An Environmentally Friendly Flow Injection-Gas Diffusion System Using Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) Extract as Natural Reagent for the Photometric Determination of Sulfite in Wines

In this work, a green and simpler method for photometric determination of sulfite based on a flow injection-gas diffusion (FI-GD) system using a natural reagent extracted from roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) was proposed. Despite the fact that the employed reaction is not selective to sulfite, its sensitivity is high, and the selectivity can be improved by coupling a GD unit to the FI system. The method involves monitoring a decrease in absorbance of the reagent solution that is used as an acceptor solution. When a standard solution or sample solution was injected into an acidic donor stream, the liberated sulfur dioxide diffuses through a gas-permeable membrane of the GD unit into the acceptor solution, causing color fading of the reagent. A linear analytical curve in the range of 5–100 mg L−1 was obtained with a detection limit of 2 mg·L−1. Relative standard deviations of 0.9%, 0.6%, and 0.6% were obtained for the determination of 30, 70, and 100 mg·L−1 SO32- (n = 11). The developed method was applied to wine samples, giving results that agreed with those obtained with the Ripper titrimetric method. The proposed method offers advantages of simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and being environmentally friendly such as reduced chemical consumption and less waste generation.

Determination of phenazopyridine in biological fluids using electromembrane extraction followed by high-performance liquid chromatography

Recently, electro-assisted extraction of ionic drugs from biological fluids through a supported liquid membrane and into an aqueous acceptor solution was introduced as a new sample preparation technique and has been termed electromembrane extraction (EME). In the present work, this microextraction technique combined with high-performance liquid chromatography and ultraviolet detection has been developed for detection of phenazopyridine (PP) as a local analgesic drug in human plasma and urine samples. From a 6.5 mL neutral aqueous sample, PP was extracted for 20 min through a thin supported liquid membrane of 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether sustained in the pores of the wall of a porous hollow fiber and into an aqueous acidic acceptor solution (25 μL, containing negative electrode) by application of a DC electrical potential. The effects of several factors, including the nature of organic solvent, HCl concentration in donor and acceptor solutions, stirring speed, extraction time, and applied voltage on the extraction efficiency of the drug, were investigated and optimized. Satisfactory linearity ranges with correlation coefficients higher than 0.996 in different extraction media, admissible limits of detection (0.5 and 1.0 ng mL−1 in urine and plasma samples, respectively) and good repeatability and reproducibility (intra- and inter-assay precisions ranged between 3.7%–6.8% and 8.8%–12.5%, respectively) were obtained. The optimized EME procedure was applied to determine the concentration of PP in various matrices, such as plasma and urine samples, and satisfactory results were obtained.

Formulation and release of alaptide from cellulose-based hydrogels

The modern drug alaptide, synthetic dipeptide, shows regenerative effects and effects on the epitelisation process. A commercial product consisting of 1% alaptide hydrophilic cream is authorised for use in veterinary practice. This study focuses on the formulation of alaptide into semi-synthetic polymer-based hydrogels. The aim of the present study is to prepare hydrogels and to evaluate the liberation of alaptide from hydrogels. The hydrogels were prepared on the basis of three gel-producing substances: methylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose and hydroxypropylcellulose. To enhance the drug release from hydrogel humectants, glycerol, propylene glycol and ethanol in various concentrations were evaluated. The permeation of the alaptide from gels into the acceptor solution was evaluated with the use of the permeable membrane neprophane. The amount of drug released from prepared hydrogels was determined spectrophotometrically. Hydrogels with optimal alaptide liberation properties were subjected to the study of rheological properties in the next phase. The optimal composition of hydrogel as established in this study was 1% alaptide + 3% hydroxyethylcellulose with the addition of 10% glycerol as humectant. Due to the advantageous properties of hydrogels in wounds, alaptide could be incorporated into a hydrogel base for use in veterinary medicine.