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Exploring Analytical Techniques in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 2820

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
Interests: chromatographic analysis; spectroscopic analysis; enzyme immobilizations and applications; preparation and applications of materials with enzyme-like activity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
Interests: multi-dimensional liquid chromatography; mass spectrometry; traditional Chinese medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis is of great significance for the quality control of drugs, pharmacodynamic study, pharmacokinetic study, and metabolic profiling, etc. Analytical techniques have a decisive effect on the accuracy and precision of analysis results. Currently, there are lots of analytical techniques, such as chromatographic and spectroscopic methods, mass spectrometry, capillary electrophoresis and electrochemical methods, that have been widely applied in pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis. In practice, further exploring the analytical techniques in pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis is beneficial for drug research.

We would like to invite authors to contribute original research and review articles that will stimulate basic research on advanced analytical techniques for pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis. In this Special Issue, we will pay special attention to the manuscripts that evaluate and discuss analytical methods and their applications in pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis. Potential topics suitable for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) recent advances in analytical methods for pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis; (2) applications of advanced analytical techniques in analyzing pharmaceuticals and their metabolites in different samples, such as pharmaceutical preparations and biological samples; (3) the use of state-of-the-art technology to improve the efficiency of traditional analytical methods for pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis.

Prof. Dr. Fengqing Yang
Dr. Yuelin Song
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • pharmaceutical analysis
  • biomedical analysis
  • chromatographic analysis
  • spectroscopic analysis
  • mass spectrometry analysis
  • capillary electrophoresis
  • electrochemical analysis

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 3617 KiB  
Article
The Molecular Recognition of Lurasidone by Human Serum Albumin: A Combined Experimental and Computational Approach
by Nevena Živković, Emina Mrkalić, Ratomir Jelić, Jovica Tomović, Jadranka Odović, Marina Ćendić Serafinović and Miroslav Sovrlić
Molecules 2025, 30(7), 1420; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30071420 - 22 Mar 2025
Viewed by 558
Abstract
Lurasidone (LUR) is an antipsychotic drug whose interaction with human serum albumin (HSA) plays a crucial role in its pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. A thorough understanding of LUR’s binding mechanism to HSA is crucial for predicting its transport, distribution, and potential drug interactions. [...] Read more.
Lurasidone (LUR) is an antipsychotic drug whose interaction with human serum albumin (HSA) plays a crucial role in its pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. A thorough understanding of LUR’s binding mechanism to HSA is crucial for predicting its transport, distribution, and potential drug interactions. Methods: The interaction between LUR and HSA was investigated using fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, followed by molecular docking simulations. Binding characteristics were analyzed through quenching mechanisms, thermodynamic parameters, and competitive site marker experiments. Results: This study revealed a systematic decrease in HSA fluorescence intensity with increasing LUR concentration, indicating a static quenching mechanism driven by non-fluorescent complex formation. Binding constants suggest enhanced complex stability at higher temperatures, with thermodynamic analysis confirming an endothermic, hydrophobic interaction. Competitive site marker assays and synchronous fluorescence spectra confirmed that LUR primarily binds to site I (subdomain IIA) near tryptophan residues. Conformational changes in HSA, observed as a decrease in α-helix content, further demonstrate the structural impact of LUR binding. Conclusions: These findings offer key insights into the molecular interactions between LUR and HSA, enhancing our understanding of LUR’s pharmacokinetics and its potential interactions with other drugs. Understanding these binding characteristics can aid in optimizing LUR’s clinical application and predicting possible interactions with other biomolecules. Full article
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11 pages, 946 KiB  
Communication
The Development and Validation of a Simple HPLC-UV Method for the Determination of Vancomycin Concentration in Human Plasma and Application in Critically Ill Patients
by Asma Aboelezz, Novel Solomon Tesfamariam, Maged Kharouba, Tamara Gligoric and Sherif Hanafy Mahmoud
Molecules 2025, 30(5), 1062; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30051062 - 26 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1388
Abstract
Vancomycin is an antimicrobial agent that exhibits high efficacy against Gram-positive bacteria. The importance of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) for vancomycin has been substantiated in specific patient cohorts, underscoring the significance of determining vancomycin plasma levels. This study presents the development and validation [...] Read more.
Vancomycin is an antimicrobial agent that exhibits high efficacy against Gram-positive bacteria. The importance of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) for vancomycin has been substantiated in specific patient cohorts, underscoring the significance of determining vancomycin plasma levels. This study presents the development and validation of a simple, reproducible, and practical approach for quantifying vancomycin levels in human plasma samples through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Deproteinization of plasma samples (0.3 mL) was achieved using 10% perchloric acid. The chromatographic separation was achieved using a C18 column. The mobile phase, consisting of phosphate buffer and acetonitrile (90:10, v/v), was run at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. Ultraviolet detection was conducted at a wavelength of 192 nm and the method was linear in the range of 4.5–80 mg/L (r2 > 0.99). Inter- and intra-day assay precision and accuracy were determined to be within the acceptable range. The run time was noted to be 10 min. This method was evaluated using different greenness tools, which indicated that the method is environmentally friendly. Our method was effectively applied to analyze vancomycin concentrations in critically ill patients. Thus, our approach has the potential for practical implementation in routine TDM procedures. Full article
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Review

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26 pages, 690 KiB  
Review
Modern Bioimaging Techniques for Elemental Tissue Analysis: Key Parameters, Challenges and Medical Impact
by Jan Sawicki, Marcin Feldo, Agnieszka Skalska-Kamińska and Ireneusz Sowa
Molecules 2025, 30(13), 2864; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30132864 - 5 Jul 2025
Viewed by 348
Abstract
(1) Background: Elemental imaging methods such as XRF, SEM/TEM-EDS, LIBS and LA-ICP-MS are widely used in clinical diagnostics. Based on the results obtained, it is possible to assess the safety of both standard and innovative therapies, diagnose diseases, detect pathogens or determine intracellular [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Elemental imaging methods such as XRF, SEM/TEM-EDS, LIBS and LA-ICP-MS are widely used in clinical diagnostics. Based on the results obtained, it is possible to assess the safety of both standard and innovative therapies, diagnose diseases, detect pathogens or determine intracellular processes. In addition to bioimaging, these techniques are used for semi-quantitative and quantitative analyses. Some of them also enable highly valuable speciation of analytes. However, the quality of information about elemental tissue composition depends on a number of different factors. Although the crucial parameters of quantitative analysis are the same for each technique, their impact varies depending on the bioimaging method. Due to the fact that imaging results are often crucial in clinical decision-making, it is important to clearly indicate and describe the parameters affecting the quality of results in each technique. Therefore, the aim of this review is to describe the influence of these crucial parameters on bioimaging results based on the methodology and results of studies published in the last ten years. (2) Methods: In order to collect relevant publications, the Scopus database was searched using the keywords “element AND imaging AND human tissue”. Next, studies were selected in which methodological aspects allowed relevant conclusions to be made regarding the quality of the results obtained. (3) Results: One of the most important parameters for all techniques is measurement selectivity resulting from the complexity of human tissue. Quantitative analyses using bioimaging techniques are difficult due to the lack of suitable calibration materials. For the same reason, it is challenging to assess the accuracy of the results obtained. Particular attention should be paid to the results obtained for trace elements. (4) Conclusions: The discussed bioimaging techniques are a powerful tool in the elemental analysis of human tissues. Nevertheless, in order to obtain reliable results, a number of factors influencing the measurements must be taken into account. Full article
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