5,1-c]-1,2,4-triazin-7-one sodium salt dihydrate by the method of voltammetry. For UPI-802, the signal of electroreduction of a nitro group is the most useful for quantitative determination. The processes of the nitro group reduction of the test substance in aqueous and aprotic solutions was studied using voltammetry in conditions of physical removal of dissolved oxygen and without oxygen removal. It was established that the rate of reduction of UPI-802 is controlled by diffusion, the processes of reduction of the nitro group is irreversible and proceeds in two stages in a Britton-Robinson buffer solution. The first recovery wave, lying in the potential region of -0,31 - (-0,8) V, corresponds to the addition of 4 electrons. It was found that the electroreduction of the nitro group proceeds with previous protonation. The optimal mode for recording the analytical signal of the UPI-802 on the glassy carbon electrode was selected in conditions of chemical method for removing dissolved oxygen – square-wave with a pulse amplitude of 0,05 V and a pulse frequency of 35 Hz. The possibility of using thick-film carbon-containing electrodes to determine the test substance by the method of square-wave voltammetry was shown. The quality indicators of the analysis technique, such as linearity, repeatability (convergence) and intralaboratory precision, were evaluated.

<p>Danas, u raznim analitičkim laboratorijama postoji veći broj analitičkih protokola,<br />zasnovanih bilo na izuzetno sofisticiranim ili jednostavnijim tehnikama, koji služe za<br />određivanje različitih ciljnih analita od farmakolo&scaron;kog značaja. Među tim grupama ciljnih analita pripadaju i antibiotici koji predstavljaju veliko otkriće u oblasti medicine i zahvaljujući njima spa&scaron;eno je vi&scaron;e od sedam miliona života, ali pored navedenih koristi, antibiotici mogu da izazovu&nbsp; veliki broj neželjenih efekata i žučne kiseline zajedno sa svojim derivatima, koji su fiziolo&scaron;ki deterdženti, mogu biti citotoksične za organizam ako se njihova koncentracija ne kontroli&scaron;e. U ovoj doktorskoj disertaciji prikazan je razvoj analitičkih metoda pre svega voltametrijskihmetoda u kombinaciji sa jednostavnim i savremenim elektrodama/senzorima za određivanje&nbsp; odabranih analita kao &scaron;to je antraciklični antibiotik doksorubicin (DOX), makrolidni antibiotici<br />eritromicin-etilsukcinata (EES), azitromicina (AZI), klaritromicina (CLA) i roksitromicina&nbsp; (ROX) i 3-dehidro-deoksiholne kiseline.</p><p>Voltametrijska karakterizacija i određivanje gore navedenih antibiotika primenom obnovljive srebro-amalgam film elektrode (Hg(Ag)FE)rađena je direktnom katodnom&nbsp; voltametrijom sa pravougaonim talasima (SWV) i visoko osetljivom adsorptivnom voltametrijom sa pravougaonim talasima (SW-AdSV) u Briton-Robinson puferu, kao pomoćnom elektrolitu, obuhvatajući &scaron;irok opseg pH vrednosti. Odgovor DOX-a primenom&nbsp; Hg(Ag)FE&nbsp;praćen je u intervalu potencijala od -0,20 do -0,80 V.&nbsp; Za analizu tragova, optimizacija metode ukazuje da su optimalni parametri za analitički pik na potencijalu (Ep ) -0,57 V u odnosu na zasićenu kalomelovu elektrodu (ZKE): pH 6,0, potencijal&nbsp; akumulacije -0,20 V i vreme&nbsp; akumulacije 140 s. U model rastvoru, DOX je određivan u koncentracionom opsegu 4,99-59,64&nbsp; ng mL^-1. Razvijena SW-AdSV metoda je primenjena za određivanje DOX-a u obogaćenom uzorku humanog urina. Niža koncentracija DOX-a 9,89ng mL^-1&nbsp;u voltametrijskoj&nbsp; ćeliji je određivana sa relativnom standardnom devijacijom (RSD) manjom od 6,0%. &Scaron;to se ispitivanih makrolida tiče oni su pokazali redukcione signale u dalekoj negativnoj oblasti potencijala. Ispitivanja direktnom katodnom SWV rađena su u opsegu potencijala od -0,75 V do -2,00 V u odnosu na ZKE, pri čemu su dobijena jedan ili dva redukciona pika u opsegu potencijala od -1,5 V do -1,9 V. Oblik i intenzitet signala zavisi od primenjene pH vrednosti u &scaron;irokoj pH oblasti. Za analitičke svrhe, radi razvoja direktne katodne SWV i adsorptivne inverzne/striping SWV metode, pogodnim su se pokazale neutralna i slabo alkalna sredina tj. pH 7,0 sa&nbsp; E_p na -1,67 V u odnosu na ZKE za ROX i EES i pH 7,2 sa E_p na -1,85 V u odnosu na ZKE za AZI i pH 7,4 sa E_p na -1,64 V u odnosu na ZKE za CLA. Na osnovu snimljenih cikličnih voltamograma na&nbsp; optimalnim pH vrednostima, može se predložiti adsorptivno-kontrolisan kinetički proces na elektrodi u slučaju sva&nbsp; četiri ispitivana jedinjenja. Takođe,&nbsp; ¹H NMR merenja uz potiskivanje&nbsp; signala vode u pH oblasti između pH 6,0 i 10,5 ukazuju na to da su makrolidni molekuli pri optimalnim analitičkim uslovima predominantno u protonovanoj formi preko tercijerne amino grupe &scaron;to potpomaže, u sva&nbsp; četiri slučaja, njihovu adsorpciju na odgovarajuće polarizovanoj Hg(Ag)FE. Optimizovane direktne katodne SWV metode&nbsp; pokazuju dobru linearnost u koncentracionom opsegu 4,81-23,3&nbsp; &micro;g mL^-1 , 4,53-29,8&nbsp; &micro;g mL^-1 , 1,96-28,6&nbsp; &micro;g mL^-1 i 1,48-25,9 &micro;g mL^-1 za AZI, EES, CLA odnosno ROX. Razvijene SW-AdSV metode rezultiraju u linearnom odgovoru pri nižim koncentracionim intervalima 1,0-2,46 &micro;g mL^-1 ,&nbsp; 0,69-2,44&nbsp; &micro;g mL^-1, 0,05-0,99 &micro;g mL^-1 i 0,10-0,99&nbsp; &micro;g mL^-1 , za AZI, EES, CLA i ROX. RSD za sve razvijene metode nije veća od 1,5% izuzev SWV metode u slučaju AZI-a gde je 4,5%. Direktna katodna SWV metoda&nbsp; je uspe&scaron;no primenjena za određivanje EES-a u farmaceutskom proizvodu Eritromicin^&reg; dok SW-AdSV metoda je primenjena u slučaju određivanja EES-a u obogaćenom uzorku humanog urina i&nbsp;za određivanje ROX-a u farmaceutskom proizvodu Runac^&reg; . U svim pomenutim slučajevima, primenjena je metoda standardnog dodatka. Pouzdanost i tačnost elaboriranih procedura u slučaju određivanja EES-a u model sistemu i&nbsp; farmaceutskom proizvodu Eritromicin^&reg; su potvrđena poređenjem sa rezultatima dobijenim primenom HPLC-DAD metode.</p><p>Nakon preliminarnih studija 3-dehidro-deoksiholne&nbsp; kiseline/3-dehidro-deoksiholata primenom elektrode od staklastog ugljenika (GCE), gde je uočeno da ne dolazi do formiranja redukcionog signala u Briton-Robinson puferu između pH 5,0 i 11,8 primenom direktne katodne SWV, bizmut-film je izdvojen&nbsp; <em>ex situ</em> na povr&scaron;ini iste elektrode od staklastog ugljenika (BiF-GCE) iz uobičajeno kori&scaron;ćenog rastvora za elektrodepoziciju (0,02 mol L^-1 Bi(NO₃)₃, 1,0 mol L^-1 HCl i 0,5 mol L^-1 KBr) i tako pripremljena elektroda je primenjena za karakterizaciju i određivanje pomenutog jedinjenja u alkalnoj sredini. Redukcioni signal ispitivanog analita od analitičkog značaja je uočen jedino primenom BiF-GCE u Briton-Robinson puferusa pH vrednostima između 9,5 i 11,8 u režimu adsorptivne inverzne/stripingvoltametrije sa pravougaonim talasima, dok u slučaju direktnih katodnih SWV eksperimentalnih uslova uočen je slab redukcioni pik sa niskom strujom maksimuma pika. Optimizovani eksperimentalni uslovi za određivanje 3-dehidro-deoksiholata obuhvataju odgovarajuće kondicioniranje elektrode uključujući kondicioniranje&nbsp; <em>ex situ</em> pripremljene BiF-GCE u Briton-Robinson pomoćnom elektrolitu pH 11,8 do stabilizacije struje bazne linije elektrohemijskim cikliranjem potencijala radne elektrode u potencijalskom opsegu između -1,00 i -2,00 V u odnosu na ZKE (blizu 15 puta) i primenu dva ključna parametara adsorptivne voltametrije sa pravougaonim talasima: vreme akumulacije od 30 s i potencijal akumulacije&nbsp; -1,00 V u odnosu na ZKE. Zbog relativne asimetričnosti dobijenih redukcionih signala ispitivanog analita sa&nbsp; E_p na -1,35 V u odnosu na ZKE, &scaron;to je takođe prisutno i u slučaju primene SW-AdSV, određivanje ispitivanog analita je zasnovano na linearnoj zavisnosti između povr&scaron;ine pika redukcionog signala&nbsp; spitivanog analita i njegove odgovarajuće koncentracije i postignuta granica detekcije je 1,43 &micro;g mL^-1 sa dva linearna opsega kalibracione krive od 4,76 &micro;g mL^-1 do 13,0 &micro;g mL^-1 i od 13,0 &micro;g mL^-1 do 23,1 &micro;g mL^-1 za razvoj analitičke metode. RSD metode je 3,22%. Dodatni eksperimenti, elektroliza ispitivanog analita na potencijalu -1,55 V (blizu maksimuma pika ciljnog analita) u odnosu na ZKE su rađeni primenom GCE u obliku ploče (povr&scaron;ina 33,52 cm 2 ) modifikovane sa&nbsp; <em>ex situ&nbsp;</em>pripremljenim bizmut-filmom. Rastvor od interesa uzorkovan je na početku eksperimenta, nakon 2,5 h i nakon 4,5 h tretmana. Ovakvi uzorci su analizirani primenom ¹H NMR merenja uz potiskivanje signala vode u puferskom rastvoru pH 11,8. Može se pretpostaviti da tokom elektrolize 3-dehidro-deoksiholata dolazi do redukcije keto grupe prisutne u strukturi ispitivanog analita.</p><p>Na osnovu literaturnih podataka da neki od ciljnihmakrolidnih antibiotika kao &scaron;to je npr. azitromicin pokazuju oksidativno pona&scaron;anje na elektrodi od ugljenične paste i elektrodi od zlata deteljna karakterizacija i određivanje&nbsp; četiri makrolidna antibiotika rađena je primenom&nbsp; asične&nbsp;elektrode od ugljenične paste (CPE) koja se sastoji samo od grafitnog praha i parafinskog ulja sa optimizovanih direktnih anodnih SWV metoda. U slučaju EES-a i AZI-a diferencijalna pulsna voltametrija (DPV) je testirana za iste svrhe. Ključni&nbsp; parametar u slučaju razvoja analitičkih voltametrijskih metoda je odabir pH vrednosti pomoćnog elektrolita gde je oblik/simetričnost i intenzitet oskidacionog pika glavni kriterijum prilikom odabira. Kao odgovarajuće pH vrednosti za voltametrijsko određivanje EES-a primenom SWV metode odabrana je pH 8,0 sa E_p na 0,83<br />V u odnosu na ZKE, dok u slučaju DPV metode pH 12,0 sa&nbsp; E_p na 0,55 V u odnosu na ZKE je bila najpogodnija za analitičke svrhe. Za određivanje AZI-a, u slučaju obe SWV i DPV metode pH 7,0 se pokazala najpogodnijom sa E_p analitičkog signala na 0,85 V odnosno 0,80 V u odnosu na ZKE, dok u slučaju CLA i ROX koji su ispitivani samo primenom SWV metode za analitičke svrhe pH 12,0 je bila najpogodnija sredina sa E_p analitičkog signala na 0,65 V odnosno na 0,63 V&nbsp;u odnosu na ZKE. Postignute granice detkcije primenom nemodifikovane CPE i direktne anodne SWV su uglavnom u submikrogramskom koncentracionom opsegu 0,17 &micro;g mL^-1 , 0,32&nbsp; &micro;g mL^-1 i 0,30&nbsp; &micro;g mL^-1, u slučaju EES-a, AZI-a i ROX-a i u niskom mikrogramskom koncentracionom opsegu 1,43&nbsp; &micro;g mL^-1 za CLA. Razvijena SWV metoda sa jednostavnom CPE pokazala se pogodnom za određivanje ROX-a u komercijalnom proizvodu Runac^&reg; tableti. U slučaju optimizovanih DPV metoda postignute granice detekcije za EES i AZI su u niskom mikrogramskom&nbsp; koncentracionom opsegu 1,03&nbsp; &micro;g mL^-1 odnosno 1,53&nbsp; &micro;g&nbsp; mL^-1 . U želji da se&nbsp;postigne niža granica detekcije za AZI, DPV metoda&nbsp; je testirana u kombinaciji sa&nbsp; CPE radnom elektrodom povr&scaron;inski modifikovanom sa zlatnim nanočesticama&nbsp; prečnika 10 nm (Au-CPE) i&nbsp; postignuta granica detekcije je 0,95&nbsp; &micro;g mL^-1 sa&nbsp; E_p analitičkog signala na 0,80 V u odnosu na&nbsp; ZKE. RSD metode u slučaju Au-CPE je 3,5%, dok je u slučaju nemodifikovane CPE 6,0%.&nbsp; Linearnost analitičke metode zasnovane na primeni Au-CPE je dva puta &scaron;ira nego u slučaju&nbsp; primene nemodifikovane CPE.</p><p>Na osnovu dobijenih rezultata može se zaključiti da&nbsp; odgovarajuće kombinacije&nbsp; optimizovanih voltametrijskih tehnika sa ekolo&scaron;ki prihvatljivim i lako primenljivim radnim&nbsp; elektrodama, kao &scaron;to su Hg(Ag)FE, BiF-GCE i CPE zajedno sa Au-CPE, rezultuju razvojem&nbsp; pouzdanih analitičkih metoda, kako u oksidacionim tako i u redukcionim proučavanjima, koje&nbsp; često omogućuju&nbsp; određivanje tragova analita od farmakolo&scaron;kog značaja u jednostavnim, a u&nbsp;nekim slučajevima i u složenim sistemima.&nbsp;</p> / <p>Nowadays in different analytical laboratories there is the increasing number of analytical protocols, either based on highly sophisticated or simpler measurements techniques, which serving for determination of different target analytes of pharmacological importance. Among such target groups of the analyte belongs the antibiotics which present a great discovery in the field of medicine and thanks to them were saved more than seven million people but beside to the mentioned great benefits, antibiotics can cause a large number of side effects and bile acids together with their derivatives which are physiological detergents but if their concentration is not<br />controlled they can be cytotoxic to the body. In the present doctoral dissertation the development of analytical methods, primarily analytical voltammetric methods in combination with simple and contemporary electrodes/sensors, for the determination of selected analytes as antracycline antibiotic doxorubicin (DOX), macrolide antibiotics erythromycin ethylsuccinate (EES), azithromycin (AZI), clarithromycin (CLA) and roxithromycin (ROX) and 3-dehydrodeoxycholic acid were performed.</p><p>Voltammetric characterization and determination of the above mentioned antibiotics using a renewable silver-amalgam film electrode (Hg(Ag)FE) was performed by direct cathodic square-wave voltammetry (SWV) and by highly sensitive adsorptive square-wave voltammetry (SW-AdSV) in aqueous Britton-Robinson buffer solutions as supporting electrolyte covering the wider pH range. The Hg(Ag)FE response of DOX was monitored in the potential range between -0.20 and -0.80 V. For the trace level analysis the method optimization showed that the optimal conditions for the analytical peak with peak potential (E_p) at -0.57 V vs. SCE were: the pH 6.0, the accumulation potential -0.20 V, and the accumulation time 140 s. In the model solutions, DOX was determined in the concentration range of 4.99-59.64 ng mL^-1. The developed SWAdSV method was applied for the determination of DOX in spiked human urine sample. The lowest concentration of DOX of 9.89 ng mL^-1 in voltammetric vessel was determined with the relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 6%. As for the investigated macrolides, they showed reduction signals in fairly negative potential range. During direct cathodic SWV investigations conducted over the potential range from -0.75 V to -2.00 V vs. SCE, either one or two reduction peaks were obtained in the&nbsp; potential range from -1.5 to -1.9 V. For analytical purposes concerning the development of direct cathodic SWV and adsorptive stripping SWV methods the neutral&nbsp; and slightly alkaline media were suitable as pH 7.0 with E_p at -1.67 V vs.&nbsp; SCE for ROX and EES and pH 7.2 and pH 7.4 with E_p at -1.85 V and -1.64 V vs. SCE for AZI and CLA, respectively. Based on the cyclic voltammograms recorded at these pH values, adsorptioncontrolled electrode kinetics process can be proposed for all four investigated compounds. The water suppressed ¹H NMR measurements in the pH range between 6.0 and 10.5 indicated that the macrolide molecules at the optimal analytical conditions are predominantly in protonated form via their tertiary amino groups which supported in all four cases their adsorption on the appropriately polarized Hg(Ag)FE electrode. The optimized direct cathodic SWV methods showed good linearity in concentration ranges 4.81-23.3 &mu;g mL^-1, 4.53-29.8 &mu;g mL^-1, 1.96-28.6&nbsp; &mu;g mL^-1, and 1.48-25.9 &mu;g mL^-1 for AZI, EES, CLA and ROX, respectively. The SW-AdSV methods resulted in the linear responses at lower concentration ranges as 1.0-2.46 &mu;g mL^-1, 0.69- 2.44 &mu;g mL^-1, 0.05-0.99 &mu;g mL^-1 and 0.10-0.99 &mu;g mL^-1, for AZI, EES, CLA and ROX, respectively. The RSD for all developed methods was not higher than 1.5% except the SWV method for AZI with 4.7%. The direct cathodic SWV method was successfully applied for the determination of EES in the pharmaceutical preparation Eritromicin^&reg;, while SW-AdSV was tested in the case of the spiked urine sample and for determination of ROX in pharmaceutical preparation Runac^&reg;. In all above cases, the standard addition method was used. The reliability and accuracy of the above procedures in the case of EES determination in model system and pharmaceutical preparation Eritromicin^&reg; were validated by comparing them with those obtained by means of HPLC-DAD measurements.</p><p>After initial study of 3-dehydro-deoxycholic acid/3-dehydro-deoxycholate by glassy carbon electrode, where the absence of any reduction peak was observed in the Britton-Robinson buffer solutions between pH 5.0 and 11.8 by direct cathodic SWV, a bismuth-film was electrodeposited ex situ on the same glassy carbon electrode surface (BiF-GCE) from the usually used plating solution (0.02 mol L^-1 Bi(NO₃)₃, 1.0 mol L^-1 HCl and 0.5 mol L^-1 KBr) and such prepared film-electrode was applied for the characterization and determination of the the target analyte in alkaline media. The reduction signal of analytical importance was observed only by BiF-GCE in Britton-Robinson buffer solutions with pH values between 9.5 and 11.8 in adsorptive stripping square-wave voltammetry working regime, while in the case of the direct cathodic SWV experimental protocol only a very poor reduction peak was obtained. The optimized experimental conditions for the 3-dehydro-deoxycholate determination consist of the optimized electrode conditioning including the electrochemical cycling of the <em>ex situ </em>prepared BiF-GCE potentials in the potential span between -1.0 and -2.0 V vs. SCE (nearly 15 times) in the Britton-Robinson supporting electrolyte pH 11.8 till the stabilization of the baseline current, and the application of two key parameters of the adsorptive square-wave voltammetric protocol: the accumulation time as 30 s and accumulation potential as -1.0 V vs. SCE. Because of the relative asymmetry of the obtained reduction signals of the target analyte with peak E_p at -1.35 V vs. SCE, which is still present in the case of the SW-AdSV, the quantification of the target analyte was based on the linear correlation between peak area of the reduction signal and its appropriate concentrations, and reached limit of detection is 1.43 &mu;g mL^-1 and with two linear ranges of calibration curve from 4,76 &mu;g mL^-1 to 13.0 &mu;g mL^-1 and from 13,0 &mu;g mL^-1 to 23,1 &mu;g mL^-1 for the development of analytical method. The RSD of the method&nbsp; was 3.22%. Additional experiments were performed applying GCE with rectangular form (area 35.32 cm²) modified with ex situ prepared bismuth-film for the electrolysis of the target analyte which was performed at the potential -1.55 V (nearly the peak maxima of the target analyte) vs. SCE. The solution of interest was sampled at the beginning of the experiment, after 2.5 h and after 4.5 h of treatment. Such samples were analysed by simply water suppressing ¹H NMR measurements in the buffered solution at pH 11.8. It can be assumed that during electrolysis of 3-dehydrodeoxycholate the reduction of the keto group present in the structure of the target analyte can be occurred.</p><p>Driven by earlier literature data about the fact that some of the target macrolide antibiotics as e.g. azithromycin showed oxidation behavior at a carbon paste and gold working electrodes detailed characterization and determination of four target macrolide antibiotics were performed on classical carbon paste electrode (CPE) constituted only from graphite powder and paraffin oil with optimized direct anodic SWV methods. In the cases of EES and AZI differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) methods were tested for the same purpose as well. The key parameter in the case of the development of the analytical voltammetric methods is the selection of the pH value of the supporting electrolyte where the shape/simmetry and intensity of the oxidation peak were the criteria. As the appropriate pH value for determination of EES by SWV method the pH 8.0 was selected with E_p at 0.83 V vs. SCE while in the case of the DPV method the pH 12.0 with E_p at 0.55 V vs. SCE was the most suitable for analytical&nbsp; purpose. As for AZI determination, in the case of both SWV and DPV methods the pH 7.0 was the most appropriate supporting electrolyte with the Ep of analytical signal at 0.85 V and 0.80 V vs. SCE, respectively, while in the case of CLA and ROX which were investigated only with SWV method for the analytical purposes the pH 12.0 was the most suitable with E_p at 0.65 V and at 0.63 V vs. SCE. The obtained detection limits applying the bare CPE and the direct anodic SWV are mainly&nbsp; in submicrogram concentration range as 0.17 &mu;g mL^-1; 0.32 &mu;g mL^-1 and 0.30 &mu;g mL^-1 for EES, AZI, and ROX and in the low microgram concentration range as 1.43 &mu;g mL^-1 for the CLA, respectively. The developed method succesfully tested for the determination of ROX in the commercial formulation, Runac^&reg; tablet. In the case of the optimized DPV methods the obtained detection limits for EES and AZI are in the low microgram concentration range 1.03 &mu;g mL^-1 and 1.53 &mu;g mL^-1, respectively. For the improvement of the sensitivity for AZI the DPV method was tested in combination with a&nbsp; CPE working electrode surface modified with gold nanoparticles with diameter of 10 nm (Au-CPE) and reached the limit of detection was 0.95 &mu;g mL^-1 at E_p of 0.80 V vs. SCE. The RSD of the method in the case of the Au-CPE is 3.5% while in the case of the native CPE 6.0%. The linearity of the Au-CPE based analytical method is twice wider then it is case with the bare CPE applying protocol.</p><p>Based on the obtained results it can be conclude that the appropriate combination of the optimized voltammetric pulse techniques and the environmentally friendly and easy to use working electrodes as Hg(Ag)FE, BiF-GCE and CPE together with Au-CPE resulted in the development of reliable analytical method either in the oxidation or reduction studies, often allowing trace level determination of pharmacological importance target analytes in simpler and in some case complexes systems.</p>