Analysis of Pharmaceuticals: Sample Preparation and Chromatography/Separation

Dear Colleagues,

The progress in the field of pharmacy and pharmaceutical analysis has reached new heights in last the two decades. The requirement of proper analytical methods is the need of the hour for the identification and estimation of pharmaceutical compounds, keeping in mind their application as well as their presence in various matrices. From a health perspective, active pharmaceutical ingredients and their metabolites and impurities need to be identified in order to achieve maximum efficiency and benefits. Regarding the environment, the presence of these APIs and their metabolites in water bodies has very deleterious effects on the metabolism of living creatures inhabiting these environments. These APIs register their presence in different environmental matrices, such as foods and water, which are supposed to be fit for human consumption. Therefore, analytical methodology for the identification, separation and quantification of APIs/biopharmaceuticals/nutraceuticals/pharmaceutically important phytochemicals and their metabolites is very much required. One of the most important steps of pharmaceutical analysis is sample preparation. If a sample is not prepared properly, it can damage the machine if it contain impurities, or the drug itself will not be identified or quantified exactly, giving erroneous results. Samples from biological matrices (e.g., blood, urine, tissues), environmental matrices (e.g., water bodies such as rivers/ponds/lakes, wastewaters), or foods like animal meats or vegetables need to be prepared in such a manner that the target molecule is free from interference from the matrix itself. There are various sample preparation techniques developed over a period of time, such as direct injection, liquid–liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction (commonly called traditional sample preparation techniques frequently exploited in pharmaceutical industries). In addition to these traditional techniques, some recently developed techniques are also currently employed for the extraction of target compounds from complex matrices, with examples including solid-phase microextraction, accelerated solvent extraction, and microwave extraction. Chemical derivatization is also gaining popularity as a sample preparation tool.

This Special Issue aims to collect recent advances, developments, and analytical innovations in sample preparation and chromatographic/separation techniques for the identification and analysis of active pharmaceutical ingredients in plant, food, and pharmaceutical products; reaction byproducts; animal feed; biological fluids (blood, urine, serum); plant and animal tissues; waste streams; or environmental samples.

Dr. Nazrul Haq
Guest Editor

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