Abstract Th accurate rapid, simple and selective reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) has been established and validated for the determination of captopril (CAP). Chromatographic separation was accomplished using prepacked ODSI C18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm with 5 μm particle size) in isocratic mode, with mobile phase consisting of water: acetonitrile (60:40 v/v), pH adjusted to 2.5 by using 85% orthophosphoric acid at a flow rate of 1 mL/min and UV detection was performed at 203 nm. RP-HPLC method used for the analysis of CAP in mobile phase and rabbit plasma was established and validated as per ICH-guidelines. It was carried out on a well-defined chromatographic peak of CAP was established with a retention time of 4.9 min and tailing factor of 1.871. The liquid–liquid extraction method was used for extraction of CAP from the plasma. Excellent linearity (R2 = 0.999) was shown over range 3.125–100 µg/mL with mean percentage recoveries ranges from 97 to 100.6%. Parameters of precision and accuracy of the developed method meet the established criteria. Intra and inter-day precision (% relative standard deviation) study was also performed which was less than 2% which indicate good reproducibility of the method. The limit of detection (LOD) and quantification for the CAP in plasma were 3.10 and 9.13 ng/mL respectively. The method was suitably validated and successfully applied to the determination of CAP in rabbit plasma samples.

Abstract Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDs) are gaining popularity in Jordan as alternatives to tobacco cigarettes with an estimation of 10% of tobacco smokers switching to ENDs. Since nicotine is toxic and highly addictive substance, it is important to develop and validate an easy and rapid analytical method to accurately measure nicotine level in e-liquids. A simple high performance liquid chromatography–photodiode array detection (HPLC–PDA) method was developed and validated for rapid determination of the actual nicotine content in 11 of the most popular e-liquids brands available in the Jordanian market and compared to the nicotine levels appeared in the labeled packaging. The new method of analysis showed an excellent linearity with correlation factor equal to 0.9994 with analytical range between 100 and 1,000 µg/mL, and Limit of detection (LOD) and Limit of quantification (LOQ) of 32.6 µg/mL and 98.9 µg/mL, respectively. The results showed that the actual measured nicotine concentrations ranged from 0 to 25.81 mg/mL with percent deviation ranged from 63.1% less than to 3.24% more than the labeled concentration on packaging. And more than 10% deviation difference in actual nicotine concentrations versus labeled were found in 9 of the 11 e-liquid products (82%). In conclusion, nicotine labelling among e-liquids products have not accurately reflect the actual content which may have potential negative impact on users.

Abstract Chloroquine phosphate (CQ) the antimalarial drug and suggested to treat the pandemic disease coronavirus (COVID-19) is often adulterated with some of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as paracetamol, aspirin (ASP), or both. The purpose of this study is to detect such counterfeited drugs, using a reversed phase high pressure liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method with fluorescence detection. Analysis was divided into three phases. In the first phase, a Plackett-Burman design (PBD) was used to screen five independent factors, namely, buffer pH, buffer concentration (mM), acetonitrile content (%), flow rate (mL/min) and triethylamine (TEA) content in the buffer preparation (%). The selected dependent variables were (resolution, symmetry of peaks and run time). The objective of the second phase was to optimize the method performance using Box-Behnken design (BBD) and desirability function for multiple response optimization to obtain the best chromatographic performance with the shortest run time. Optimal chromatographic separation was achieved on a YMC-pack pro C18 ODS-A column (15 cm × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) at room temperature The optimum mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and 5 mM sodium dihydrogen phosphate buffer containing 0.5% triethyamine (30:70, v/v) with the pH adjusted to 3.5 using an orthophosphoric acid solution. The flow rate was maintained at 1 mL/min, and the detection was performed with a fluorescence detector fixed at 380 nm (λemission) after excitation at 335 nm (λexcitation). The third phase was method validation according to ICH guidelines, providing to be specific, precise, accurate, and robust. The method is linear over a range of 0.4–8 µg/mL for chloroquine and ASP, while for paracetamol it is linear over 16–48 µg/mL. The developed RP-HPLC method was used for quantitation of the three drugs in chloroquine dosage form samples. The method shows a great tendency in the classification between the genuine chloroquine and the adulterated ones in pharmaceutical preparations and breast milk.

We, the Editors and the Editorial Board Members of Acta Chromatographica, take an immense honour and great pleasure in conveying our best wishes to Professor Mieczysław (Mietek) Sajewicz, Co-Editor-in-Chief of our journal on the occasion of his 70th birthday.His contribution to establishing an international chromatography journal just in the Institute of Chemistry, University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland, at a difficult moment soon after the 1989 political setup transformation in our country is hardly possible to overestimate.It was only Mietek's passion for and his firm dedication to the separation sciences in combination with his enormous entrepreneurial skills that helped him put such a seemingly odd idea into a decently functioning practice, which resulted in the first volume of the journal released in 1992, and in all volumes which have followed thereafter, over the past almost thirty years.If today we tried to remind the adventures of all kinds at an initial stage of establishing our journal, it would sound too comical or too surrealistic to be cited, and yet an only person able to cope with multiple obstacles of that chaotic period of time has inevitably and always been Mietek.Although right from the beginning Acta Chromatographica was spurred by an ambition to become an international communication platform in the field of separation sciences, its initial 'supply network' embraced mostly the research laboratories of Polish academia.However, in the span of almost thirty years that followed, our journal has been gradually yet consequently rising, always under Mietek's watchful supervision, to eventually gather contributors and readers literally from around the globe.Mietek's obsession with separation sciences materialized in the form of yet another and also very precious contribution to the chromatographic community, and namely as a series of annual chromatography symposia held in a charming mountain resort of Szczyrk in South Poland, organized by the Institute of Chemistry, University of Silesia.Once again, Mietek's vision and entrepreneurial spirit have proved pivotal for the success of this initiative, which commenced in the 'prehistoric' year 1976 andspanning epochs and generationshas been uninterruptedly continued until now.Over the years, these symposia have attracted many participants from home and abroad, and in many chromatography centres across Europe they are known as the 'eternal' Szczyrk meetings.For these two initiatives, which have provided a convenient space for the development of separation sciences, Mietek deserves our unconditional and very loud thank you.Professor Mieczysław Sajewicz was born on March 23rd, 1951 in Sosnowiec, Poland.He studied chemistry at the University of Silesia in Katowice, from which he obtained his MSc (1978) and PhD (1989) degrees in analytical chemistry, with both theses focusing on applications of gas chromatography to studying factors governing separation quality (e.g., isomerism of analytes, polarity of stationary phases, and working parameters of the gas

Abstract This study describes the development and validation of a simple, specific, accurate, and precise method for quantitative determination of Esomeprazole in human serum using Pantoprazole as internal standard (IS). After the addition of internal standard, Esomeprazole from serum samples was extracted simply by protein precipitation method followed by centrifugation and the supernatants were directly injected into the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The chromatographic separation of the compounds was obtained on Hitachi Lachrom C8 column (5 µm, 250 × 4.6 mm) with a mobile phase consisting of 5 mM potassium dihydrogen phosphate pH 7.4 and acetonitrile in a ratio of 70:30 with UV detection at 302 nm with a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The method was sensitive and specific, and validated over a concentration range of 0.06–6.0 µg/mL. The limit of detection (LOD) and lower limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.03 µg/mL and 0.06 µg/mL, respectively. The precision and accuracy expressed as relative standard deviation were less than 15%. The average recovery of Esomeprazole from serum was 97.08%.

Abstract Sample pretreatment is one of the most crucial and error-prone steps of an analytical procedure; it consents to improve selectivity and sensitivity by sample clean-up and pre-concentration. Nowadays, the arousing interest in greener and sustainable analytical chemistry has increased the development of microextraction techniques as alternative sample preparation procedures. In this review, we aimed to show two different categorizations of the most used micro-solid-phase extraction (μSPE) techniques. In essence, the first one concerns the solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbent selection and structure: normal-phase, reversed-phase, ion-exchange, mixed-mode, molecular imprinted polymer, and special techniques (e.g., doped cartridges for specific analytes). The second is a grouping of the commercially available μSPE products in categories and sub-categories. We present every device and technology into the classifications paying attention to their historical development and the actual state of the art. So, this study aims to provide the state-of-the-art of μSPE techniques, highlighting their advantages, disadvantages, and possible future developments in sample pretreatment.

Abstract A rapid and sensitive High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS) method for determining apremilast in beagle dog plasma and urine samples was developed and validated using clopidogrel as the internal standard (IS). Apremilast was extracted from the plasma and urine samples by liquid–liquid extraction using methyl tert-butyl ether. Chromatographic separation was performed using a C8 column with gradient elution and a mobile phase containing methanol and 0.1% formic acid. Quantification was achieved in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with a transition of m/z 461.3→178.2 for apremilast and m/z 322.2→184.1 for clopidogrel (IS). This method was validated regarding its specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, and stability. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) for this method was 5 ng/mL, and the calibration curve was linear over 5–1,000 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-run coefficients of variance (CV) of aprelimast in plasma samples were less than 12.92% and 10.64%, respectively, while in urine samples, the CV were less than 11.84% and 10.20%, respectively. The samples were stable under the tested conditions. This method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study in beagle dogs following oral administration of 10 mg of apremilast.

Vicia faba, also known as “bakla” in Turkey, is a species of Fabaceae family that is widely grown in Africa and Asia. It is rich in levodopa, a medicinal substance used to treat Parkinson's disease. Levodopa produced by chemical synthesis is expensive and causes various side effects. Therefore, it is recommended to use natural levodopa sources to prevent possible side effects. A Central Composite Design technique has been used in this study to optimize levodopa extraction from Vicia faba. First, a single factor analysis examined 3 variables such as extraction temperature, extraction time, and concentration of acetic acid. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of variables chosen on levodopa's extraction performance. By using variance and regression analyses, a second-order regression equation was determined as a predicted model. The value of R2 is 0.9882, which shows that the equation fits well. The best conditions are as follows: a temperature of 59.85 °C, an extraction time of 18.74 min, and an acetic acid content of 0.28%. Under optimum conditions, the maximum levodopa yield calculated from the predicted module was 4.53%. Extraction efficiency was determined as 4.54% experimentally under optimum conditions. A good relationship has been found between the experimental result and the predicted value.

Abstract The major processes for introducing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in food are smoking and grilling of different products. But in addition, PAHs can permeate in the food chain due to their high lipophilicity and ability to be accumulated in specific tissue, through contaminated animal feed. Further, when some parts of these animals are marketed as food, the accumulated PAHs can go to the human organism. Some of them are classified as highly toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic for animal and human organisms so they are under consideration of International and European legislation. This work reports development and validation of simple and fast GC/MS method for 16 PAHs determination. Comparison of two methods for sample preparation in pork meat matrix standard extraction/saponification procedure and modified QuEChERS method is also done. In addition, this paper report the calibration step of instrument and a recovery study for 16 PAHs in model pork meat, using modified QuEChERS procedure for sample pretreatment. The calibration step with accessible and suitable for use in real laboratory conditions internal standard (chrysene D12) is done in the range 10–100 ppb using toluene as solvent. The obtained results show very good linearity (R2 = 0.99 to 1.00). For the recovery study six model samples were spiked with 16 PAHs and they all are subjected to QuEChERS procedure. The recovery is calculated and the obtained data (71–120%) is in a good correlation with requirements of international legislation. Finally, LOD values for all 16 investigated compounds of modified GC/MS method and for the instrument were determined.

We developed and validated an assay for determination of glyphosate (GLYP) and glufosinate (GLUF) in human serum. Serum samples were extracted by using a MonoSpin® TiO column and analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). MonoSpin® TiO tends to specifically bind to phosphate groups. The assay was linear over a concentration range of 1–250 μg/mL. The recoveries for the 2 compounds were 1.6%–2.3%. The intra- and inter-day variations were <15%. Precision and accuracy were 5.6%–12.7% and 97.0%–103.9%, respectively. The validated method was applied to quantify the GLYP and GLUF content in the serum of GLYP and GLUF-poisoned patients. In conclusion, the method was successfully applied for accurate determination of GLYP and GLUF in serum obtained from patients with GLYP and GLUF poisoning.