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Antibiotics present in human urine pose significant challenges for the use of urine-based fertilizers in agriculture. This study introduces a novel two-stage approach utilizing distinct biochar types to mitigate this concern. Initially, a modified biochar selectively adsorbed azithromycin (AZ), ciprofloxacin (CPX), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), trimethoprim (TMP), and tetracycline (TC) from human urine. Subsequently, a separate pristine biochar was employed to capture nutrients. Biochar, derived from sewage sludge and pyrolyzed at 550 and 700 °C, was modified using dimethyl sulfoxide, deep eutectic solvent, and ionic liquid to enhance antibiotic removal in the first stage. The modifications introduced hydrophilic functional groups (-OH/-COOH), which favor antibiotic adsorption. Adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order model, with the Langmuir isotherm model best describing the adsorption data. The maximum adsorption capacities for AZ, CPX, SMX, TMP, and TC after the modification were 196.08, 263.16, 81.30, 370.37, and 833.33 μg/g, respectively. Pristine biochar exhibited a superior ammonia adsorption capacity compared to the modified biochar. Hydrogen bonding, electrostatic attraction, and chemisorption drove antibiotic adsorption on the modified biochar. Regeneration efficiency declined due to solvent accumulation and potential byproduct formation on the biochar surface (<30% removal capacity after three cycles). This study presents innovative biochar modification strategies for selective antibiotic adsorption, laying the groundwork for environmentally friendly urine-based fertilizers in agriculture., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Although enrofloxacin (ENR) is a widely used broad-spectrum antibiotic in veterinary medicine, its residues in animals can pose a risk to human health. Thus, we developed a new method for detecting ENR based on aptamers and AuNPs. In the absence of ENR, the aptamers attached to the surface of the AuNPs via electrostatic interactions to protect the AuNPs from NaCl, and the solution remained red. Conversely, the aptamer bonded with ENR, leading the aptamer to detach from the AuNP surface, and the color of the solution changed from red to blue. Based on this principle, ENR can be qualitatively detected by the naked eye and quantitatively detected by measuring the absorbance ratio at 650 nm and 530 nm. The experimental results showed a good linear relationship within the ENR concentration range of 0-400 nM, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.72 nM, which is satisfactory for detection in food safety. Additionally, this method has also been successfully applied to the detection of ENR in tap water, river water, milk, serum and urine, with good recovery rates and RSD values of less than 7%, indicating its great potential for ENR detection in environmental water samples. More importantly, the combination of this method with a smartphone platform provided great convenience for on-site and visual detection of ENR, offering promising applicability prospects.

This research describes an easy, rapid, and inexpensive magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) approach employing Fe 3 O 4 magnetic nanoparticles modified with cetylpyridinium chloride (Fe 3 O 4 @CPC/MNPs) for extracting amoxicillin (AMX) and doxycycline (DOX) after derivatization with 4-chloroaniline as a color reagent. The azo-coupling of AMX and DOX with the color reagent in the alkaline medium caused yellow and yellow-orange azo dyes with maximum absorption wavelengths of 435 and 438 nm, respectively. The UV-Vis spectroscopy was utilized to determine the target analyte after the extraction procedure. Good linearities (R 2  > 0.99) in the concentration ranges of 0.03-4.50 and 0.05-6.00 µg/mL were obtained for AMX and DOX, respectively. The experimental detection limits of AMX and DOX were obtained as 0.01 and 0.02 µg/mL, respectively. The developed approach was effectively applied to pre-concentrate and quantify AMX and DOX in environmental water and urine samples., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Analysis of real objects based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) often utilizes new SERS substrates and/or complex analysis procedures, and they are optimized for only the determination of a single analyte. Moreover, analysis simplicity and selectivity are often sacrificed for maximum (sometimes unnecessary) sensitivity. Consequently, this trend limits the versatility of SERS analysis and complicates its practical implementation. Thus, we have developed a universal, but simple SERS assay suitable for the determination of structurally related antibiotics (five representatives of the sulfanilamide class) in complex objects (human urine and saliva). The assay involves only mixing of acidified analyzed solution with co-activating agent (polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride - PDDA) and SERS substrate (standard colloidal silver nanoparticles). Acidification promotes the generation of SERS spectra with maximum similarity and intensity, which is explained by the favorable enhancement of the protonated sulfanilamide moiety (a structurally similar part of the studied antibiotics) as a result of its strong electrostatic interaction with the SERS-active surface. Meanwhile, the addition of PDDA improves analysis selectivity by reducing background signal from body fluids, enabling to simplify sample pretreatment (dilution for urine; mucin removal and dilution for saliva). Therefore, the assay allows for rapid (≤10 min), precise, and accurate class-specific determination of sulfanilamides within concentration ranges suitable for non-invasive therapeutic drug monitoring in urine (40-600 μM) and saliva (10-30 μM). We also believe that thorough investigation of structurally related analytes and accompanying effects (e.g., high spectral similarity) is a promising direction to improve the understanding of SERS in general and expand its capabilities as an analytical tool., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Facing the rapid spread of antimicrobial resistance, methods based on single-cell Raman spectroscopy have proven their advances in reducing the turn-around time (TAT) of antimicrobial susceptibility tests (AST). However, the Raman-based methods are still hindered by the prolonged centrifugal cell washing procedure, which may require complex labor operation and induce high mechanical stress, resulting in a pretreatment time of over 1 h as well as a high cell-loss probability. In this study, we developed a micro-flow cell washing device and corresponding Raman-compatible washing chips, which were able to automatically remove the impurities in the samples, retain the bacterial cell and perform Raman spectra acquisition in situ. Results of washing the 5- and 10-μm polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microspheres showed that the novel technique achieved a successful removal of 99 % impurity and an 80 % particle retention rate after 6 to 10 cycles of washing. The micro-flow cell washing technique could complete the pretreatment for urine samples in a 96-well plate within 10 min, only taking 15 % of the handling time required by centrifugation. The AST profiles of urine sample spiked with E. coli 25922, E. faecalis 29212, and S. aureus 29213 obtained by the proposed Raman-based approach were found to be 100 % consistent with the results from broth micro-dilution while reducing the TAT to 3 h from several days which is required by the latter. Our study has demonstrated the micro-flow cell washing technique is a reliable, fast and compatible approach to replace centrifuge washing for sample pretreatment of Raman-AST and could be readily applied in clinical scenarios., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Serious adverse drug reactions of gentamicin (GM) significantly limit its clinical use, thus there is an urgent demand to develop reliable strategies to detect its concentration. In this study, we have developed a novel highly sensitive and portable lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) based on CoFe PBAs/WS 2 nanozyme mediated chemiluminescence (CL) and photothermal (PT) dual-mode POCT biosensor for the detection of GM, which successfully combines sensitive laboratory analyses with portable in situ analyses in the field. In this proof-of-principle work, the dynamic detection ranges of CL-LFIA and PT-LFIA mode were 1 pg mL -1 to 100 ng mL -1 and 50 pg mL -1 to 100 ng mL -1 with the limits of detection of 0.33 and 16.67 pg mL -1 , respectively. The whole detection of CL-LFIA and PT-LFIA could be completed within 15 min and 30 min, respectively. The recoveries of GM spiked into complex matrices including milk, urine, and serum for CL-LFIA and PT-LFIA were 90.94%-109.74% and 94.49%-109.31%, respectively, indicating the reliability and applicability of the dual-mode LFIA in real samples. The dual-mode POCT biosensor could effectively overcome the false problems with improving accuracy and sensitivity, enabling user to precisely detect GM by laboratory analysis or on-site analysis depending on the source condition. Due to the complementary properties of CL-LFIA and PT-LFIA, the developed POCT biosensor can effectively ensure high-performance detection, showing the potential application of accurately detecting drug concentration in clinical practice., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Tilmicosin, a macrolide antibiotic, has the potential to treat bacterial infections in donkeys. However, the pharmacokinetics of tilmicosin in donkeys have not been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics of tilmicosin in donkey plasma, urine, and feces after a single intragastric administration to determine the suitability of tilmicosin for donkeys. A total of 5 healthy male donkeys with similar body weights were selected. The donkeys were administered a single dose of 10 mg · kg -1 body weight (BW) tilmicosin by gavage. The concentrations of tilmicosin in plasma, urine, and feces were determined. The results showed that after a single intragastric administration of 10 mg · kg -1 body weight, tilmicosin in donkey plasma reached a maximum concentration of 11.23 ± 5.37 mg · L -1 at 0.80 ± 0.10 h, with a half-life of 14.49 ± 7.13 h, a mean residence time of 28.05 ± 3.05 h, a Cl/F of 0.48 ± 0.18 L · kg -1  · h -1 , and a Vd/F of 9.28 ± 2.63 Lkg -1 . The percentage of tilmicosin excreted through the urine of donkeys is 2.47%, and the percentage excreted through the feces is 66.43%. Our study provides data to inform the use of tilmicosin in donkeys., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: A rapid and reliable method was developed and validated for the simultaneous analysis of 52 antibiotics (cephalosporins, penicillins, carbapenems, lincosamides, quinolones, nitroimidazoles, macrolides, sulfonamides, tetracyclines, glycopeptide) in urine and whole blood by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS)., Method: Analytes were extracted by dilution or protein precipitation and analyzed on an Agilent 1260 HPLC system coupled to an Agilent 6470 Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer., Results: The method attended method validation criteria. The limits of detection were equal or lower than 2.0 ng/mL, whereas the limits of quantification ranged from 0.1 to 10.0 ng/mL, from 0.1 to 5.0 ng/mL, in urine and whole blood, respectively. For all analytes, the bias and intra- and inter-day precision values were less than 14.7%. The ranges of recovery values of all antibiotics were 76.5-124.5% in whole blood and 76.3-121.8% in urine, values of the effects were lower than 25% in two matrices. No evidence of carryover was observed. The study of sample stability showed that almost all analytes were stable at 24 °C for 24 h, all analytes were stable at -20 °C for 14 days and at -80 °C for 30 days. Freeze-thaw cycles stability showed that antibiotics were stable except for imipenem. Autosampler stability study showed that all analytes were stable for 24 h, except for imipenem and amoxicillin. Applicability was proven by analyzing authentic whole blood (n = 86) and urine (n = 79) samples from patients under antibiotics treatment. Therefore, this method was applied to the analysis 3 forensic allergy cases, which were positive for at least one analyte., Conclusions: A simple, sensitive and high-throughput method for the simultaneous determination of different classes of antibiotics in urine and whole blood samples was developed and applied. This sensitive method was successfully applied to forensic cases., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Japanese Association of Forensic Toxicology.)

Background: Carbon-based nanozymes have recently received enormous concern, however, there is still a huge challenge for inexpensive and large-scale synthesis of magnetic carbon-based "Two-in-One" mimics with both peroxidase (POD)-like and laccase-like activities, especially their potential applications in multi-mode sensing of antibiotics and neurotransmitters in biofluids. Although some progresses have been made in this field, the feasibility of biomass-derived carbon materials with both POD-like and laccase-like activities by polyatomic doping strategy is still unclear. In addition, multi-mode sensing platform can provide a more reliable result because of the self-validation, self-correction and mutual agreement. Nevertheless, the use of magnetic carbon-based nanozyme sensors for the multi-mode detection of antibiotics and neurotransmitters have not been investigated., Results: We herein report a shrimp shell-derived N, O-codoped porous carbon confined magnetic CuFe 2 O 4 nanosphere with outstanding laccase-like and POD-like activities for triple-mode sensing of antibiotic d-penicillamine (D-PA) and chloramphenicol (CPL), as well as colorimetric detection of neurotransmitters in biofluids. The magnetic CuFe 2 O 4 /N, O-codoped porous carbon (MCNPC) armored mimetics was successfully fabricated using a combined in-situ coordination and high-temperature crystallization method. The synthesized MCNPC composite with superior POD-like activity can be used for colorimetric/temperature/smartphone-based triple-mode detection of D-PA and CPL in goat serum. Importantly, the MCNPC nanozyme can also be used for colorimetric analysis of dopamine and epinephrine in human urine., Significance: This work not only offered a novel strategy to large-scale, cheap synthesize magnetic carbon-based "Two-in-One" armored mimetics, but also established the highly sensitive and selective platforms for triple-mode monitoring D-PA and CPL, as well as colorimetric analysis of neurotransmitters in biofluids without any tanglesome sample pretreatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Growing antimicrobial resistance has accelerated the development of anti-virulence drugs to suppress bacterial toxicity without affecting cell viability. Fluorothiazinon (FT), an anti-virulence, type three secretion system and flagella motility inhibitor which has shown promise to suppress drug-resistant pathogens having the potential to enhance the efficacy of commonly prescribed antibiotics when used in combination. In this study we characterized the pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, bioavailability and excretion of FT in rats and rabbits. FT presented a dose-proportional linear increase in the blood of rats. Tissue distribution profiling confirmed that FT distributes to all organs being substantially higher than in the blood of rats. The bioavailability of FT was higher when administered with starch than with water implying FT should be ideally dosed with food. FT was primarily excreted in the feces in rats and rabbits while negligible amounts are recovered from the urine., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to the Japan Antibiotics Research Association.)

The fate and effects of fluoroquinolone antibacterial (FQ) on the environment are important since there appears to be a surge in FQ resistance like enrofloxacin (ENR) in both environmental and clinical organisms. Numerous reports indicate that the sensing capabilities of these antibiotics need to be improved. Here, we have investigated the interaction of ENR with our synthesized pentacenequinone-modulated gadolinium-tin (GdSn-PQ) nanosheets and the formation of intermolecular interactions that caused the occurrence of aggregation-induced emission enhancement. The concept for designing hybrid metallic nanosheets comes from the unique features inherited from the parent organic precursor. Due to the distinct interaction between ENR and GdSn-PQ, the interstate conversion (ISC) between GdSn-PQ and ENR induces a significant wavelength shift in photoluminescence (PL), improving reliability, selectivity, and visibility compared to quenching- or AIEE-based methods without peak shifts, allowing for highly sensitive and visually detectable analyses. The fluorescence signal of GdSn-PQ exhibited a linear relationship ( R 2 = 0.9911), with the added ENR concentrations ranging from 5 to 90 nM, with a detection limit of 0.10 nM. We have demonstrated its potential and wide use in the detection of ENR in biological samples (human urine and blood serum) and environmental samples (tap water and seawater) with a recovery rate of 98- 108%. The current approach has demonstrated that the 2D GdSn-PQ nanosheet is a novel and powerful platform for future biological and environmental studies.

Amoxicillin and sulbactam are widely used in animal food compounding. Amoxicillin-sulbactam hybrid molecules are bicester compounds made by linking amoxicillin and sulbactam with methylene groups and have good application prospects. However, the residual elimination pattern of these hybrid molecules in animals needs to be explored. In the present study, the amoxicillin-sulbactam hybrid molecule (AS group) and a mixture of amoxicillin and sulbactam (mixture group) were administered to rats by gavage, and the levels of the major metabolites of amoxicillin, amoxicilloic acid, amoxicillin diketopiperazine, and sulbactam were determined by UPLC-MS/MS. The residue elimination patterns of the major metabolites in the liver, kidney, urine, and feces of rats in the AS group and the mixture group were compared. The results showed that the total amount of amoxicillin, amoxicilloic acid, amoxicillin diketopiperazine, and the highest concentration of sulbactam in the liver and kidney samples of the AS group and the mixture group appeared at 1 h after drug withdrawal. Between 1 h and 12 h post discontinuation, the total amount of amoxicillin, amoxicilloic acid, and amoxicillin diketopiperazine in the two tissues decreased rapidly, and the elimination half-life of the AS group was significantly higher than that in the mixture group ( p < 0.05); the residual amount of sulbactam also decreased rapidly, and the elimination half-life was not significantly different ( p > 0.05). In 72 h urine samples, the total excretion rates were 60.61 ± 2.13% and 62.62 ± 1.73% in the AS group and mixture group, respectively. The total excretion rates of fecal samples (at 72 h) for the AS group and mixture group were 9.54 ± 0.26% and 10.60 ± 0.24%, respectively. These results showed that the total quantity of amoxicillin, amoxicilloic acid, and amoxicillin diketopiperazine was eliminated more slowly in the liver and kidney of the AS group than those of the mixture group and that the excretion rate through urine and feces was essentially the same for both groups. The residual elimination pattern of the hybrid molecule in rats determined in this study provides a theoretical basis for the in-depth development and application of hybrid molecules, as well as guidelines for the development of similar drugs.

The canine urinary excretion of florfenicol was evaluated to explore its potential for treating urinary tract infections. Nine healthy male intact purpose-bred Beagles and four healthy client-owned dogs each received a single oral dose of florfenicol 20 mg/kg (300 mg/mL parenteral solution) with food. All voluntary urinations were collected for 12 h. Although florfenicol is reportedly bitter tasting, 7/9 Beagles and 4/4 client-owned dogs completely ingested the florfenicol and were enrolled; salivation (n = 1) and headshaking (n = 3) were observed. The last measured urine florfenicol concentrations were variable: Beagles (0.23-3.19 mcg/mL), Pug (3.01 mcg/mL) English Setter (21.29 mcg/mL), Greyhound (32.68 mcg/mL), and Standard Poodle (13.00 mcg/mL). Urine half-life was similar for the Beagles and the Pug, 0.75-1.39 h, whereas the half-life was 1.70-1.82 h for the English Setter, Greyhound, and Standard Poodle. Larger breed dogs exceeded 8 mcg/mL florfenicol (wild-type cutoff) in their urine at 12 h, whereas the Beagles and Pug had <8 mcg/mL; it is unclear if this is an individual, breed, or size difference. These data suggest oral florfenicol may need to be administered q6-12h for canine urinary tract infections, but further data are needed (more enrolled dogs, multiple-dose regimens) before considering clinical trials or breed-specific differences., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Only few studies have assessed the health effects due to preconception exposure to antibiotics among childbearing couples. This study investigated the status of preconception exposure to antibiotics among childbearing couples in Anhui, associated with health risks, and influencing factors. Overall, 1500 childbearing couples were randomly selected from the Reproductive Health of Childbearing Couples - Anhui Cohort (RHCC-AC). The urinary levels of 40 antibiotics and 2 metabolites were determined, and specific gravity (SG) adjusted concentrations of antibiotics were measured to assess health risks. Generalized linear models were used to assess the associations of urinary SG-adjusted concentration of antibiotics with demographic parameters and diet frequency. The total detection rates of all antibiotics were 98.9 % and 99.3 % in wives and husbands, respectively. The detection rates of veterinary antibiotics (VAs) and preferred as VAs (PVAs) were above 90 %. Among eight antibiotics, sulfonamides (95.1 %) and fluoroquinolones (87.6 %) had the highest detection rates in couples. Approximately four-fifths of couples were simultaneously exposed to at least three different antibiotics, and more than half of them were exposed to low concentrations of antibiotics. 8.9 % and 9.2 % of wives and husbands had hazard index value of antibiotics exposure greater than 1. Antibiotic concentrations were associated with residence, sampling season, and diet frequency. In Anhui, nearly 98 % of childbearing couples have environmental exposure to antibiotics, and VAs and PVAs are the primary antibiotics. More than 8 % of couples had health risks due to antibiotic exposure. Several potential determinants of urinary antibiotics deserve more attention in future research., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This paper describes the use of cyclodextrins (CDs) to improve the determination of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in human body fluids using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). CDs were used to (i) prepare the CD-SERS substrate (synthesis and stabilization of silver nanoparticles), (ii) increase the sensitivity of the assay by enhancing the interaction between analyte molecules and the substrate, and (iii) improve the analysis accuracy by reducing the interaction between the substrate and endogenous components of body fluids. Two native CDs (α-CD and β-CD) and two of their derivatives with hydroxypropyl groups were tested, and the best results were obtained with CD-SERS substrate prepared using native β-CD. The CD-SERS assay has been developed and optimized for the determination of commonly used and structurally related fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, pefloxacin, and levofloxacin) in urine and blood plasma samples. Importantly, the non-significant difference in the interaction of the CD-modified SERS substrate with various fluoroquinolones has been successfully used to develop a versatile assay suitable for the analyte-class-specific analysis. Calibration plots were obtained for concentration ranges suitable for the determination of the antibiotics in urine (50-500 μg mL -1 ) and blood plasma (1-6 μg mL -1 ). The following figures of merit were obtained (for urine and blood plasma, respectively): RSD values are ≤15% and ≤23%, LOD values are 2.9-5.8 and 0.05-0.34 μg mL -1 , recovery ranges are 96-105% and 91-111%. In addition, the influence of excessive concentrations of some main endogenous components of the body fluids on the analytical signal was studied. This step was used to evaluate possible limitations of the assay associated with the deviation of the composition of the body fluid matrix. Therefore, accounting for the short analysis time (≤15 min) and the use of a portable Raman spectrometer, the proposed assay can be suggested for therapeutic drug monitoring in hospitals., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper, (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Contezolid is a novel oxazolidinone antibiotic with good antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. For the purpose to further characterize the pharmacokinetics of contezolid and its major metabolite M2, accurate and rapid ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric assays (UPLC-MS/MS) were developed and validated for simultaneous quantification of contezolid and M2 in human plasma and urine. The plasma samples were pretreated by liquid-liquid extraction. The automated solid phase extraction method was used to preprocess urine samples. ACQUITY UPLC® BEH C8 (2.1 mm × 100 mm, 1.7 µm) column was used to separate the analytes with a gradient mobile phase of acetonitrile and water at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. The calibration curves showed good linearity over the concentration ranges of 0.0100-5.00 µg/mL for contezolid in plasma and urine, 0.00200-1.00 µg/mL in plasma and 0.0200-10.0 µg/mL in urine for M2, respectively. For both plasma and urine assays, the intra- and inter-batch accuracy and precision were within 15% for all quality control levels, including the lower limit of quantitation. The methods were fully validated and successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of contezolid tablets in subjects with moderate hepatic impairment., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Ciprofloxacin (CIP) electrochemical sensor was constructed using cobalt-iron Prussian blue analogs decorated on carbon nitride (Co-Fe-PBA@CN). Co-Fe-PBA decorated on CN was fabricated using a simple sonication-assisted hydrothermal method to prepare the composite to obtain a cube-shaped structure decorated on CN sheets. The fabricated Co-Fe-PBA@CN was physically characterized using XRD and SEM analysis. Then, the fabricated composite was electrochemically studied to sense antibiotic drug ciprofloxacin (CIP). The electrochemical behavior was investigated using tools such as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and amperometric I-t studies. The Co-Fe-PBA@CN modified electrode displays a wide linear range (0.005-300 and 325-741 μM) with a low detection limit (0.7389 and 1.0313 nM) and good sensitivity (0.3157 and 0.2263 μA.μM -1 cm -2 ) toward CIP. The Co-Fe-PBA@CN modified electrode also exhibits good selectivity, reproducibility, and repeatability toward CIP. The proposed sensor was validated with real sample analysis, biological samples like urine and blood serum containing commercially available ciprofloxacin tablets were studied, and the results demonstrate good viability., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

The inefficiency of conventional biological processes to remove pharmaceutical compounds (PhCs) in wastewater is leading to their accumulation in aquatic environments. These compounds are characterized by high toxicity, high antibiotic activity and low biodegradability, and their presence is causing serious environmental risks. Because much of the PhCs consumed by humans are excreted in the urine, hospital effluents have been considered one of the main routes of entry of PhCs into the environment. In this work, a critical review of the technologies employed for the removal of PhCs in hospital wastewater was carried out. This review provides an overview of the current state of the developed technologies for decreasing the chemical risks associated with the presence of PhCs in hospital wastewater or urine in the last years, including conventional treatments (filtration, adsorption, or biological processes), advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs).

Concentration-dependent photoluminescence carbon dots (CDs) have been successfully synthesized through the one-step hydrothermal treatment of o-phthalic acid and ethylenediamine. The CDs possessed higher fluorescence quantum yield, up to 39.22%, exhibiting distinguished optical property, water solubility, and stability. The CDs that emit strong blue-green fluorescence can visually identify and determine tetracycline (TC), oxytetracycline (OTC), and chlortetracycline (CTC). TC quenched the fluorescence of CDs at 500 nm owing to the inner filter effect; OTC behaved similarly, but the emission wavelength of CDs was red-shifted to 515 nm. Inversely, once CTC was introduced to CDs solution, the fluorescence increased and the emission peak was blue-shifted to 450 nm. Bandgap transition and electrostatic interaction were proposed to be the mechanisms for the detection of OTC and CTC by CDs. Wide linear relationships were established for TC, OTC, and CTC with the limits of detection to be 50 nM, 36 nM, and 373 nM, respectively. Furthermore, the nanoscale probe constructed by this system has been applied to detect tetracyclines (TCs) in complex samples with satisfying recoveries (93.2-114%) and was designed as a portable test strip sensor for visually on-site TCs of honey sample screening. Accordingly, the preparation process of the nano fluorescent probe is simple and environmentally friendly, and the probe has a specific recognition ability for tetracyclines. The synthesized CDs in this work provide a new orientation for fast, effective, and visual real-time detection of tetracycline in actual samples.

Background: Experimental and epidemiological studies have linked antibiotics use to gut dysbiosis-mediated risk of chronic metabolic diseases. However, whether adiposity is linked to antibiotic exposure in elderly remains inadequately understood., Objective: To investigate the association between internal exposure of antibiotics and adiposity in elderly by using a biomonitoring method., Methods: We included 990 participants (≥60 years) from the baseline survey of the Cohort of Elderly Health and Environment Controllable Factors in Lu'an city, China, from June to September 2016. Forty-five antibiotics and two metabolites in urine were monitored through liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations were used to assess antibiotic exposure levels. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and body fat percentage (BFP) were used as indicators of adiposity. Multiple linear regression and binary logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the association of antibiotic concentrations with obesity-related indices. Subsequently, a gender-stratified analysis was performed., Results: Of the included elderly, 50.7% were defined as having overweight/ obesity, 59.8% as having central preobesity/obesity, and 37.5% as having slightly high/high BFP. Linear regression analysis revealed that a 1-unit increase in the logarithmic transformation of norfloxacin concentrations was related with an increase of 0.29 kg/m 2 (95% CI: 0.02-0.04), 0.99 cm (95% CI：0.24-1.75), and 0.69% (95% CI：0.21-1.17) in BMI, WC, and BFP, respectively. Compared with the control group, exposure to doxycycline (tertile 2: odds ratio, 2.06 [95% CI: 1.12-3.76]) and norfloxacin (tertile 2: 2.13 [1.05-4.29]; tertile 3: 2.07 [1.03-4.17]) had BMI-based overweight/obesity risk. Additionally, ciprofloxacin (tertile 2: 2.06 [1.12-3.76]), norfloxacin (tertile 3: 2.95 [1.34-6.49]), and florfenicol (tertile 3: 1.84 [1.07-3.14]) were related to WC-based central preobesity/obesity risk. Norfloxacin (tertile 3: 2.54 [1.23-5.24]) was positively associated with a slightly high/high BFP risk. Gender-stratified analysis demonstrated an increased adiposity risk in women compared with men., Conclusions: Our research provided an evidence that exposure to specific types of antibiotics (tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones) probably from the food chain contributed to obesity in elderly. Prospective cohort studies with larger sample size are warrented to explore the causation., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this study, a microbiological inhibition method for rapidly screening antibiotics in swine urine was established with an easy sample pre-treatment. The microbiological system consisted of an agar medium mixed with nutrients, sensitizers, a test bacterium (Geobacillus stearothermophilus ATCC12980) and pH indicator (bromocresol purple). It was observed that the detection limits of the test kit for twenty-eight common antimicrobial residues in urine, including β-lactams, aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, sulfonamides, macrolides, and lincosamides, were less than or equal to the maximum residue limits of the kidney, as determined by the EU and China. Moreover, the false negative rate and the false positive rate, along with other performance indexes such as interassay coefficients of variation and shelf life of the kit, all met the standard requirements of the ISO13969:2003 guidelines. Additionally, our results were consistent with those using the gold-standard physical chemistry method, which suggest the proposed method is suitable for screening antibiotic residues., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objectives: Treatment guidelines do not recommend antibiotic use for acute respiratory infections (ARI), except for streptococcal pharyngitis/tonsillitis and pneumonia. However, antibiotics are prescribed frequently for children with ARI, often in absence of evidence for bacterial infection. The objectives of this study were 1) to assess the appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions for mild ARI in paediatric outpatients in relation to available guidelines and detected pathogens, 2) to assess antibiotic use on presentation using questionnaires and detection in urine 3) to assess the carriage rates and proportions of resistant intestinal Enterobacteriaceae before, during and after consultation., Materials and Methods: Patients were prospectively enrolled in Children's Hospital 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and diagnoses, prescribed therapy and outcome were recorded on first visit and on follow-up after 7 days. Respiratory bacterial and viral pathogens were detected using molecular assays. Antibiotic use before presentation was assessed using questionnaires and urine HPLC. The impact of antibiotic usage on intestinal Enterobacteriaceae was assessed with semi-quantitative culture on agar with and without antibiotics on presentation and after 7 and 28 days., Results: A total of 563 patients were enrolled between February 2009 and February 2010. Antibiotics were prescribed for all except 2 of 563 patients. The majority were 2nd and 3rd generation oral cephalosporins and amoxicillin with or without clavulanic acid. Respiratory viruses were detected in respiratory specimens of 72.5% of patients. Antibiotic use was considered inappropriate in 90.1% and 67.5%, based on guidelines and detected pathogens, respectively. On presentation parents reported antibiotic use for 22% of patients, 41% of parents did not know and 37% denied antibiotic use. Among these three groups, six commonly used antibiotics were detected with HPLC in patients' urine in 49%, 40% and 14%, respectively. Temporary selection of 3rd generation cephalosporin resistant intestinal Enterobacteriaceae during antibiotic use was observed, with co-selection of resistance to aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones., Conclusions: We report overuse and overprescription of antibiotics for uncomplicated ARI with selection of resistant intestinal Enterobacteriaceae, posing a risk for community transmission and persistence in a setting of a highly granular healthcare system and unrestricted access to antibiotics through private pharmacies., Registration: This study was registered at the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trials Number registry under number ISRCTN32862422: http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN32862422., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to determine the side effect frequency and serum and urine drug concentrations of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid in cats with and without azotemic chronic kidney disease (azCKD)., Methods: Owners whose cats had been prescribed amoxicillin-clavulanic acid completed a survey regarding the occurrence and type of side effects, and whether treatment was altered as a result. Cats were defined as azCKD (serum creatinine concentration >2.0 mg/dl, urine specific gravity [USG] <1.035 with a clinical diagnosis of chronic kidney disease) and without azCKD (serum creatinine concentration <2.0 mg/dl). Data were assessed with Fisher's exact test. Serum and urine samples were obtained from client-owned cats with azCKD (n = 6) and without azCKD (n = 6, serum creatinine concentration <1.8 mg/dl, USG >1.035) that were receiving amoxicillin-clavulanic acid. Amoxicillin and clavulanic acid were measured with liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry and compared between groups with a Mann-Whitney test. Correlation between serum creatinine and drug concentrations in urine and serum was determined using Spearman's rank test., Results: Sixty-one surveys were returned (11 azCKD cats and 50 without azCKD cats). No significant difference in the presence of side effects or type of side effects was seen between groups; however, significantly more azCKD cats had more than one side effect ( P  = 0.02). More owners of azCKD cats reported that an alteration in treatment plan was necessitated by side effects (55% vs 12%; P  = 0.008). Urine amoxicillin was significantly lower in cats with azCKD ( P  = 0.01) and serum amoxicillin trended toward significance ( P  = 0.07). Serum amoxicillin concentration was positively correlated with serum creatinine ( P  = 0.02; r  = 0.62) and urine amoxicillin concentration was negatively correlated with serum creatinine ( P  = 0.01; r  = -0.65)., Conclusions and Relevance: The data suggest that cats with azCKD have altered pharmacokinetics of amoxicillin, which may contribute to an increased incidence of multiple side effects.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Extracts from Cranberry fruits (Vaccinium macrocarpon) are traditionally used against urinary tract infections, mainly due to antiadhesive activity against uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC), but the exact mode of action and compounds, responsible for the activity, are unknown., Aim of the Study: i. To investigate if cranberry extract acts only by a single component or must be assessed as a multi-active-compound preparation; ii to screen isolated cranberry-related natural products under in vitro conditions to pinpoint natural products with antiadhesive effects against UPEC, followed by in silico calculations (QSAR) to predict potential antiadhesive compounds; iii. investigations by using urine samples from cranberry treated volunteers for evaluation on the bacterial transcriptome and the mannose-binding side of FimH, iv. to investigate if besides Tamm Horsfall Protein induction in the kidney, the extract acts also directly against UPEC., Material and Methods: Antiadhesive activity of 105 compounds was determined by flow cytometric adhesion assay (UPEC UTI89 on T24 bladder cells). Urine samples from 16 volunteers treated with cranberry extract (p.o., 7 days, 900 mg/day) were used for ex vivo testing concerning influence on the bacterial transcriptome (Illumina RNA-seq) and interaction with the mannose binding domain of type-1 fimbriae., Results: i. The antiadhesive effect of cranberry extract cannot be attributed to a single compound or to a single fraction. ii. Unglycosylated flavones and flavonols with bulky substitution of the B ring contribute to the antiadhesive activity. 3'-8″-biflavones and flavolignans (not related to cranberry fruits) were identified as potent antiadhesive compounds against UPEC. iii. QSAR yielded a model with good statistical performance and sufficient internal and external predictive ability. iv. Urine samples from male cranberry-treated volunteers indicated significant interaction with the mannose binding domain of type-1 fimbriae, which correlated with the amount of Tamm-Horsfall Protein in the test samples. v Cranberry extract did not influence the UPEC transcriptome; gene expression of bacterial adhesins (P-, S-fimbrae, curli) was not influenced by the urine samples, while a slight, but non-significant upregulation of type 1 fimbriae was observed., Conclusions: B-ring substituted flavones and flavonols from cranberry contribute to the antiadhesive activity against UPEC by inhibition of the FimH-mediated interaction with the host cell bladder epithelium., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication and there has been no significant financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A rapid procedure for the determination of amphenicol antibiotics in human urine by liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS) is proposed. The presence of thiamphenicol (TAP), florfenicol (FF) and chloramphenicol (CAP) in the human body can be attributed to their administration to treat certain diseases or by eating food of animal origin. The TAP, FF and CAP excreted in urine is mainly in the form of glucuronide conjugates, although their free forms may also be excreted to a lesser extent. In the procedure described, the enzymatic hydrolysis of amphenicol glucuronide forms in urine was carried out using β-glucuronidase and sulfatase at pH 5 (37 °C, overnight) in order to discriminate the free and conjugated forms. Then, amphenicol antibiotics were submitted to dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) for preconcentration. All the parameters affecting DLLME efficiency were optimized, and the following conditions were selected: 0.9 g NaCl in 10 mL of urine, to which 1.2 mL methanol (as dispersant solvent) and 1 mL of 4-methyl-2-pentanone (as extractant solvent) were added. The absence of a matrix effect allowed quantification of the samples against aqueous standards. Detection limits were 29, 6 and 3 pg mL -1 for TAP, FF and CAP, respectively. Relative standard deviations were calculated to evaluate the intra- and inter-day precision and values lower than 10% were obtained in all cases. The trueness of the method was tested through recovery studies, obtaining satisfactory values (83-104%). Ten urine samples obtained from volunteers were analysed and all of them were free of the studied antibiotics., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The synthesis and fabrication of oval-shaped tantalum carbide (Ta-C) integrated functionalized-multiwalled carbon nanotube (Ta-C/f-MWCNT) as an electrocatalyst for the electrochemical determination of nitrofurantoin (NFT) is described. The Ta-C/f-MWCNT composite was prepared using the soft-template method followed by the ultrasonication process. The as-prepared Ta-C/f-MWCNT composite was characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The electrochemical properties of Ta-C/f-MWCNT were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). The Ta-C/f-MWCNT-modified glassy carbon electrode (Ta-C/f-MWCNT/GCE) was successfully utilized as an active electrocatalyst for the detection of NFT in the presence of 0.384 mM NFT containing 0.05 M phosphate buffer (pH 7) at a scan rate of 50 mV/s. The Ta-C/f-MWCNT/GCE exhibited a wide linear response range (0.04-1047 μM) and a low detection limit (0.0011 μM). Further, the Ta-C/f-MWCNT/GCE showed appreciable results for repeatability, reproducibility, and long-term cyclic stability towards NFT sensing. The Ta-C/f-MWCNT/GCE was applied to real sample analysis such as a commercial tablet and human urine samples. The Ta-C/f-MWCNT/GCE exhibited good recovery values for the tablet (105 to 115%) and urine (101-107%) samples. The above electrochemical results suggest that the Ta-C/f-MWCNT is a promising electrocatalyst for the electrochemical sensing of NFT drug. Graphical abstract .

A sensitive and selective method for the determination of the antibiotic chloramphenicol (CAP) is described, which is based on double signal amplification and GO as an efficient fluorescence quencher. The nucleic acid probe is composed of three well-defined regions, viz. the signal probe I, the signal probe II, and the capture probe. The capture probe will bind to CAP specifically and the signal probes produce a significant fluorescence signal. One end of the signal probes is labeled with the fluorophore 6-carboxyfluorescein (FAM). The labeled probes can be adsorbed on graphene oxide (GO) via π-stacking interactions, upon which the green fluorescence of FAM (measured at excitation/emission wavelengths of 490/514 nm) is quenched. On addition of CAP, the aptamer/CAP complexes are formed, and this leads to the restoration of fluorescence due to the removal of the probes from GO. The double signal probes, together with GO as quencher, improve the fluorescence signal significantly and lower the detection limit. Under optimized conditions, the assay works in the 20- to 200-ppb CAP concentration range and has a 0.3-ppb detection limit. It is also successfully applied to the determination of CAP in spiked swine urine samples. The recoveries from spiked swine urine samples are between 97.73 and 108.56%, and the repeatability (expressed as the RSD) is between 4.66 and 8.90%. Graphical abstract The constructed DNA probes form a stable structure and bind to chloramphenicol specifically. One end of signal probes was labeled with the fluorophore 6-carboxyfluorescein (FAM). The detection sensitivity of chloramphenicol was significantly enhanced by using double signal amplification, which was superior to the traditional methods. The quantities of CAP can be achieved by fluorescence increment.

Objectives: Colistin, administered as the prodrug colistin methanesulphonate (CMS), is an antibiotic frequently administered as aerosol in cystic fibrosis (CF) patient. Our aim was to assess the plasma PK of colistin in CF patients treated with CMS administered intravenously or as aerosol and to compare these results with those previously reported in healthy volunteers., Methods: Six CF patients were included, CMS and colistin concentrations were measured in plasma, urine and sputum. Either after single intravenous administration of 2 Million International Unit (MIU) or after repeated nebulizations of 2 MIU of CMS. PK of CMS and colistin were assessed by a mixed effect modeling approach., Results: Renal clearance of CMS was lower in CF patients compared to that previously reported in healthy volunteers (64.3 mL/min (RSE = 15%) vs. 103 mL/min (RSE = 8%)). However, apparent clearance of colistin was higher in CF patients compared to healthy volunteers (124 mL/min (RSE = 13%) vs. 48.7 mL/min (RSE = 15%)), resulting in reduced systemic exposure to colistin (dose normalized AUC (2 MIU) of 7.4 h.mg/L/MIU vs. 11.2 h.mg/L/MIU). After repeated nebulizations, colistin concentrations were very low in plasma (<0.21 mg/L)., Conclusions: Although our study suggests a lower median dose normalized colistin plasma concentrations in CF patients compared with healthy controls, this difference was not significant and a larger study is needed to substantiate this., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The determination of antibiotic levels in body fluids is of great importance in the field of personalized medicine and therapeutic drug monitoring. We report on the determination of sulfamethoxazole (SMX), an antibacterial drug of the sulfanilamide class, in spiked human urine. The protocol is based on the combination of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and liquid-liquid extraction (LLE-SERS analysis). First, the urine was diluted to reduce its buffer properties and the influence of the intrinsic urine components on the background SERS signal. Second, the acidification of the diluted urine and SMX extracts was performed to facilitate SMX extraction by chloroform and suppress the background signal, respectively. Finally, the SMX determination process was performed using hydroxylamine-stabilized silver nanoparticles as the SERS substrate. The efficiency and reliability of the LLE-SERS analysis were studied using spiked urine samples obtained from healthy volunteers with an SMX content within the therapeutically relevant concentration range (10-200 μg mL -1 ). Additionally, the verification of the analysis protocol was done using spiked urine samples obtained from oncology patients. The results of the verification demonstrate the applicability of the analysis for quantitative therapeutic drug monitoring due to the (i) strong suppression of the background SERS signal, which occurs as the result of LLE, dilution, and pH adjusting, (ii) satisfactory limit of detection of 1.7 μg mL -1 , and (iii) simple, relatively fast (∼30 min), and cost-effective sample pretreatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The impact of the bladder environment on fosfomycin activity and treatment response is uncertain. Standard laboratory media does not reflect the biomatrix of urine, where limited nutritional factors are important for growth and antimicrobial kill rates. We compared fosfomycin activity against Enterobacteriaceae in laboratory media, human urine and synthetic alternatives. Sixteen clinical isolates (8-Escherichia coli, 4-Enterobacter cloacae, 4-Klebsiella pneumoniae) were studied with broth microdilution (BMD) susceptibility, static time-kill assays and dynamic testing in a bladder infection model simulating a 3 g oral fosfomycin dose. Mueller-Hinton broth (MHB) with and without 25 mg/L glucose-6-phosphate (G6P), pooled midstream urine (MSU), pooled 24 h urine collection (24 U), artificial urine medium (AUM) and synthetic human urine (SHU) were compared. BMD susceptibility, bacterial growth and response to static fosfomycin concentrations in urine were best matched with SHU and were distinctly different when tested in MHB with G6P. Fosfomycin exposure in the bladder infection model was accurately reproduced (bias 4.7 ± 6.2%). Under all media conditions, 8 isolates (2-E. coli, 2-E. cloacae, 4-K. pneumoniae) re-grew and 4 isolates (4-E. coli) were killed. The remaining isolates (2-E. coli, 2-E. cloacae) re-grew variably in urine and synthetic media. Agar dilution MIC failed to predict re-growth, whereas BMD MIC in media without G6P performed better. Emergence of resistance was restricted in synthetic media. Overall, SHU provided the best substitute for urine for in vitro modelling of antimicrobial treatment of uropathogens, and these data have broader utility for improved preclinical testing of antimicrobials for urinary tract infections., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Extensive antibiotic exposure in the general population has been documented by bio-monitoring, but data regarding antibiotic burden across three generations in families living in the same household are lacking. We investigated the distribution of antibiotics and the potential health risk among the three generations by selecting 691 participants from 256 households in Fuyang city, China. A total of 45 antibiotics and two metabolites were screened in urine samples through liquid chromatography electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. In total, 34 antibiotics were found in the samples with an overall detection frequency of 92.0%, and the detection frequencies of individual antibiotic ranged from 0.3% to 28.7%. Specifically, the concentrations of seven antibiotics (azithromycin, amoxicillin, oxytetracycline, levofloxacin, norfloxacin, trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole) were extremely high (i.e., above 10, 000 ng/mL). The detection rates of tetracyclines were significantly different among the three generations, with parents having the highest detection rate. Penicillin V, chlortetracycline, doxycycline, enrofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin showed a higher detection frequency in parents, whereas tetracycline, danofloxacin, and ofloxacin were more likely to be found in grandparents. The proportions of the sum of the daily exposure dose of VAs and PVAs more than 1 μg/kg/d in children, parents, and grandparents were 31.6%, 39.5%, and 26.5%, respectively. A hazard index (HI) greater than 1 was observed in 14.7% children, which was less than the 23.6% in parents and slightly higher than the 11.8% in grandparents. Ciprofloxacin was the biggest contributor to HI among the three generations. Collectively, these findings indicate that households are widely exposed to various antibiotics in Fuyang city, where parents had the highest health risk associated with the disturbance of gut microbiota., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interests The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Given their geographical proximity but differences in cultural and religious dietary customs, we hypothesize that children from the three main ethnic populations (Han, Hui, and Tibetan) residing in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau region differs in their non-iatrogenic antibiotic loads., Methods: To determine the antibiotic burden of the school children unrelated to medical treatment, we quantified the antibiotic residues in morning urine samples from 92 Han, 72 Tibetan, and 85 Muslim Hui primary school children aged 8 to 12 years using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and performed correlation analysis between these data and concurrent dietary nutrition assessments., Results: Sixteen of the 18 targeted antibiotics (4 macrolides, 3 β-lactams, 2 tetracyclines, 4 quinolones, 3 sulfonamides, and 2 aminoanols) were identified in the urine samples with an overall detection frequency of 58.63%. The detection frequency of the six antibiotic classes ranged from 1.61% to 32.53% with ofloxacin showing the single highest frequency (18.47%). Paired comparison analysis revealed significant differences in antibiotic distribution frequency among groups, with Tibetans having higher enrofloxacin (P = 0.015) and oxytetracycline (P = 0.021) than Han children. Norfloxacin (a human/veterinary antibiotic) was significantly higher in the Hui children than in the Han children (P = 0.024). Dietary nutrient intake assessments were comparable among participants, showing adequate levels of essential vitamins and minerals across all three ethnic groups. However, significant differences in specific foods were observed among groups, notably in lower fat consumption in the Hui group., Conclusions: The introduction and accumulation of antibiotic residues in school children through non-iatrogenic routes (food or environmental sources) poses a serious potential health risk and merits closer scrutiny to determine the sources. While the exact sources of misused or overused antibiotics remains unclear, further study can potentially correlate ethnicity-specific dietary practices with the sources of contamination., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The simultaneous determination of anticancer and antibiotic drugs in biological samples with fast and sensitive methods is an essential task for the effective monitoring of drug therapy. A novel electrochemical sensor for the simultaneous determination of anticancer drug Flutamide (FLU) and antibiotic drug Nitrofurantoin (NF) was developed based on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with N-CQD@Co 3 O 4 /MWCNTs hybrid nanocomposite. The electro-kinetics of the developed sensor was studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV). The electrochemical performance of FLU and NF on the N-CQD@Co 3 O 4 /MWCNTs/GCE surface was examined using CV and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) techniques. At an optimized condition, the developed sensor exhibits excellent performance in simultaneous determination of FLU and NF with a linear range of 0.05-590 μM and 0.05-1220 μM and detection limit of 0.0169 μM and 0.044 μM respectively. Furthermore, the developed sensor exhibits satisfactory results in the real sample analysis., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The threatening of antibiotic drugs for human and environment is being paid more and more attention. Ciprofloxacin (CIP), a strong quinolone antibiotic drug widely used in therapeutic treatments, is the most frequently detected in surface waters among the fluoroquinolones, which represents animal and human health risks. A novel highly fluorescent Ga-based hybrid (Eu 3+ @1) has been synthesized based on metal-organic framework (MOF) by encapsulating lanthanide cations Eu 3+ in its channels. The as-synthesized compound possesses excellent water and pH-independent stability. It displays week red luminescence of Eu 3+ in itself and can sense the CIP concentration as turn-on fluorescent probe in the human urine. With addition of CIP, the evident luminescence enhancement is clearly observed from the Eu 3+ @1. Linear correlation between the fluorescence intensity and the concentration of CIP is investigated, proving the excellent performance of Eu 3+ @1 in the detection of CIP with linear range (0.01-0.2 mg/mL) and low detection limit (2.4 ppm or 2.4 μg/mL). The response time is also very quick, less than 3 min. Based on these findings, we introduce AND logic gate strategy to the probe. The input of the logic gates (0, 1), (0, 1, 1), (1, 1, 1) cause the different outputs of CIP determination "LOW" (<25 ppm),"NORMAL" (25-76 ppm), "HIGH" (>76 ppm), respectively. The novel strategy can be applied for a real-time CIP concentration evaluation by intelligent discrimination., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A rapid, precise and robust HPLC separation procedure has been developed and optimized for the determination of a series of drugs of different therapeutic classes: chlortetracycline, oxitetracycline, cefoperazone, diclofenac, tiamphenicol, marbofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, danofloxacin, enrofloxacin and flumequine. The chromatographic method used a monolithic C18 column and both diode array and fluorescence detection. This procedure was validated for the analysis of drugs in cow urine, using a simple and fast procedure with methanol/acetonitrile, allowing the simultaneous and efficient extraction of most of the studied drugs. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of enrofloxacin in cow urine, collected after the administration of this antibiotic., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Recently, the widespread use of antibiotic has raised concerns about the potential health risks associated with their microbiological effect. In the present study, we investigated 990 elderly individuals (age ≥ 60 years) from the Cohort of Elderly Health and Environment Controllable Factors in West Anhui, China. A total of 45 representative antibiotics and two antibiotic metabolites were monitored in urine samples through liquid chromatography electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. The results revealed that 34 antibiotics were detected in 93.0% of all urine samples and the detection frequencies of each antibiotic varied between 0.2% and 35.5%. The overall detection frequencies of seven human antibiotics (HAs), 10 veterinary antibiotics (VAs), three antibiotics preferred as HAs (PHAs), and 14 preferred as VAs (PVAs) in urines were 27.4%, 62.9%, 30.9% and 72.7%, respectively. Notably, the samples with concentrations of six PVAs (sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, oxytetracycline, danofloxacin, norfloxacin and lincomycin) above 5000 ng/mL accounted for 1.7% of all urine samples. Additionally, in 62.7% of urine samples, the total antibiotic concentration was in the range of the limits of detection to 20.0 ng/mL. Furthermore, the elderly individuals with the sum of estimated daily intakes of VAs and PVAs more than 1 μg/kg/day accounted for 15.2% of all participants, and a health risk related to change in gut microbiota under antibiotic stimulation was expected in 6.7% of the elderly individuals. Especially, ciprofloxacin was the foremost contributor to the health risk, and its hazard quotient value was more than one in 3.5% of all subjects. Taken together, the elderly Chinese people were extensively exposed to VAs, and some elderly individuals may have a health risk associated with dysbiosis of the gut microbiota., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A new electrochemical device based on a combination of nanomaterials such as Printex 6L Carbon and cadmium telluride quantum dots within a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate film was developed for sensitive determination of amoxicillin. The morphological, structural and electrochemical characteristics of the nanostructured material were evaluated using X-ray diffraction, confocal microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and voltammetric techniques. The synergy between these materials increased the electrochemical activity, the electron transfer rate and the electrode surface area, leading to a high magnitude of the anodic peak current for the determination of amoxicillin. The electrochemical determination of the antibiotic was carried out using square-wave voltammetry. Under the optimised experimental conditions, the proposed sensor showed high sensitivity, repeatability and stability to amoxicillin determination, with an analytical curve in the amoxicillin concentration range from 0.90 to 69 μmol L -1 , and a low detection limit of 50 nmol L -1 . No significant interference in the electrochemical signal of amoxicillin was observed from potential biological interferences and drugs widely used, such as uric acid, paracetamol, urea, ascorbic acid and caffeine. It was demonstrated that without any sample pre-treatment and using a simple measurement device, the sensor could be an alternative method for not only the analysis of pharmaceutical products (commercial tablets) and clinical samples (urine), but also to examine food quality (milk samples)., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Nanozymes have gained increasing attention in the field of biosensing. Rationally designed nanozymes with excellent catalytic activity are accessible to substitute natural enzymes. Herein, a novel self-powered photoelectrochemical (PEC) aptasensor was constructed for ultrasensitive detection of chloramphenicol (CAP) based on ultrathin PtNi nanowires (NWs) as nanozyme and benzene-ring doped g-C 3 N 4 (BR-CN) as the photoactive material. The prepared 1-nm-thick PtNi nanozyme acted as a peroxidase, possessing higher catalytic activity than natural horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and other Pt-based mimic enzymes. Through the biotin-streptavidin specific interaction, streptavidin modified PtNi nanozyme was introduced into the dual-stranded DNA (dsDNA) formed by complementary DNA and biotinylated CAP aptamer. The PtNi nanozyme catalyzed 4-chloro-1-naphthol (4-CN) oxidation to generate insoluble precipitation on the electrode surface, resulting in an obvious photocurrent reduction. In the presence of CAP, the CAP aptamer was released from the electrode due to strong affinity with CAP, causing the decrease of catalytic precipitation and consequently the generation of a high photocurrent signal. On the basis of PtNi nanozyme signal amplification, the developed self-powered PEC aptasensor showed a wide linear range of 0.1 pM-100 nM with an ultralow detection limit of 26 fM for the determination of CAP. This work provides a feasible strategy for the design of high-activity nanozyme and self-powered PEC biosensor to achieve the ultrasensitive detection of target analyte., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A novel sensitive and selective probe for the important antibiotic vancomycin (Van) has been synthesized by integrating a coumarin and a fluorescein as dual fluorescence reporters and a Van binding peptide D-Ala-D-Ala. Only weak green fluorescence was initially observed, which was mostly attributed to fluorescence self-quenching induced by fluorophore stacking. Upon the binding of Van with the D-Ala-D-Ala peptide, the fluorescence turned on, probably due the disaggregation of fluorophores. The intensity ratio of the dual emission bands I 519 /I 446 exhibited an excellent linear relationship with the concentration of Van increasing from 0-20 μM in synthetic urine. The lowest detection limit was calculated to be 92.8 nM in urine, which made the probe applicable in clinically relevant concentration ranges. The synthetic probe has also shown the potential for Van detection in human serum. More interestingly, this probe has been successfully applied for in vivo imaging of Van in zebrafish. Graphical Abstract.

Herein, we report a super-active electrocatalyst of copper(II) oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) decorated functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CuO NPs@f-MWCNTs) by the ultrasonic method. The as-synthesized CuO NPs@f-MWCNTs was characterized through the FESEM, XPS, XRD and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The combination of highly active CuO NPs and highly conductive f-MWCNTs film with rapid detection enables this nanohybrid to display excellent electrochemical performance towards anesthesia drug. Furthermore, the hybrid electrocatalyst modified SPCE was developed for the determination of flunitrazepam (FTM) for the first time. FTM is important anesthesia drug with high adverse effect in human body. Benefiting from the synergistic reaction of CuO NPs and f-MWCNTs, this nanohybrid exhibited high sensitivity and specificity towards FTM electro-reduction. The CuO NPs@f-MWCNTs film modified SPCE exhibits outstanding electrochemical activity including excellent reproducibility, wide linear range from 0.05 to 346.6 µM with nanomolar limit of detection for FTM detection. Further, the as-modified CuO NPs@f-MWCNTs/SPCE has been applied to determination of FTM in biological and drug samples with satisfactory recovery results, thereby showing a notable potential for extensive (bio) sensor applications., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: A drug combination that has gained recent attention for an additive risk of nephrotoxicity is vancomycin plus piperacillin-tazobactam. Clinicians need to better understand whether tubular cell stress occurs with piperacillin-tazobactam administration to establish whether renal injury associated with this combination is a valid clinical concern., Objective: An evaluation of the pharmacokinetics of urinary tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) and insulin-like growth factor binding-protein 7 (IGFBP7) for patients receiving vancomycin alone, piperacillin-tazobactam alone, and vancomycin plus piperacillin-tazobactam in combination was conducted to understand the impact on acute kidney cell stress and compare the rates of dialysis or death at 9 months among these three drug exposure types., Methods: A secondary analysis of the prospective, multicenter Sapphire study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01209169) including 35 intensive care units (ICUs) in North America and Europe was performed. Critically ill adult patients at risk for acute kidney injury (AKI) were included. Urinary [TIMP-2]∙[IGFBP7] was measured serially. Patients who received vancomycin alone, piperacillin-tazobactam alone, or vancomycin plus piperacillin-tazobactam were grouped according to their maximum AKI stage within 3 days of the first drug dose., Results: Of 723 critically ill adults admitted to the ICU, 46% received either piperacillin-tazobactam (n = 110), vancomycin (n = 156), or both (n = 67). The urinary [TIMP-2]∙[IGFBP7] was highest on day 1 for the combination group. AKI stage 2/3 occurred more frequently in patients receiving the drug combination than in those receiving piperacillin-tazobactam alone (p = 0.03) but not vancomycin alone (p = 0.29). Risk of death or dialysis at 9 months was greatest for vancomycin plus piperacillin-tazobactam (48%) and similar for patients receiving vancomycin alone (29%) or piperacillin-tazobactam alone (35%) (p = 0.03 for unadjusted and p = 0.048 after adjusting for covariates)., Conclusion: After exposure to piperacillin-tazobactam and vancomycin in combination, there was a greater release of AKI biomarkers in patients who develop AKI than with piperacillin-tazobactam or vancomycin monotherapy and the combination is associated with possible increased long-term adverse outcomes.

A microscale highly fluorescent Eu metal-organic framework (Eu-MOF) was synthesized with terephthalic acid and 1H-1,2,4-triazole-3,5-diamine by one-pot hydrothermal method. And it was characterized by scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, fluorescence spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and energy dispersive X-ray mapping. The prepared Eu-MOF has high quantum yield of 30.99%, excellent water dispersibility, good fluorescence stability, and favorable thermal stability. Based on the distinctly different fluorescence responses of different emission, the prepared Eu-MOF was used as dual-mode visual sensor for the sensitive detection of berberine hydrochloride and tetracycline. The limits of detection are 78 nM and 17 nM, respectively. The sensing mechanism was also discussed. Moreover, a filter paper sensor has been designed for sensing tetracycline with a notable fluorescence color change from blue to red. The prepared Eu-MOF is promising to be developed as a multi-mode luminescent sensor for visual detection in biochemical analysis. Graphical abstract Illustration of the synthesis of Eu-MOF and its sensing applications for berberine hydrochloride and tetracycline.

Ceftobiprole shows many similar pharmacokinetic properties to other cephalosporins, except for not being orally bioactive, and that it is administered by IV infusion as the prodrug ceftobiprole medocaril, which is subsequently hydrolyzed in the blood into the active molecule. Distribution focus in extracellular fluid and active antibiotic concentration has been proven in different corporal tissues using dosing regimen of 500 mg intravenous infusion over 2 h every 8 h. Ceftobiprole is eliminated exclusively into the urine, thus the reason why dose adjustment is required for patients with moderate or severe renal impairment, or increased creatinine clearance. However, there is no need for dose adjustments related with other comorbidities and patients' conditions such as age, body weight. Although considering distribution features, molecular weight and dose fraction, increase dosing regimen might be necessary in patients using renal replacement therapy. The half-life of ceftobiprole is more than 3 h, allowing to easily reach optimal PK/PD parameters with the infusion time of 2 h, using the usual dosing regimen.

Tebipenem pivoxil hydrobromide (TBPM-PI-HBr, formerly SPR994) is an orally available prodrug of tebipenem, a carbapenem with activity versus multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative pathogens, including quinolone-resistant and extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae The safety and pharmacokinetics (PK) of tebipenem were studied after administration of single and multiple ascending oral doses of TBPM-PI-HBr in fed and fasted states. Healthy adults received single oral doses of TBPM-PI-HBr at 100 mg to 900 mg or placebo ( n  = 108) or multiple doses of 300 mg or 600 mg every 8 h or placebo ( n  = 16) for 14 days. In the single-ascending-dose (SAD) phase, mean tebipenem plasma concentrations increased in a linear and dose proportional manner for doses of 100 to 900 mg and were comparable in the fasted and fed states for the 300- and 600-mg doses. In the MAD phase, tebipenem maximum concentration ( C max ) was reached within 1.5 h and was dose proportional on day 1 and higher than dose proportional (2.7-fold) on day 14. AUC was more than 2-fold greater on day 1 (2.7-fold) and day 14 (2.5-fold) for 600 mg q8h than for 300 mg q8h. Approximately 55% to 60% of tebipenem was recovered in the urine. TBPM-PI-HBr was well tolerated; mild, transient diarrhea was the most commonly reported adverse event. TBPM-PI-HBr provides an orally bioavailable carbapenem option to treat serious infections caused by MDR Enterobacteriaceae and has the potential to decrease the need for intravenous antibiotic therapy in the hospital or outpatient setting. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier NCT03395249.)., (Copyright © 2019 Eckburg et al.)

Quinolone antibiotic residues may pose potential threat to human health. A rapid and sensitive method was developed for the determination of quinolone residues in human serum and urine. After solid phase extraction (SPE) process, eight quinolone residues were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) using ciprofloxacin-d8 as the internal standard. The relative standard deviation of intra-day and inter-day precision for the eight quinolones were less than 7.52% and the accuracies ranged from 95.8% to 103% in human serum, and from 94.1% to 104% in human urine. The extraction recoveries for the eight quinolones varied from 80.2% to 113% in human serum and 83.4% to 117% in human urine. The limit of detection for the eight quinolones was 0.50-1.00 ng/mL. Quinolone antibiotic residues in human serum and urine from 12 volunteers were successfully analyzed with the validated method. The SPE-HPLC-MS/MS method was useful for accurate determination of quinolone antibiotic residues in human body., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

An ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed to analyze cephalexin in swine tissues, urine, and feces. Samples were extracted with 1% sulfuric acid, followed by purification using MCX cartridges. Mean recoveries were 95.4%-100.7% with inter-day relative standard deviations of <8.6%. The quantitation limit was 5 μg/kg for fat and urine, and 10 μg/kg for muscle, liver, kidney, and feces. Cephalexin residue depletion was determined using 32 healthy pigs, randomly divided into eight (seven treated and one control) groups. Treated groups were intramuscularly administered 10 mg/kg b.w. five times at 24-h intervals and euthanized 6 h and 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 10 days after the last injection. Cephalexin was eliminated rapidly in swine muscle, liver, fat, and feces. The highest concentrations among edible organs were detected in the kidney. Moreover, the longest elimination period of cephalexin in swine was determined in urine. These results indicated that kidney and urine were likely target matrices for cephalexin residue detection in swine., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Today, antibiotics are essential for effective treatment of infectious diseases both in human and veterinary medicine. The increasing development and distribution of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms are subject of concern. In some sectors of animal agriculture, such as poultry feeding farms, the application of antibiotics and hence occupational exposure is inevitable. In the past, numerous studies focussed on the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in livestock farming, but little attention was paid to the employees. The exposure of workers to antibiotics was the focus of the study detailed in this article. Four biomonitoring campaigns monitoring systemic exposure of workers to antibiotics were run at two farms over four fattening periods. Urine samples of potentially affected employees were sampled and analysed for the antibiotics of interest by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The highest antibiotic concentrations detected in urine samples exceeded the minimum inhibitory concentration of some bacteria strains. In some cases, the amount of antibiotics excreted over a time-period of 24 h indicated the exceedance of the tolerable daily intake., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.)

Violative residues of florfenicol (FF) in porcine edible tissues pose a potential risk for human health. In this study, urine was selected as target matrix for routine residue monitoring of FF in pig, and a thin layer chromatography (TLC)-high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for simultaneously determining FF and florfenicol amine (FFA) in porcine urine. The urine samples were extracted with ethyl acetate under alkaline environment. The extracts were enriched through evaporation, purified by TLC and analysed by HPLC at 225 nm. A Waters Symmetry C 18 column was used for the separation of the two analytes. The mobile phase was acetonitrile-phosphate buffer mixtures (33.3: 66.7, v/v), and was pumped at 0.6 mL/min. The TLC-HPLC method was well validated and successfully applied to residue depletion study. Good analytical specificity was confirmed by the lack of interfering peaks at the retention times of FF and FFA. The standard curves showed good linearity (FF: y = 143064x - 1045.3, r = 0.9999; FFA: y = 275826x + 1888.8, r = 0.9999) over the range of 0.0625-8 μg/mL. The precision ranged from 0.83% to 11.66% and 2.19% to 8.75% for intraday and interday determination, respectively. The corresponding accuracy ranged from -13.38% to 10.78% and -12.15% to 7.14%, respectively. The limits of quantification (LOQs) for FF and FFA were 0.125 μg/mL. The residue depletion study showed that the concentrations of FF and FFA in urine were higher than those in edible tissues at three time points. This method was reliable, simple and cost efficient, and could be used to monitor FF residues in porcine edible tissue without slaughtering animals. TLC showed excellent purification efficiency and is expected to solve matrix interferences in veterinary drug residue analysis.