Spectrophotometric/Titrimetric Drug Analysis

The importance of pharmaceuticals comes from their direct connection to human life. Therefore, many analysis techniques such as chromatography, spectroscopic methods, and others have been developed for one goal, which is to ensure that the drug reaches humans with high quality. Spectrophotometric and titrimetric methods have been in general use for the last 40 years and over this period have become the most important analytical instrument in the modern-day laboratory. In many applications, other techniques could be employed in pharmaceutical analysis, but none rival UV–visible spectrometry as well as titrimetry, for their simplicity, versatility, speed, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness. This chapter highlights the spectroscopic methods in the ultraviolet and visible regions, as well as the titration methods that are still widely used in the field of pharmaceutical analysis. The types of titrations, as well as the most important reactions used in spectrophotometric methods, are presented. Examples of the most important applications in the field of pharmaceutical analysis are also presented

Deep eutectic solvent-ultrasound assisted extraction as a green approach for enhanced extraction of naringenin from Searsia tripartita and retained their bioactivities

BackgroundNaringenin (NA) is a natural flavonoid used in the formulation of a wide range of pharmaceutical, fragrance, and cosmetic products. In this research, NA was extracted from Searsia tripartita using an environmentally friendly, high efficiency extraction method: an ultrasound-assisted extraction with deep eutectic solvents (UAE-DES).MethodsSix natural deep eutectic solvent systems were tested. Choline chloride was used as the hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA), and formic acid, ethylene glycol, lactic acid, urea, glycerol, and citric acid were used as hydrogen bond donors (HBD).ResultsBased on the results of single-factor experiments, response surface methodology using a Box-Behnken design was applied to determine the optimal conditions for UAE-DES. According to the results, the optimal NA extraction parameters were as follows: DES-1 consisted of choline chloride (HBA) and formic acid (HBD) in a mole ratio of 2:1, an extraction time of 10 min, an extraction temperature of 50°C, an ultrasonic amplitude of 75 W, and a solid-liquid ratio of 1/60 g/mL. Extracted NA was shown to inhibit the activity of different enzymes in vitro, including α-amylase, acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, tyrosinase, elastase, collagenase, and hyaluronidase.ConclusionThus, the UAE-DES technique produced high-efficiency NA extraction while retaining bioactivity, implying broad application potential, and making it worthy of consideration as a high-throughput green extraction method

Improved Method for DNA Extraction and Purification from <i>Tetrahymena pyriformis</i>

Tetrahymena pyriformis (protozoa) is intensely investigated as a model organism, offering numerous advantages in comprehensive and multidisciplinary studies using morphologic or molecular methods. Since DNA extraction is a vital step of any molecular experiment, here a new mixed surfactant (Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) 20%/Triton X-100) was adopted for effective DNA extraction from Tetrahymena pyriformis under an easy, fast protocol. The efficiency of this technique was then compared with three widely-used alternative techniques, namely the Chelex 100 matrix, Ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APD) complex and SDS&#8211;chloroform methods. DNA extraction was analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, spectral measurement, fluorometry (Qubit), restriction enzyme digestion, and polymerase chain reaction. Data analysis revealed that the quantity and quality of the recovered DNA varied depending on the applied DNA extraction method. The new method (SDS 20%/Triton X-100) was the most efficient for extracting DNA from Tetrahymena pyriformis with high integrity and purity, affordable cost, less time, and suitability for molecular applications

Biotechnological Approaches to Producing Natural Antioxidants: Anti-Ageing and Skin Longevity Prospects

Plants are the main source of bioactive compounds that can be used for the formulation of cosmetic products. Plant extracts have numerous proven health benefits, among which are anti-ageing and skin-care properties. However, with the increased demand for plant-derived cosmetic products, there is a crucial prerequisite for establishing alternative approaches to conventional methods to ensure sufficient biomass for sustainable production. Plant tissue culture techniques, such as in vitro root cultures, micropropagation, or callogenesis, offer the possibility to produce considerable amounts of bioactive compounds independent of external factors that may influence their production. This production can also be significantly increased with the implementation of other biotechnological approaches such as elicitation, metabolic engineering, precursor and/or nutrient feeding, immobilization, and permeabilization. This work aimed to evaluate the potential of biotechnological tools for producing bioactive compounds, with a focus on bioactive compounds with anti-ageing properties, which can be used for the development of green-label cosmeceutical products. In addition, some examples demonstrating the use of plant tissue culture techniques to produce high-value bioactive ingredients for cosmeceutical applications are also addressed, showing the importance of these tools and approaches for the sustainable production of plant-derived cosmetic products

A Comparative Study between Conventional and Advanced Extraction Techniques: Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Properties of Plant Extracts

This study aimed to compare the influence of extraction methods on the pharmaceutical and cosmetic properties of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs). For this purpose, the dried plant materials were extracted using advanced (microwave (MAE), ultrasonic (UAE), and homogenizer (HAE) assisted extractions) and conventional techniques (maceration, percolation, decoction, infusion, and Soxhlet). The tyrosinase, elastase, &alpha;-amylase, butyryl, and acetylcholinesterase inhibition were tested by using L-3,4 dihydroxy-phenylalanine, N-Succinyl-Ala-Ala-p-nitroanilide, butyryl, and acetylcholine as respective substrates. Antioxidant activities were studied by ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP. In terms of extraction yield, advanced extraction techniques showed the highest values (MAE &gt; UAE &gt; HAE). Chemical profiles were dependent on the phenolic compounds tested, whereas the antioxidant activities were always higher, mainly in infusion and decoction as a conventional technique. In relation to the pharmaceutical and cosmetic properties, the highest inhibitory activities against &alpha;-amylase and acetylcholinesterase were observed for Soxhlet and macerated extracts, whereas the highest activity against tyrosinase was obtained with MAE &gt; maceration &gt; Soxhlet. Elastase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activities were in the order of Soxhlet &gt; maceration &gt; percolation, with no activities recorded for the other tested methods. In conclusion, advanced methods afford an extract with high yield, while conventional methods might be an adequate approach for minimal changes in the biological properties of the extract