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Several medicinal foods abound in traditional medicine with antioxidant potentials that could be of importance for the management of several diseases but with little or no scientific justification to substantiate their use. Thus, the objective of this study was the assessment of the antioxidant effect of two leave extracts of Solanum nigrum L. (SN), which is a medicinal plant member of the Solanaceae family, mainly used for soup preparation in different parts of the world. Then methanolic/water (80:20) (SN1) and water (SN2) leaves extracts were prepared. The total polyphenolic content and the concentration of phenolic acids and flavones compounds were determined. In order to verify whether examined extracts were able to restore the oxidative status, modified by glutamate in primary cultures of astrocytes, the study evaluated the glutathione levels, the intracellular oxidative stress, and the cytotoxicity of SN1 and SN2 extracts. Both extracts were able to quench the radical in an in vitro free cellular system and restore the oxidative status in in vitro primary cultures of rat astroglial cells exposed to glutamate. These extracts prevented the increase in glutamate uptake and inhibited glutamate excitotoxicity, which leads to cell damage and shows a notable antioxidant property., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest and the founder added the requested detail. The funder M.R. had roles in methodology, validation, formal analysis, visualization and the decision to publish the results.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was the evaluation of the antioxidant activity of natural and semisynthetic polyphenol derivatives from Olea europea L., by assessing malondialdehyde (MDA), an important marker of oxidative stress., Methods: Polyphenol as hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein, oleuropein aglycone as mix of four tautomeric forms and their respective acetyl-derivatives were obtained from olive leaves using semisynthetic protocols. These compounds were administered intraperitoneally to Wistar rats treated with paraquat, an herbicide which is able to cause oxidative stress after central administration. Malondialdehyde was derivatized with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine to produce hydrazone that was purified by solid-phase extraction. Using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array, free and total MDA was measured on homogenate rat brain as marker of lipid peroxidation. The analytical method was fully validated and showed linearity in the tested concentration range, with detection limit of 5 ng/ml. Recovery ranged from 94.1 to 105.8%., Key Findings: Both natural and semisynthetic polyphenol derivatives from a natural source as olive leaves were able to reduce MDA detection. The more lipophilic acetyl-derivatives showed an antioxidant activity greater than parent compounds. This potency seems to put in evidence a strict correlation between lipophilicity and bioavailability., (© 2017 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.)

In this work, a novel polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phase, cellulose tris(4-chloro-3-methylphenylcarbamate), also called Sepapak 4 has been evaluated for the chiral separation of amlodipine (AML) and its two impurities. AML is a powerful vasodilatator drug used for the treatment of hypertension. Capillary columns of 100 μm id packed with the chiral stationary phase were used for both nano-LC and CEC experiments. The optimization of the mobile phase composed of ACN/water, (90:10, v/v) containing 15 mM ammonium borate pH 10.0 in nano-LC allowed the chiral separation of AML and the two impurities, but not in a single run. With the purpose to obtain the separation of the three pairs of enantiomers simultaneously, CEC analyses were performed in the same conditions achieving better enantioresolution and higher separation efficiencies for each compound. To fully resolve the mixture of six enantiomers, parameters such as buffer pH and concentration sample injection have been then investigated. A mixture of ACN/water (90:10, v/v) containing 5 mM ammonium borate buffer pH 9.0 enabled the complete separation of the three couples of enantiomers in less than 30 min. The optimized CEC method was therefore validated and applied to the analysis of pharmaceutical formulation declared to contain only AML racemate., (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Hydrolysable tannins appear to have some extremely important biological roles including antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypoglycemic, anti-angiogenic, and anticancer activities. The aim of this work was to set up a flow injection high-resolution mass spectrometric approach combined with database searching to obtain rapidly a profiling of gallotannins and other phenolics in a crude extract from plant tissue. The flow injection analysis (FIA) takes place in an electrospray ionization source of an hybrid orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry system (ESI-HR-MS/MS(2), resolution 100,000, negative ion mode) and polyphenols are tentatively identified by matching the monoisotopic masses of the spectra with those of polyphenols databases. This leads to the most probable molecular formulas and to the possible structures among those reported in the database. The structures confirmation occurs by the compliance of MS(2) fragments with those of a prediction fragment commercial database. With this method we identified in the aqueous extract of sumac leaves, with a maximum error of 1.7 ppm, a group of ten gallotannins from mono- to deca-galloyl glycosides of the class of hydrolysable tannins and a set of coextracted flavonoid derivatives including myricetin, quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside, myricetin-3-O-glucoside, myricetin-3-O-glucuronide, and myricetin-3-O-rhamnoglucoside. The separation of isomers of gallotannins and flavonoids present in the same extract occurred by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-HR-MS(2)); this approach allowed the structure resolution of the isobaric flavonoids quercetin-3-O-glucoside and myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this work was to investigate the cardioprotective activity of hydrolysable gallotannins from Rhus coriaria L. leaves extract (RCLE) in isolated rabbit heart preparations, submitted to low-flow ischemia/reperfusion damage. RCLE induces a dose-dependent normalization of coronary perfusion pressure (CPP), reducing left ventricular contracture during ischemia, and improving left ventricular developed pressure and the maximum rate of rise and fall of left ventricular pressure at reperfusion. Creatinine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) outflow were significantly reduced during reperfusion. In parallel there was a rise in the release of the cytoprotective 6-ketoprostaglandin F (1alpha) (6-keto-PGF (1alpha)) and a decrease of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), both significant only at the highest RCLE concentrations (150-500 microg/mL). The vasorelaxant activity of RCLE was studied in isolated rabbit aorta rings precontracted with norepinephrine (NE) with and without endothelium. The vasorelaxation induced by RCLE was predominantly endothelium-dependent as demonstrated by the loss of RCLE vasorelaxant ability in i) de-endothelized rings and ii) in intact aortic rings after pretreatment with NG-monomethyl- L-arginine (L-NMMA) and 1 H-[1.2.4]oxadiazolo[4.3- A]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ). The inhibition of vasorelaxation in intact rings by indomethacin (INDO) demonstrates the ability of RCLE to modulate the coronary endothelium cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway. The K-ATP channel antagonist glibenclamide (GLIB) was ineffective. The antioxidant activity of RCLE, investigated in the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) model and in living cell systems (rat erythrocytes), was stronger than that of gallic acid, ascorbic acid and trolox. The structure of its main bioactive constituents, profiled by HPLC-ESI-HR-S, comprised a mixture of polygalloylated D-glucopyranose with different degrees of galloylation and 3- O-methylgallic acid. The cardiovascular protective effect of RCLE seems to be due to an interplay of different factors: COX pathway activation, TNF-alpha inhibition, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activation, and free radical and ROS scavenging., (Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart, New York.)

A simple high-performance liquid chromatography method using a diode array detector (DAD) is developed for the simultaneous analysis of five major catechins: (+)-catechin (C), (-)-epicatechin (EC), (-)-gallocatechin (GCT), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and the phenolic plant metabolites gallic acid (GA) and rutin (RT) in lyophilized extracts of Cistus species. The optimal analytical conditions are investigated to obtain the best resolution and the highest UV sensitivity for the quantitative detection of catechins. The optimized conditions (acetonitrile-phosphate buffer 50 mM, pH 2.5, gradient elution system on a C18 reversed-phase column with a flow rate of 1 mL/min and UV absorbance at 210 nm) allowed a specific and repeatable separation of the studied analytes to be achieved. All compounds are successfully separated within 32 min. Calibration curves are linear in the 2-50 microg/mL range for GCT, C, and EGCG and in the 5-50 microg/mL range for GA, EGC, EC, and RT. The limit of detection values ranged from 0.24 to 0.74 microg/mL. The limit of quantitation limit values ranged from 0.77 to 1.94 microg/mL. The validated method is applied to the determination of the specific phytochemical markers GA, GCT, C, and RT in Cistus incanus and Cistus monspeliensis lyophilised extracts. The recovery values ranged between 78.7% and 98.2%. The described HPLC method appears suitable for the differentiation and determination of the most common catechins together with the glycoside rutin and the phenolic compound gallic acid and can be considered an effective and alternative procedure for the analyses of this important class of natural compounds.

Six new 1-alkylazacycloalkan-2-one esters of ketorolac (1-6) were synthesized and evaluated as potential dermal prodrugs. In vitro experiments were carried out to evaluate their chemical and enzymatic stability and permeation through excised human skin. Furthermore, partition coefficients n-octanol-water of ketorolac and its esters were determined to obtain information about their lipophilicity. Esters 1-6 showed increased lipophilicity compared to the parent drug, good stability in phosphate buffer pH 7.4, and were readily hydrolyzed in human plasma. Results from in vitro percutaneous absorption studies showed that, among all esters synthesized, only for esters 2 and 4 did a higher cumulative amount of drug penetrate through the skin, compared with that obtained after topical application of ketorolac.

Three oily extracts, obtained by acetone extraction from the entrails of different varieties of Mediterranean fishes, such as mackerel (Scomber scombrus), sardine (Sardina pilchardus) and horse mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus), were characterized to determine their unsaturated fatty acid content. In an in-vitro model, their inhibitory effect was then evaluated against protein aggregation and their protective efficacy against heat-induced albumin denaturation assessed. The fish oil extracts tested in this study presented a significant amount of unsaturated fatty acids; in particular the extract obtained from the entrails of horse mackerel proved to have higher concentrations of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and oleic acid compared with the other two oils. The in-vitro study revealed an interesting protective effect of the oil extracts (particularly the horse mackerel extract) against heat-induced denaturation of albumin.

The present work was aimed at evaluating the in vitro effects of a lyophilized extract of wine (JW-E) obtained from Jacquez grapes (Vitis aestivalis-cinereaxVitis vinifera grapes) on the production of key molecules released in inflammatory disease utilising interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) activated chondrocytes. The extract contains large amounts of phenolic components, in particular some flavonoids (flavan-3-ols, also known as catechins) and proanthocyanidins, as hydroxycinnamic acids and anthocyanins, that possess several biological features such as antiinflammatory and antioxidant effects and a "radical scavenger" activity too. In this study, we assayed the effect of JW-E on the production of key molecules released during chronic inflammatory events as nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandins E(2) (PGE(2)) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human chondrocytes culture, stimulated with proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1beta. The JW-E proved to possess good ability against the harmfull effects of IL-1beta. Our data showed the protective effects of JW-E in cartilage alteration, that appears greater than that elicited by indomethacin, a not steroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID), commonly employed in joint diseases.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro percutaneous absorption and the in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of EPA and DHA fatty acids from three oily extracts, obtained by acetonic extractions from the entrails of different varieties of Mediterranean fishes such as mackerel (Scomber scombrus), sardine (Sardina pilchardus) and horse mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus). In the first part of our research, we focused our attention on the characterization of the oily extracts to determine their omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid content, then, we evaluated the in vitro percutaneous absorption through excised human skin (stratum corneum/epidermis membranes; SCE) of EPA and DHA contained in the extracts. In the second part, the fish oil which guaranteed the best in vitro permeation profile of these omega-3 fatty acids was studied in order to evaluate its inhibiting ability towards the in vivo UVB-induced skin erythema. From the results obtained, all the fish oils tested in this study presented significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, and particularly sardine oil extract showed higher concentrations of these substances compared to the other two fish oils. The in vitro experiments revealed interesting fluxes of these compounds from sardine extract through the stratum corneum/epidermis membranes and an appreciable anti-inflammatory activity against UVB-induced erythema in human volunteers was also observed.

In order to enhance the UV detection sensitivity, an application study of an on-line preconcentration technique for micellar electrokinetic chromatographic (MEKC) was carried out. The simultaneous determination of four test ecdysteroids, 20-hydroxyecdysone, ajugasterone C, polypodine B and ponasterone A has been investigated by using the normal stacking mode in MEKC with UV detection. The effects of anionic surfactant composition and concentration, the applied voltage, the pH buffer, the kind and the amount of organic solvent and the injection time on the analyte resolution were evaluated. The optimised conditions for the separation involved the use of a 50 mM borate as the running buffer containing 50 mM of a mixture of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and sodium cholate (SC) in the ratio of 1:1 together with a concentration of 10% (v/v) of 2-PrOH at pH 9.0. Hydrodynamic injection of 12 s at 50 mbar and separation voltage of 20 kV at temperature of 20 degrees C were employed. These conditions allowed a repeatability separation within 21 min. Concentration detection limit for the neutral analytes studied improve about an order of magnitude. The method was also applied to the determination of ecdysteroids in a real sample.

A rapid and simple high-performance liquid chromatographic method with photodiode array detection was developed for the separation and the simultaneous determination of phenytoin and dextromethorphan in human urine. Analysis was performed in less than 4.5 min in isocratic mode on a reversed-phase C18 column (5 microm; 150 x 4.6 mm) using a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile-buffer phosphate 0.01 M (60:40, v/v) adjusted to pH 6.0, at 1 mL/min flow rate and UV absorbance at 210 nm. The elution order of analytes was dextromethorphan (DXM), Internal Standard (IS), and phenytoin (PHT). Calibration curves were linear in the 7.5-25 microg/mL range for PHT and in the 10-30 microg/mL range for DXM. Spike recoveries for urine samples prepared at three spiking levels ranged from 97.8 to 102.3% for PHT and from 94.8 to 100.4% for DXM. The detection limit (LOD) values ranged from 0.08 microg/mL for PHT to 0.5 microg/mL for DXM. The quantitation limit (LOQ) values ranged from 0.3 microg/mL for PHT to 1.6 microg/mL for DXM. The sample preparation method involves a rapid and simple procedure based on solid-phase extraction using a C18 reversed-phase column. Validation of the optimised method was carried out according to the ICH guidelines. The method developed in this study allows the reliable simultaneous analysis of PHT and DXM, drugs that were never quantified together in previously reported analytical methods. The described method has the advantage of being rapid and easy and it could be applied in therapeutic monitoring of these drugs in human urine of epileptic patients.

The antiallergic properties of two lyophilized extracts obtained from Capparis spinosa L. flowering buds (capers) by methanol extraction, carried out at room temperature (CAP-C) or with heating at 60 degrees C (CAP-H), were investigated. The protective effects of CAP-H and CAP-C, orally administered (14.28 mg[sol ]kg), were evaluated against Oleaceae antigen challenge-induced and histamine-induced bronchospasm in anaesthetized guinea-pigs. Furthermore, the histamine skin prick test was performed on humans, applying a gel formulation containing 2% CAP-C (the only extract able to protect against histamine-induced bronchospasm) on the skin for 1 h before histamine application and monitoring the erythema by reflectance spectrophotometry. The CAP-H showed a good protective effect against the bronchospasm induced by antigen challenge in sensitized guinea-pigs; conversely, a significant decrease in the responsiveness to histamine was seen only in CAP-C pretreated animals. Finally, the CAP-C gel formulation possessed a marked inhibitory effect (46.07%) against histamine-induced skin erythema. These two caper extracts displayed marked antiallergic effectiveness; however, the protective effect of CAP-H was very likely due to an indirect mechanism (for example, inhibition of mediator release from mast cells or production of arachidonic acid metabolites); conversely, CAP-C is endowed with direct antihistaminic properties. The different mechanisms of action of CAP-H and CAP-C may be related to a difference in the extraction procedure and, thus, in their qualitative[sol ]quantitative chemical profile., (Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Despite intense efforts to increase vaccine coverage, measles virus (MV) still causes significant morbidity and mortality in the world sometimes as a results of severe, chronic and lethal diseases. In an effort to develop therapies to supplement immunization strategies a number of 1-oxo-2-[[(1E)-phenylmethylene]amino]-1,2-dihydroisoquinoline-4-carboxylic acid derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for anti-measles activity. The substituents on the aromatic ring were chosen in order to evaluate the influence of electron-withdrawing or electron-donating effects on the electronic density of the aromatic moiety. We also evaluated the introduction of a vinyl chain between the exocyclic nitrogen and phenyl moiety. The biological results allow to outline some preliminary considerations on structure-activity relationship.

A microemulsion electrokinetic chromatographic (MEEKC) method was developed for the separation of six catechins, specific marker phytochemicals of Cistus species. The MEEKC method involved the use of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as surfactant, heptane as organic solvent and butan-1-ol as co-solvent. In order to have a better stability of the studied catechins, the separation was performed under acidic conditions (pH 2.5 phosphate buffer). The effects of SDS concentration and of the amount of organic solvent and co-solvent on the analyte resolution were evaluated. The optimized conditions (heptane 1.36% (w/v), SDS 2.31% (w/v), butan-1-ol 9.72% (w/v) and 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 2.5) 86.61% (w/v)) allowed a useful and reproducible separation of the studied analytes to be achieved. These conditions provided a different separation profile compared to that obtained under conventional micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MECK) using SDS. The method was validated and applied to the determination of catechin and gallocatechin in lyophilized extracts of Cistus incanus and Cistus monspeliensis.

Six new 1-alkylazacycloalkan-2-one esters of ketoprofen (1-6) were synthesized and evaluated as potential dermal prodrugs of ketoprofen. Their lipophilicity by both experimental lipophilicity indices (log k') and calculated ClogP was also determined. In vitro experiments were carried out to evaluate the chemical and enzymatic stability and permeation through excised human skin of these new ketoprofen derivatives. Furthermore, we investigated the in vivo topical anti-inflammatory activity of ester 5, which showed the best in vitro profile, evaluating the ability of this compound to inhibit methyl nicotinate-induced skin erythema on healthy human volunteers. Esters 1-6 showed increased lipophilicity compared with the parent drug (ketoprofen), good stability in phosphate buffer pH 7.4, and were readily hydrolyzed by porcine esterase. Results from in vitro percutaneous absorption studies showed that, among all esters synthesized, only for esters 1 and 5 did a higher cumulative amount of drug penetrate through the skin, compared with that obtained after topical application of ketoprofen. In vivo results showed an interesting delayed and sustained activity of ester 5, compared with the parent drugs.

A highly sensitive and selective method for the determination of sorbic (SA) and undecylenic acid (UA) in cosmetic formulations by a high performance liquid chromatography method with electrochemical detection (ECD) is described. The pre-column derivatizations of SA and UA and the internal standard (cyclohexanoic acid (cHA)) were carried out using 1-(2,5-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-bromoethanone (2,5-DBE) as an electroactive labeling reagent previously synthesized in our lab. The resulting electroactive esters were separated by isocratic elution of a 5 micrometer Hypersil CN column with acetonitrile-acetate buffer eluent. The compounds were detected by a porous graphite electrode set at an oxidation potential of +0.45 V. The analytical method developed in this study is suitable for quality control assays of complex cosmetic formulations containing sorbic and/or UA.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method coupled with electrochemical detector was developed for the separation and quantitation of amphetamine and one of its metabolites, the 4-hydroxynorephedrine. The pre-column derivatisation of these compounds was carried out with 2,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde as electroactive labelling reagent, in presence of Borohydride Exchange Resin. The new synthetic method developed was fast, clean and high yielding. The analysis was performed in isocratic mode on a reversed phase column 5 microm Hypersil ODS RP-18, 15 cm, using as a mobile phase methanol-NaH(2)PO(4) buffer (50 mM, pH 5.5)(30:70 v/v) containing trietylamine (0.5% v/v) and the products were detected by a porous graphite electrode set at an oxidation potential of +0.6 V. The linearity of response was examined for each derivatised compound and was analysed using solutions in the range 10-40 nmol/ml. The correlation coefficients of the linear regression of the standard curves were greater than 0.99. The method developed in this study was sensitive and very selective. Because of the specificity for primary phenylethylamines, it could be applicable for the assay of other related substances in toxicology and drugs abuse.

Polyoxyethylene esters of ketoprofen (1a-e), naproxen (2a-e) and diclofenac (3a-e) were tested in vitro to determine their stability in pH 7.4 phosphate buffer and in simulated gastric fluid (pH 2.0 buffer) and their susceptibility in undergoing enzymatic cleavage in human plasma. Furthermore their in vivo antiinflammatory and analgesic activity and GI toxicity were evaluated in rodents. All the prodrugs showed a good stability both in pH 7.4 phosphate buffer and in pH 2.0 buffer. They were readily hydrolyzed by human plasma and, for each group of prodrugs, no significant difference in hydrolysis rate was observed as the length of the oligoethylene chain increased. Esters 1a-e, 2a-e and 3a-e showed an anti-inflammatory activity (expressed as inhibition percent of carrageenan-induced edema in the rat) similar to that of their respective parent drug although at higher doses. The results obtained in the writhing test in mice demonstrated that all the prodrugs tested exhibited, following acute administration, a good analgesic effect. Furthermore these esters were significantly less irritating to the gastric mucosa, although administered at doses higher than the respective parent drug.

A method was developed for the analysis of primary aliphatic amines by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrochemical detector. The electrochemical oxidation of aliphatic amines derivatized with 2,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde was investigated at porous graphite electrodes. The derivatization reactions were performed off-line, before the chromatographic separation. The compounds were separated on a reversed phase column with a methanol-acetonitrile-phosphate buffer and detected setting at an oxidation potential of +0.5 V. The influence of the mobile phase buffer concentration and pH on the detector response was also studied. The derivatization was shown to be quantitative and the response linear between 50 and 200 ng/ml. The method is sensitive, selective and could be applicable for the assay of volatile amines in the field of environmental toxicology and also for biological monitoring after occupational exposure.

In the search for novel compounds to treat disorders of smooth muscle function, efforts have focused on some 2-substituted thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-one derivatives that show interesting spasmolytic action. Our laboratories have developed a new series of quaternary salts of 2-substituted thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-one and thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4-one isomers with therapeutic potential. Thesesubstances were prepared starting from simple derivatives of thiophene. Their spasmolytic activity was evaluated on transmurally stimulated guinea-pig ileum. The most active compounds (IC50 1.12-2.71 microM) 7f-7h, 12d and 12f had the terminal piperidino nucleus in the thioalkyl chain and lacked two methyl groups in the thiophene ring. Their relaxant activity on the isolated ileum was potentiated (approx. 20-25%) by phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Compounds 7f-h, 12d and 12f were less effective in inhibiting contractions of the guinea-pig ileum induced by acetylcholine (IC50 26.7-41.4 microM) or histamine (IC50 41.5-63.4 microM) and had a moderate binding activity to muscarinic receptors in membrane homogenates from the rat heart (M2 sites; pKi values between 5.55+/-0.08 and 5.14+/-0.12; n = 3) and submaxillary gland (M3 sites; pKi values between 6.15+/-0.07 and 5.76+/-0.08; n = 3). Action involving soluble guanylyl cyclase or any potential binding to guinea-pig ventricular L-type calcium channels was not considered likely. It is concluded that at least two different mechanisms of action contribute to their spasmolytic activity.

Six ketoprofen (CAS 22071-15-4) alkylazacycloalkan-2-one ester derivatives (I-VI) were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and ulcerogenic activities after oral administration. Furthermore these derivatives were assayed to determine in vitro their stability in pH 7.4 phosphate buffer and in simulated gastric fluid (pH 2.0 buffer) and their susceptibility to enzymatic cleavage in rat plasma. All the prodrugs showed a good stability both in pH 7.4 phosphate buffer and in pH 2.0 buffer, and they were readily hydrolyzed by rat plasma. Esters I-VI showed an anti-inflammatory activity, determined as the percent of inhibition of carrageenan-induced edema, similar to that of ketoprofen, although at higher doses. They were significantly less irritating to the gastric mucosa than the parent drug. In the mouse acetic acid induced writhing assay, the prodrugs exhibited, following acute administration, a good analgesic activity.

We synthesized and evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of a series of 4-quinazolinone derivatives. Two approaches were used to yield the title compounds. A first group of quinazolinone derivatives was obtained by the appropriate substituted anthranilates. A second group of quinazolinone compounds was prepared through the benzoxazin-4-ones intermediate. The pharmacological results reveal that the synthesized derivatives exhibit a significant anti-inflammatory effect in an experimental ocular inflammation model. In fact, all the tested compounds lowered the prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production with respect to the control group (P < 0.05). The 3-cyclohexyl-6-chloro-quinazolin-4(3H)-one and 3-cyclohexyl-quinazolin-4(3H)-one derivatives were the most active compounds. These compounds significantly reduced PGE2 levels even more than the reference drug tolmetin and significantly lower protein concentration and polymorphonuclear leukocytes number compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Therefore, these compounds may be useful to prevent ocular inflammatory reactions.

Using cyclodextrin capillary zone electrophoresis (CD-CZE), baseline separation of synthetic potential analgesic drug diastereoisomer candidates 6,11-dimethyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydro-3-[(2'-methoxycarbonyl-2'-phenylc yclopropyl)methyl]-2,6-methano-3-benzazocin-8-ol (MPCB) and 6,11-dimethyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydro-3-[[2'-methoxycarbonyl-2'(4-chloroph enyl)cyclopropyl]methyl]-2,6-methano-3-benzazocin-8-ol (CCB) was achieved. Among the cyclodextrins tested (hydroxypropyl-, carboxymethyl- and sulfobutyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD, CM-beta-CD and SBE-beta-CD)) SBE-beta-CD was found to be the most effective complexing agent, allowing good optical isomer separation. Resolution was also influenced by the CD concentration, pH of the buffer and presence of organic modifier in the background electrolyte. The optimum experimental conditions for the separation of studied analgesic drugs were found using 25 mM borate buffer at pH 9 containing 40 mM of SBE-beta-CD and 20% v/v of methanol. Using the above-mentioned background electrolyte, it was also possible to separate, in the same run, the enantiomers of normetazocine (NMZ) as well as the optical isomers of (+/-)-cis-2-chloromethyl-1-phenyl cyclopropancarboxylic acid methyl ester (PCE) or (+/-)-cis-2-chloromethyl-1-(4-chlorophenyl)cyclopropancarboxylic acid methyl ester (CPCE) reagents used in the synthesis of the studied analgesic drugs).

Two series of novel derivatives based on the thienopyrimidine and pyrimidoindole ring systems, both N-substituted in position 3, have been synthesized. The compounds were obtained by reaction of N-amino groups of 5,6-dimethyl-thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-2,4-dione and of 5H-pyrimido[5,4-b]indol-2,4-dione with aromatic aldehydes. Some of these substances showed an appreciable analgesic activity, a good antiinflammatory activity, a low acute toxicity with an optimal gastric tolerance.

The synthesis of some amidic derivatives of N-methyl-isoquinolin-1(2H)-one-4-carboxylic acid and of isocoumarin-4-carboxylic acid are reported. These compounds have been evaluated for analgesic, antiinflammatory and antipyretic activities. The central nervous system effects have been also investigated.

4-Biphenylacetic acid, a potent non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent forms a solid inclusion complex with beta-cyclodextrin in a 1:1 molar ratio, which exhibits better solubility and dissolution characteristics than the uncomplexed drug. Following oral administration of the complex to rats, quicker and higher drug plasma concentrations can be achieved than with the drug alone. Parallel studies, using the carrageenan paw oedema test, demonstrate a greater anti-inflammatory activity of the complex (ED50 of 2.9 mg kg-1 for the complex and of 6.2 mg kg-1 for the free drug). The complex displayed a better gastric tolerability in the rat than drug alone.

A method is reported for the determination of the anticonvulsant sodium valproate in serum by fluorimetric detection. HPLC is performed on a reversed-phase column with a mobile phase of acetonitrile/water (65:35, v/v) with cyclohexane carboxylic acid as an internal standard. Samples were derivatized with 4-bromomethyl-7-methoxycoumarin and the optimized conditions are reported.

Quaternary salts of several 2-alkylthio substituted derivatives of thieno [2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-one and 5H-pyrimido [5,4-b]indol-4-one with a basic group in position 2 of the alkyl chain were synthesized and screened for potential spasmolytic activity. These substances were prepared by condensation of the corresponding mercapto compounds with a 2-chloroalkyltertiary amine. The tertiary bases were quaternized with methyl iodide. Among the assayed compounds, the thieno [2-3-d]pyrimidin-4-one derivatives displayed a potent spasmolytic activity in the in vitro and in vivo assays.

A new series of imidazolyn-5-one derivatives were synthesized. These compounds were screened for their analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities, as well as for their ulcerogenic potential, for behavioural effects and acute toxicity. Some of them showed higher analgesic activity than phenylbutazone (PBZ), but lower anti-inflammatory activity. Their ulcerogenic effect was lesser than that of the reference drug.

The synthesis and the pharmacological evaluation of some 3(2H)-pyridazinone derivatives are reported. The compounds were screened for analgesic, antiinflammatory and antipyretic activities. All tested derivatives showed a higher analgesic activity than phenylbutazone, while being devoid of ulcerogenic action.

As a part of a study on analgesic and antiinflammatory active condensed heterocyclic compounds containing the pyrimidinic ring, a number of 6H-1,3,4-thiadiazolo [3',2':1,2]-5-oxopyrimido [5,4-b]indole and 1-phenyl-6H-1,2,4-triazolo [1',5':1,2]-5-oxopyrimido [5,4-b] indole were synthesized and tested. The results of pharmacological assays are reported and discussed.