title: A simple technique for the detection of anti-malarial drug formulations and their presence in human urine.
abstract: A simple, sensitive, specific assay technique for the detection and semi-quantification of chloroquine, amodiaquine, quinine, primaquine, sulfadoxine and pyrimethamine in formulations and in human urine by using thin layer chromatography (TLC) was developed and tested in the laboratory. The method involved developing test samples spotted on TLC chromatogram by diethylamine-toluene-isopropanol (1:4:5 v/v/v) as the eluting solvent. The solvent system diethylamine-toluene-isopropanol (1:4:5 v/v/v) enabled the elution and detection of all the tested antimalarial drugs in solution and those spiked in human urine. Detection limits for chloroquine, amodiaquine, quinine and primaquine were the lowest at 0.00025 mg/ml. Sulfadoxine exhibited a detection limit of 0.0005 mg/ml whereas that of pyrimethamine was 0.001 mg/ml. The results indicate the suitability of this technique in antimalarial drug quality and bioavailability studies. It is envisaged that this technique will adequately address the role of drug absorption and excretion in the chemotherapy of malaria as well as to detect types of antimalarial drugs commonly used in the community.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Medical Research, P.O. Box 9653, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. koku48@hotmail.com
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lugimbana
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Malebo
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Segeja
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Akida
authors.forename: L N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Malle
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Lemnge
mesh_terms: D000655:Amodiaquine / Q000652:urine; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000378:metabolism / Q000592:standards / Q000652:urine*; D001681:Biological Assay; D001682:Biological Availability; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000652:urine; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D005607:Fraud / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011319:Primaquine / Q000652:urine; D011358:Product Surveillance, Postmarketing; D011739:Pyrimethamine / Q000652:urine; D011786:Quality Control; D011803:Quinine / Q000652:urine; D013413:Sulfadoxine / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D000655:Amodiaquine; D013413:Sulfadoxine; D002738:Chloroquine; D011803:Quinine; D011319:Primaquine; D011739:Pyrimethamine