In the paper “Supercritical Fluid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (SFC-MS) and MALDI-TOF-MS of Heterocyclic Compounds with Trivalent and Pentavalent Nitrogen in Cough Relief Medical Forms Tuxi and Cosylan” [1], the...In the paper “Supercritical Fluid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (SFC-MS) and MALDI-TOF-MS of Heterocyclic Compounds with Trivalent and Pentavalent Nitrogen in Cough Relief Medical Forms Tuxi and Cosylan” [1], the presence of morphine and other degradation products of pholcodine in cough relief medical forms of Tuxi are discussed. Tuxiis recalled from the Norwegian market by Weifa pharmaceutical company, and hence it no longer presents problems to users and health authorities there;however, the medical form Tuxidrin, which contains a significant amount of pholcodine as the active pharmacological ingredient, is still marketed. In the present paper, Tuxidrin is analyzed to determine the presence of degradation products of pholcodine. The degradation of pholcodine to morphine has been discussed previously as a factor in the development of addiction to narcotics in young persons. The structures of the contaminants in Tuxidrin, such as oxides of pholcodine, are elucidated in the present paper. The toxicity and pharmacology of oxides of alkaloids have generally not been well studied, and very little is known about the toxicity and pharmacology of the degradation (oxidation) products of pholcodine: the N-oxide and the N, N'-dioxide of pholcodine. According to Brondz and Brondz[1], the N-oxide and possibly also the N, N'-dioxide are less toxic than the original alkaloids and possess greater pharmacological activity, and hence they may be a source of useful new semisynthetic drugs. The question of possible addiction to pholcodine oxides has not been studied, and the potential of these substances to provoke allergies is unclear. The recall of Tuxi from the Norwegian marketis mainly based on the fact that pholcodine causes significantly increased levels of IgE antibodies in sensitized patients. Tuxidrin contains pholcodine and has the same negative effect as Tuxi, namely provoking allergies or even anaphylactic shock. From this point of view, Tuxidrin has no advantage over Tuxi. These two medical forms only differ in one respect: Tuxidrin requires a prescription (prescription duty medicine), but Tuxi doesnot (prescription free medicine). This aspect is also discussed in the present paper.展开更多
Alkaloids are natural, semisynthetic or synthetic organic compounds, normally polar with basic chemical properties and containing at least one nitrogen atom in a heterocyclic ring. Some synthetic or semisynthetic subs...Alkaloids are natural, semisynthetic or synthetic organic compounds, normally polar with basic chemical properties and containing at least one nitrogen atom in a heterocyclic ring. Some synthetic or semisynthetic substances resemble the alkaloid architecture. Trivalent nitrogen in these substances is normal;however, some natural and semisynthetic alkaloids have pentavalent nitrogen. The drug pholcodine is a derivative of morphine. Pholcodine has very little addiction- developing effect. It is a semisynthetic alkaloid that was first synthesized in 1950 by Chabrier et al. Pholcodine possesses antitussive (cough relief) properties similar to codeine, morphine and ethylmorphine. The drug was used in liquid formulations as Tuxi and Tuxi Forte, and it is in present use in Tuxidrin as liquid mixture and in tablet form. Pholcodine is an Active Pharmacological Ingredient (API) in tablets and liquid mixtures. Leiras International and Weifa in Norway manufacture medical forms with pholcodine. Several impurities in pholcodine were described by J. Roe in 1997 and by Denk et al. in 2000 and 2002. In addition, several degradation products may be formed in liquid formulations under storage. Some of these products are related not to the original production of pholcodine but rather to its oxidation under storage. The appearance of degradation products strongly depends on the storage temperature and pH of the liquid phase. Pholcodine-N-oxide and pholcodine-N,N’-dioxide are among the degradation (oxidation) products;pholcodine can also degrade to morphine. There is little information about the toxicity of the N-oxide and no information on the N,N’-di- oxide of pholcodine. In this study, the fact that morphine is generated during the storage of formulations containing pholcodine is presented. Another antitussive mixture under the name Cosylan was analyzed to examine the oxidation of ethylmorphine to ethylmorphine-N-oxide. Ethylmorphine is the API in Cosylan.展开更多
文摘In the paper “Supercritical Fluid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (SFC-MS) and MALDI-TOF-MS of Heterocyclic Compounds with Trivalent and Pentavalent Nitrogen in Cough Relief Medical Forms Tuxi and Cosylan” [1], the presence of morphine and other degradation products of pholcodine in cough relief medical forms of Tuxi are discussed. Tuxiis recalled from the Norwegian market by Weifa pharmaceutical company, and hence it no longer presents problems to users and health authorities there;however, the medical form Tuxidrin, which contains a significant amount of pholcodine as the active pharmacological ingredient, is still marketed. In the present paper, Tuxidrin is analyzed to determine the presence of degradation products of pholcodine. The degradation of pholcodine to morphine has been discussed previously as a factor in the development of addiction to narcotics in young persons. The structures of the contaminants in Tuxidrin, such as oxides of pholcodine, are elucidated in the present paper. The toxicity and pharmacology of oxides of alkaloids have generally not been well studied, and very little is known about the toxicity and pharmacology of the degradation (oxidation) products of pholcodine: the N-oxide and the N, N'-dioxide of pholcodine. According to Brondz and Brondz[1], the N-oxide and possibly also the N, N'-dioxide are less toxic than the original alkaloids and possess greater pharmacological activity, and hence they may be a source of useful new semisynthetic drugs. The question of possible addiction to pholcodine oxides has not been studied, and the potential of these substances to provoke allergies is unclear. The recall of Tuxi from the Norwegian marketis mainly based on the fact that pholcodine causes significantly increased levels of IgE antibodies in sensitized patients. Tuxidrin contains pholcodine and has the same negative effect as Tuxi, namely provoking allergies or even anaphylactic shock. From this point of view, Tuxidrin has no advantage over Tuxi. These two medical forms only differ in one respect: Tuxidrin requires a prescription (prescription duty medicine), but Tuxi doesnot (prescription free medicine). This aspect is also discussed in the present paper.
文摘Alkaloids are natural, semisynthetic or synthetic organic compounds, normally polar with basic chemical properties and containing at least one nitrogen atom in a heterocyclic ring. Some synthetic or semisynthetic substances resemble the alkaloid architecture. Trivalent nitrogen in these substances is normal;however, some natural and semisynthetic alkaloids have pentavalent nitrogen. The drug pholcodine is a derivative of morphine. Pholcodine has very little addiction- developing effect. It is a semisynthetic alkaloid that was first synthesized in 1950 by Chabrier et al. Pholcodine possesses antitussive (cough relief) properties similar to codeine, morphine and ethylmorphine. The drug was used in liquid formulations as Tuxi and Tuxi Forte, and it is in present use in Tuxidrin as liquid mixture and in tablet form. Pholcodine is an Active Pharmacological Ingredient (API) in tablets and liquid mixtures. Leiras International and Weifa in Norway manufacture medical forms with pholcodine. Several impurities in pholcodine were described by J. Roe in 1997 and by Denk et al. in 2000 and 2002. In addition, several degradation products may be formed in liquid formulations under storage. Some of these products are related not to the original production of pholcodine but rather to its oxidation under storage. The appearance of degradation products strongly depends on the storage temperature and pH of the liquid phase. Pholcodine-N-oxide and pholcodine-N,N’-dioxide are among the degradation (oxidation) products;pholcodine can also degrade to morphine. There is little information about the toxicity of the N-oxide and no information on the N,N’-di- oxide of pholcodine. In this study, the fact that morphine is generated during the storage of formulations containing pholcodine is presented. Another antitussive mixture under the name Cosylan was analyzed to examine the oxidation of ethylmorphine to ethylmorphine-N-oxide. Ethylmorphine is the API in Cosylan.
