Corrigendum to“Nitrosamines crisis in pharmaceuticals-Insights on toxicological implications,root causes and risk assessment:A systematic review”[J.Pharm.Anal.14(2024)100919]

Original statement in the Section 2:2.Literature search Our primary screening of 180 articles yielded the relevant data for this study.2.1.Study selection A total of 180 articles spanning from 1960 to the present day,including original research,reviews,case reports and studies reporting nitrosamine impurities above the no-observed-adverse-effect levels(NOAEL)established by regulatory agencies,were initially screened.During the primary screening,we considered factors such as relevance,publication date,access to the full article text,and content.

Advances and Challenges of Exosome Metabolomics in Body Fluids

Exosomes,ubiquitously present in body fluids,serve as non-invasive biomarkers for disease diagnosis,monitoring,and treatment.As intercellular messengers,exosomes encapsulate a rich array of proteins,nucleic acids,and metabolites,although most studies have primarily focused on proteins and RNA.Recently,exosome metabolomics has demonstrated clinical value and potential advantages in disease detection and pathophysiology,despite significant challenges,particularly in exosome isolation and metabolite detection.This review discusses the significant technical challenges in exosome isolation and metabolite detection,highlighting the advancements in these areas that support the clinical application of exosome metabolomics,and illustrates the potential of exosomal metabolites from various body fluids as biomarkers for early disease diagnosis and treatment.

Gut microbiome-based thiamine metabolism contributes to the protective effect of one acidic polysaccharide from Selaginella uncinata(Desv.)Spring against inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is a serious disorder,and exploration of active compounds to treat it is necessary.An acidic polysaccharide named SUSP-4 was purified from Selaginella uncinata(Desv.)Spring,which contained galacturonic acid,galactose,xylose,arabinose,and rhamnose with the main chain structure of→4)-α-d-GalAp-(1→and→6)-β-d-Galp-(1→and the branched structure of→5)-α-l-Araf-(1→.Animal experiments showed that compared with Model group,SUSP-4 significantly improved body weight status,disease activity index(DAI),colonic shortening,and histopathological damage,and elevated occludin and zonula occludens protein 1(ZO-1)expression in mice induced by dextran sulfate sodium salt(DSS).16S ribosomal RNA(rRNA)sequencing indicated that SUSP-4 markedly downregulated the level of Akkermansia and Alistipes.Metabolomics results confirmed that SUSP-4 obviously elevated thiamine levels compared with Model mice by adjusting thiamine metabolism,which was further confirmed by a targeted metabolism study.Fecal transplantation experiments showed that SUSP-4 exerted an anti-IBD effect by altering the intestinal flora in mice.A mechanistic study showed that SUSP-4 markedly inhibited macrophage activation by decreasing the levels of phospho-nuclear factor kappa-B(p-NF-κB)and cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2)and elevating NF-E2-related factor 2(Nrf2)levels compared with Model group.In conclusion,SUSP-4 affected thiamine metabolism by regulating Akkermania and inhibited macrophage activation to adjust NF-κB/Nrf2/COX-2-mediated inflammation and oxidative stress against IBD.This is the first time that plant polysaccharides have been shown to affect thiamine metabolism against IBD,showing great potential for in-depth research and development applications.

Mapping COVID-19 in India:Southern states at the forefront of new JN.1 variant

A new variant,JN.1,stemming from the omicron subvariant BA.2.86,garnered the attention of the World Health Organization(WHO)as a"variant of interest."Despite its rapid global spread,especially in the US,Canada,France,Singapore,Sweden[1],and the UK,JN.1 is considered to pose minimal danger.Current vaccinations are believed to remain effective against it.The WHO underscores the importance of maintaining immunization records amid co-occurring respiratory illnesses,and epidemiologists recommend monitoring hospitalizations,particularly in areas with low vaccination rates.

Nitrosamines crisis in pharmaceuticals-Insights on toxicological implications,root causes and risk assessment:A systematic review

The presence of N-nitroso compounds,particularly N-nitrosamines,in pharmaceutical products has raised global safety concerns due to their significant genotoxic and mutagenic effects.This systematic review investigates their toxicity in active pharmaceutical ingredients(APIs),drug products,and pharmaceutical excipients,along with novel analytical strategies for detection,root cause analysis,reformulation strategies,and regulatory guidelines for nitrosamines.This review emphasizes the molecular toxicity of N-nitroso compounds,focusing on genotoxic,mutagenic,carcinogenic,and other physiological effects.Additionally,it addresses the ongoing nitrosamine crisis,the development of nitrosamine-free products,and the importance of sensitive detection methods and precise risk evaluation.This comprehensive overview will aid molecular biologists,analytical scientists,formulation scientists in research and development sector,and researchers involved in management of nitrosamine-induced toxicity and promoting safer pharmaceutical products.

Liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight and ion trap mass spectrometry for qualitative analysis of herbal medicines

With the expansion of herbal medicine （HM） market, the issue on how to apply up-to- date analytical tools on qualitative analysis of HMs to assure their quality, safety and efficacy has been arousing great attention. Due to its inherent characteristics of accurate mass measurements and multiple stages analysis, the integrated strategy of liquid chromatography （LC） coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry （TOF-MS） and ion trap mass spectrometry （IT-MS） is well-suited to be performed as qualitative analysis tool in this field. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview on the potential of this integrated strategy, including the review of general features of LC-IT-MS and LC-TOF-MS, the advantages of their combination, the common procedures for structure elucidation, the potential of LC-hybrid-IT-TOF/MS and also the summary and discussion of the applications of the integrated strategy for HM qualitative analysis （2006-2011）. The advantages and future developments of LC coupled with IT and TOF-MS are highlighted.

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of common peaks in chemical fingerprint of Yuanhu Zhitong tablet by HPLC-DAD–MS/MS

A quality control （QC） strategy for quantitative and qualitative analysis of “common peaks” in chemical fingerprint was proposed to analyze Yuanhu Zhitong tablet （YZT）, using high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector and tandem mass spectrometry （HPLC-DAD-MS/MS）. The chromatographic separation was achieved on an Agilent Eclipse plus C18 column with a gradient elution using a mixture of 0.4‰ ammonium acetate aqueous （pH 6.0 adjusted with glacial acetic acid） and acetonitrile. In chemical fingerprint, 40 peaks were assigned as the “common peaks”. For quantification of “common peaks”, the detection wavelength was set at 254 nm, 270 nm, 280 nm and 345 nm, respectively. The method was validated and good results were obtained to simultaneously determine 10 analytes （protopine, jatrorrhizine, coptisine, palmatine, berberine, xanthotoxin, bergapten, tetrahydropalmatine, imperatorin and isoimperatorin）. For qualification of “common peaks”, 33 compounds including 10 quantitative analytes were identified or tentatively characterized using LC-MS/MS. These results demonstrated that the present approach may be a powerful and useful tool to tackle the complex quality issue of YZT.

Analysis of bacitracin and its related substances by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

A suitable liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometric(LC–Q-TOF–MS) method was developed for separation and characterization of related substances in bacitracin test drug. The separation was performed on Li Chrospher RP-18 column using methanol as mobile phase A and 0.2% ammonium acetate buffer solution as mobile phase B in gradient elution. A total of 12 related substances were detected through high resolution mass spectrometric determination in a positive electrospray ionization mode. They were identified as co-existing active components and degradation products of bacitracin through the analysis and elucidation of both the protonated parents and the product ions of all the related substances and their fragmentation pathways were also proposed.

Analysis of chiral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs flurbiprofen,ketoprofen and etodolac binding with HSA

The protein binding of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs flurbiprofen, ketoprofen and etodolac with human serum albumin （HSA） was investigated using indirect chiral high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） and ultrafiltration techniques. S-（-）-1-（1-naphthyl）- ethylamine （S-NEA） was utilized as chiral derivatization reagent and pre-column derivatization RP-HPLC method was established for the separation and assay of the three pairs of enantiomer. The method had good linear relationship over the investigated concentration range without interference. The average extraction efficiency was higher than 85% in different systems, and the intra-day and inter-day precisions were less than 15%. In serum albumin, the protein binding of etodolac enantiomers showed significant stereoselectivity that the affinity of S-enantiomer was stronger than R-enantiomer, and the stereoselectivity ratio reached 6.06; Flurbiprofen had only weak stereoselectivity in HSA, and ketoprofen had no stereoselectivity at all. Scatchard curves showed that all the three chiral drugs had two types of binding sites in HSA.

A strategy of screening and binding analysis of bioactive components from traditional Chinese medicine based on surface plasmon resonance biosensor

Elucidating the active components of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)is essential for understanding the mechanisms of TCM and promote its rational use as well as TCM-derived drug development.Recent studies have shown that surface plasmon resonance(SPR)technology is promising in this field.In the present study,we propose an SPR-based integrated strategy to screen and analyze the major active components of TCM.We used Radix Paeoniae Alba(RPA)as an example to identify the compounds that can account for its anti-inflammatory mechanism via tumor necrosis factor receptor type 1(TNF-R1).First,RPA extraction was analyzed using an SPR-based screening system,and the potential active ingredients were collected,enriched,and identified as paeoniflorin and paeonol.Next,the affinity constants of paeoniflorin and paeonol were determined as 4.9 and 11.8 mM,respectively.Then,SPR-based competition assays and molecular docking were performed to show that the two compounds could compete with tumor necrosis factor-a(TNF-a)while binding to the subdomain 1 site of TNF-R1.Finally,in biological assays,the two compounds suppressed cytotoxicity and apoptosis induced by TNF-a in the L929 cell line.These findings prove that SPR technology is a useful tool for determining the active ingredients of TCM at the molecular level and can be used in various aspects of drug development.The SPR-based integrated strategy is reliable and feasible in TCM studies and will shed light on the elucidation of the pharmacological mechanism of TCM and facilitate its modernization.

Metabolomics-based comparative analysis of the effects of host and environment on Viscum coloratum metabolites and antioxidative activities

Viscum coloratum(Kom.)Nakai is a well-known medicinal hemiparasite widely distributed in Asia.The synthesis and accumulation of its metabolites are affected by both environmental factors and the host plants,while the latter of which is usually overlooked.The purpose of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the effects of host and habitat on the metabolites in V.coloratum through multiple chemical and biological approaches.The metabolite profile of V.coloratum harvested from three different host plants in two habitats were determined by multiple chemical methods including high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet(HPLC-UV),gas chromatography-flame ionization detector(GC-FID)and ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-QTOF/MS).The differences in antioxidant efficacy of V.coloratum were determined based on multiple in vitro models.The multivariate statistical analysis and data fusion strategy were applied to analyze the differences in metabolite profile and antioxidant activity of V.coloratum.Results indicated that the metabolite profile obtained by various chemical approaches was simultaneously affected by host and environment factors,and the environment plays a key role.Meanwhile,three main differential metabolites between two environment groups were identified.The results of antioxidant assay indicated that the environment has greater effects on the biological activity of V.coloratum than the host.Therefore,we conclude that the integration of various chemical and biological approaches combined with multivariate statistical and data fusion analysis,which can determine the influences of host plant and habitat on the metabolites,is a powerful strategy to control the quality of semi-parasitic herbal medicine.

Stability-indicating liquid chromatographic method for the determination of Letrozole in pharmaceutical formulations

A stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed and validated for the determination of Letrozole in tablet dosage forms. Reversed-phase chromatography was performed on Shimadzu Model LC-Class-Vp with Lichrocart/Lichrosphere 100 C-18 (250 mm 4.6 mm, 5 mm particle size) column with methanol: tetra butyl ammonium hydrogen sulfate (80:20V/V) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1 mL/min with UV detection at 240 nm. Linearity was observed in the concentration range of 0.5-150 mg/mL (R 2 0.9998) with regression equation y 102582xt43185. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) and limit of detection (LOD) were found to be 0.043 and 0.012 mg/mL respectively. The forced degradation studies were performed by using HCl, NaOH, H 2 O 2 , thermal and UV radiation. Letrozole is more sensitive towards alkaline conditions and very much resistant towards acidic, oxidative and photolytic degradations. The method was validated as per ICH guidelines. The RSD for intra-day (0.78-0.97) and inter-day (0.86-0.96) precision were found to be lesser than 1%. The percentage recovery was in good agreement with the labeled amount in the pharmaceutical formulations and the method is simple, specific, precise and accurate for the determination of Letrozole in pharmaceutical formulations.

Protective effects of dioscin against Parkinson's disease via regulating bile acid metabolism through remodeling gut microbiome/GLP-1 signaling

It is necessary to explore potent therapeutic agents via regulating gut microbiota and metabolism to combat Parkinson's disease(PD).Dioscin,a bioactive steroidal saponin,shows various activities.However,its effects and mechanisms against PD are limited.In this study,dioscin dramatically alleviated neuroinflammation and oxidative stress,and restored the disorders of mice induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine(MPTP).16 S rDNA sequencing assay demonstrated that dioscin reversed MPTP-induced gut dysbiosis to decrease Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio and the abundances of Enterococcus,Streptococcus,Bacteroides and Lactobacillus genera,which further inhibited bile salt hydrolase(BSH)activity and blocked bile acid(BA)deconjugation.Fecal microbiome transplantation test showed that the anti-PD effect of dioscin was gut microbiota-dependent.In addition,non-targeted fecal metabolomics assays revealed many differential metabolites in adjusting steroid biosynthesis and primary bile acid biosynthesis.Moreover,targeted bile acid metabolomics assay indicated that dioscin increased the levels of ursodeoxycholic acid,tauroursodeoxycholic acid,taurodeoxycholic acid and bmuricholic acid in feces and serum.In addition,ursodeoxycholic acid administration markedly improved the protective effects of dioscin against PD in mice.Mechanistic test indicated that dioscin significantly up-regulated the levels of takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5(TGR5),glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor(GLP-1R),GLP-1,superoxide dismutase(SOD),and down-regulated NADPH oxidases 2(NOX2)and nuclear factor-kappaB(NF-kB)levels.Our data indicated that dioscin ameliorated PD phenotype by restoring gut dysbiosis and regulating bile acid-mediated oxidative stress and neuroinflammation via targeting GLP-1 signal in MPTP-induced PD mice,suggesting that the compound should be considered as a prebiotic agent to treat PD in the future.

Mixed Micellar Electrokinetic Chromatographic Analysis of Colistin, Polypeptide Antibiotic, Using Laser-Induced Fluorescence Detection

The main goal of this work was to quantify the detection of colistin at low levels in urine samples through the practical application of mixed surfactant micellar electrokinetic chromatography–laser-induced fluorescence (MEKC-LIF) analysis method using its advantage of sensitivity and to examine direct injection of biological samples. Colistin (po- lymyxin E) has neither strong UV chromophore nor fluorophore. So, its assay for metabolism, pharmacokinetics studies for bioavailability and bioequivalence are difficult because of poor detectability. Therefore an enhanced UV or fluores-cence detection by chemical derivatization is required. MEKC-LIF method was proposed for colistin with a 488/520 nm argon-ion laser using a pre-CE derivatization with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). Borate buffer was used as background buffer (BGB). The different parameters affecting the proposed derivatization reaction including concentration of the derivatizing reagent, reaction time and temperature were studied and optimized. The derivative was stable for up to 3 days. Different micelles (TX-100 and SDS) were examined as BGB additives separately but negative-charged mixed micelles (SDS/TX-100) were shown to be the best additive to BGB for the analysis of colistin particularly in human urine as they enhance both selectivity and sensitivity of the proposed method. BGB was used with pH 9.5, 10 kV, 8 s inj time, capillary length 75 cm × 75 μm ID (66 cm effective length), detection was LIF Ex 488 nm;Em 520 nm. The method was applied to colistin analysis in human urine and the recovery was > 98% (n = 5). LOD and LOQ in urine after pre-column derivatization using FITC were 100 and 250 ng/ml, respectively. Urine samples were analysed by direct injection without sample pre-treatment. The mechanism of enhancement of fluorescence of the derivative by surfactant was proposed.

Analytical Method Development and Validation of Some Biosimilar Drugs by High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography

A simple and rapid HPTLC analytical method has been developed and validated for the determination of Etanercept and Filgrastim in pure form and in marketed formulation. Both the drugs were chromatographed on silica gel 60 F254s HPTLC plates, as stationary phase. The mobile phase optimized for Filgrastim and Etanercept was Water: n-butanol (7.5:2.5 v/v) and Isopropyl alcohol: water (6.5:4.5 v/v), respectively. The chromatogram obtained was scanned at 225 nm and 222 nm for filgrastim and etanercept which resulted in a retention factor of 0.45 ± 0.07 and 0.32 ± 0.03, respectively. The method was validated for parameters like linearity, accuracy, precision, specificity and robustness. Recovery studies were performed at three concentration levels, to demonstrate suitability, accuracy and precision of proposed method. Statistical analysis proved that the proposed method is accurate and reproducible with linearity in the range of 500 to 3000 ng/band for filgrastim and 200 to 1200 ng/band for etanercept. The limit of detection and limit of quantification for filgrastim was found to be 63.418 ng/band and 192.177 ng/band. For etanercept, LOD and LOQ were found to be 33.381 ng/band and 101.153 ng/band, respectively. The proposed method can be employed for the routine analysis of selected biosimilars.

Determination of Voriconazole in Human Plasma by Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry: Application in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring

A sensitive, accurate and robust Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry method has been developed and validated to measure voriconazole trough levels in human plasma. The plasma samples were mixed with fluconazole as an Internal Standard and directed to protein precipitation and drug extraction. An aliquot of 1 μl was injected into the chromatographic system and separated by the Acquity BEH C18 column at a flow rate of 0.30 ml/min in a gradient mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile, Ultrapure water (UPW), methanol and formic acid. Voriconazole was detected by a Triple Quadrupole Detector (TQD) operating on Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) and a positive ion mode Electrospray ionization (ESI) Q1 mass: 350.1 m/z, Q3 mass: 281.1 m/z. Method linearity of the calibration curve (0.10 - 8.00 μg/ml) indicated a correlation coefficient r ≥ 0.99. The intra and inter-assay accuracy was within 85% - 115% and the intra and inter-assay precision was ≤5.76%. Voriconazole recovery percentage was between 97.69 - 119.62%. The method was successively applied in routine voriconazole TDM.

Cyclopeptide moroidin inhibits vasculogenic mimicry formed by glioblastoma cells via regulating β-catenin activation and EMT pathways

Glioblastoma(GBM)is a highly vascularized malignant brain tumor with poor clinical outcomes.Vasculogenic mimicry(VM)formed by aggressive GBM cells is an alternative approach for tumor blood supply and contributes to the failure of anti-angiogenic therapy.To date,there is still a lack of effective drugs that target VM formation in GBM.In the present study,we evaluated the effects of the plant cyclopeptide moroidin on VM formed by GBM cells and investigated its underlying molecular mechanisms.Moroidin significantly suppressed cell migration,tube formation,and the expression levels ofα-smooth muscle actin and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in human GBM cell lines at sublethal concentrations.The RNA sequencing data suggested the involvement of the epithelialmesenchymal transition(EMT)pathway in the mechanism of moroidin.Exposure to moroidin led to a concentration-dependent decrease in the expression levels of the EMT markers N-cadherin and vimentin in GBM cells.Moreover,moroidin significantly reduced the level of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase(p-ERK)and inhibited the activation of β-catenin.Finally,we demonstrated that the plant cyclopeptide moroidin inhibited VM formation by GBM cells through inhibiting the ERK/β-catenin-mediated EMT.Therefore,our study indicates a potential application of moroidin as an anti-VM agent in the treatment of GBM.

A novel bellidifolin intervention mitigates nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-like changes induced by bisphenol F

As a potential endocrine-disrupting chemical,bisphenol F(BPF)may cause nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)-like changes,but the mechanisms under its pathogenesis as well as the intervention strategies remain unclear.Using the electron microscopy technology,along with LipidTOX Deep Red neutral and Bodipy 493/503 staining assays,we observed that BPF treatment elicited a striking accumulation of lipid droplets in HepG2 cells,accompanied by an increased total level of triglycerides.At the molecular level,the lipogenesis-associated mRNAs and proteins,including acetyl-CoA carboxylase,fatty acid synthase,stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1,peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma,and CCAAT-enhancer-binding proteins,increased significantly via the AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK)-mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)signaling regulation in both in vitro and in vivo studies.Furthermore,the immunofluorescence results also showed the robust lipogenesis induced by BPF,evident in its ability to promote the translocation of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c from the cytoplasm to the nuclei.To investigate the intervention strategies for BPF-induced NAFLD-like changes,we demonstrated that bellidifolin,isolated and purified from Swertia chirayita,significantly attenuated BPF-induced lipid droplet deposition in HepG2 cells and NAFLD-like changes in mice by blocking the expression of lipogenesis-associated proteins.Therefore,the present study elucidates the mechanisms underlying the BPF-induced lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells,while also highlighting the potential of bellidifolin to mitigate BPF-induced NAFLD-like changes.

Chinmedomics: A Powerful Approach Integrating Metabolomics with Serum Pharmacochemistry to Evaluate the Efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Evaluation of the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) is an important prerequisite for discovering effective substances, lead compounds, and quality markers (Q markers). At present, there is an urgent need to develop a biological language that can act as abridge for the scientific elaboration of the efficacy of TCMs, and to further highlight the significant value of TCM. Chinese medicinal syndromes and formulae are two essential parts of TCM that directly relate to its efficacy. Syndromes and formulae have been taken as the research objects. The serum pharmacochemistry of the TCM approach with metabolomics were integrated to establish an innovative chinmedomics strategy, which is able to explore syndrome biomarkers and evaluate TCM efficacy in order to discover effective substances from TCMs. A great deal of concrete work in chinmedomics has already performed to bridge the gap between Chinese and Western medicine, and to provide a powerful approach to enhance the scientific value of TCM theory and clinical practice. This article summarizes the application of chinmedomics in identifying the candidate biomarkers of a syndrome and revealing the efficacy of the related formula. We also highlight the discovery of lead compounds and Q markers from TCMs.

Development of forced degradation and stability indicating studies of drugs——A review

Forced degradation is a degradation of new drug substance and drug product at conditions more severe than accelerated conditions. It is required to demonstrate specificity of stability indicating methods and also provides an insight into degradation pathways and degradation products of the drug substance and helps in elucidation of the structure of the degradation products. Forced degradation studies show the chemical behavior of the molecule which in turn helps in the development of formulation and package. In addition, the regulatory guidance is very general and does not explain about the performance of forced degradation studies. Thus, this review discusses the current trends in performance of forced degradation studies by providing a strategy for conducting studies on degradation mechanisms and also describes the analytical methods helpful for development of stability indicating method.