Chemiluminescence of synephrine based on the cerium(IV)-rhodamine B system.

A new chemiluminescence (CL) method is described for the determination of synephrine. It is based on the reaction between synephrine and Ce(IV) in a nitric acid medium and measurement of the CL intensity produced by rhodamine B used as a luminophore, similar to luminol or lucigenin in basic media, instead of as a sensitizer. In the optimum conditions, the increase of CL intensity was correlated with synephrine concentration over the range 5.0 x 10(-9)-1.0 x 10(-6) g/mL with a detection limit of 1.0 x 10(-9) g/mL. The relative standard deviation (RSD) was 2.9% for 1.0 x 10(-7) g/mL synephrine (n = 11). The method was applied to the determination of a drug in herbal products, citrus fruit and biological samples, with satisfactory results. The results given by the proposed method are in good agreement with those given by HPLC-UV and UV spectrophotometry.     

A study of the antioxidant and membranotropic activities of equinochrome a using different model systems

Echinochrome A (6-ethyl-2,3,5,7,8-pentahydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone) isolated from the body of sand dollar Scaphechinus mirabilis is an active substance of cardioprotective medication Histochrome and exerts a wide spectrum of anti-inflammatory activities. In the present paper, we conducted a comparative study of the antioxidant (radical-scavengering) properties of echinochrome A in 2,2′-azobis(2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride?luminol and hemoglobin?hydrogen peroxide?luminol systems and assessed its impact on permeability of planar bilayer lipid membranes. Trolox was used as a reference antioxidant and ascorbic acid and dihydroquercetin are taken as standards. Echinochrome A shows moderate antioxidant activity, possessing higher antioxidant capacity than Trolox and ascorbic acid, but exhibiting lower antioxidant potential compared with dihydroquercetin in tests for antioxidant activity in both investigated systems. The test substances can be arranged in the following order according to the effectiveness of the antioxidant effect: dihydroquercetin > echinochrome A > Trolox > ascorbic acid. Echinochrome A does not lead to significant changes in the permeability of planar bilayer membranes in a dose range of 1.5 to 30 μМ. Our data indicate that echinochrome A has a rather high level of radical-scavengering activity without a primary membranotropic effect. It is thought that the high levels of the cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory activities of echinochrome A may be due not only to the ability of this substance to neutralize reactive oxygen species, but also to its capacity to generate physiological concentrations of hydrogen peroxide molecules in biological systems as signaling messengers of various metabolic processes and biochemical pathways. The suspected mechanisms of the biological activity of echinochrome A are discussed.     

Myeloperoxidase-Based Chemiluminescence of Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes and Monocytes

Luminol and lucigenin chemiluminescence (CL) responses produced by separated human blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes (pmn) and monocytes (mono) have been studied following stimulation with the surface-receptor agonist fMLP (a synthetic chemotactic peptide) and the protein kinase C activator phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Pmn produced two- to threefold the luminol CL and superoxide anion (O₂⁻) levels of mono; lucigenin CL was similar for both cell-types. The myeloperoxidase (MPO) inhibitor salicylhydroxamic acid (SHA) abrogated luminol but not lucigenin CL in both cell types, but did not further inhibit the already grossly subnormal luminol CL responses seen with MPO-deficient cells which produced normal lucigenin CL. SHA also profoundly inhibited the luminol CL response in a cell-free MPO–H₂O₂ system. Mono lucigenin CL does not appear to specifically measure O₂⁻ production. These data show that luminol CL provides a useful measure of pmn and also mono MPO activity. However, analysis of the effects of various reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers, assessed on phagocyte and cell-free CL systems (both MPO–H₂O₂ and superoxide generating) suggest that the luminol CL signal is not entirely dependent on MPO activity.     

A fluorometric method for measurement of oxygen radical-scavenging activity of water-soluble antioxidants

The relative activities of the antioxidants Trolox, ascorbic acid, uric acid, quercetin, and rutin, and the activities of total antioxidants in serum samples were determined using a fluorometric assay based on the dye 6-carboxyfluoroscein (6C-Fl) as a fluorescent indicator; 2,2'-azobis-2-amidinopropane hydrochloride (AAPH) as a peroxyl radical generator; 6-hydroxy-2,5,7, 8-tetramethyl-1-chroman-2-carboxylic acid (Trolox) as a calibrator; and phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) as a solvent. Incubation of 6C-Fl in 0. 075 M phosphate buffer, in the presence of AAPH at 37 degrees C, resulted in loss of its fluorescence signal at 520 nm with excitation at 495 nm. The antioxidants Trolox, ascorbic acid, and uric acid provided protection of the fluorescence of 6C-Fl, and the relative antioxidant activities, determined by the net protection area under curve technique, were found to be 1:0.4:1, respectively. Trolox and ascorbic acid were used to validate this assay. A linear correlation of the net protection value with the concentration of serum, Trolox, ascorbic acid, and uric acid was demonstrated. Quercetin and rutin were shown to have strong antioxidant activities, nearly 10 times those of vitamin C. This assay is simple, reliable, and suitable for automation to handle many samples and requires few microliters of serum samples.     

Mild hypothermia protects against postischemic hepatic endothelial injury and decreases the formation of reactive oxygen species

The ability of mild hypothermia (MH; 34 degrees C) to protect against postischemic endothelial injury and decrease reactive oxygen species' (ROS) formation was studied using lucigenin and luminol enhanced chemiluminescence (CL). Lucigenin CL is largely specific for superoxide, while luminol reacts with many ROS. Isolated rat livers perfused under constant flow in a non-recirculating system were exposed to 2.5 h of ischemia after 0.5 h perfusion with Krebs-Henseleit buffer at either normothermia (38 degrees C) or mild hypothermia (34 degrees C) (n = 5, all groups). CL (cps), vascular resistance (Woods units), O2 consumption, and potassium efflux were measured at the end of perfusion, and at 0 min reperfusion, and every 30 min during reperfusion. For both the lucigenin and luminol groups, CL and vascular resistance increased significantly (repeat measures ANOVA, P <0.05) for normothermia (NT, 38 degrees C) but not mild hypothermia. Potassium efflux did not change significantly for the mild hypothermia groups. In the luminol enhanced group, oxygen consumption was greater in the mildly hypothermic group at 1 h and 1.5 h of reperfusion. Mild hypothermia decreased postischemic ROS production. Increased vascular resistance in the normothermia group may indicate an endothelial injury. Mild hypothermia appears to protect against this injury.     

Chelating and antiradical effect of rutin during peroxidation of lipids from microsomes and liposomes

The antioxidative effect of rutin (vitamin P) on Fe2+-induced lipid peroxidation (LPO) in bovine heart microsomes and lecithin liposomes was studied. It was shown that the LPO-induced inhibition of microsomes and liposomes in the presence of rutin occurs via two mechanisms, i.e., association of Fe2+ ions to form an inactive complex and a direct interaction between rutin and free radicals. The contribution of these mechanisms depends on the composition of the reaction mixture. In bovine heart microsomes and liposomes, ascorbic acid has a dual activity towards LPO. At high concentrations of Fe2+ necessary for LPO induction (approximately 1 x 10(-3) M), ascorbic acid blocks LPO, whereas at low Fe2+ concentrations (less than 1 x 10(-4) M) it has a prooxidative effect. A combined use of ascorbic acid and rutin results in an additive antioxidative effect at high Fe2+ concentrations (approximately 1.10(-3) M). However, at low Fe2+ concentrations rutin acts as an antagonist of the prooxidative effect of ascorbic acid.     

Luminol Luminescence Induced by 2,2'-Azo-Bis(2-Amidinopropane) Thermolysis

2-2'-Azo-bis(2-amidinopropane) thermolysis induces luminol luminescence. The luminescence intensity is quenched by SOD, catalase, Trolox and human blood serum. However, the time course of the light intensity profile is different for the different additives. In particular, the quenching efficiency of Trolox and human blood serum decreases with time after addition. Double quenching experiments show that SOD and Trolox are not competitive quenchers, while a simple competition can be established between Trolox and human blood serum in trapping a common intermediate. From the kinetic analysis of the data it is concluded that, at least at low additive concentrations, Trolox scavenges a luminol derived radical. Higher concentrations of Trolox or human blood serum produce induction times that are proportional to the additives concentrations. The possibility of employing luminol luminescence in the evaluation of TRAP levels and the capacity of biological samples to scavenge free radicals is discussed.     

What do we measure with luminol-, lucigenin- and penicillin-amplified chemiluminescence? 1. Investigations with hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite

Evidence is provided that the amplifiers luminol and lucigenin react with different reactive oxygen species (ROS), depending on the ROS-generating system used. H₂O₂ is used to produce calibration curves for luminol- and lucigenin-amplified chemiluminescence. With this chemiluminescence generator we characterized the specificity and sensitivity of luminol- and lucigenin-amplified chemiluminescence and also studied penicillin G, a known enhancer of luminol-amplified chemiluminescence. The combination of luminol and lucigenin in reciprocally changing concentrations is effective in an additive manner, but the weak amplifier penicillin increases luminol-amplified chemiluminescence distinctly more than in an additive manner in different combinations. Lucigenin-amplified chemiluminescence is increased by penicillin at about 1% of the optimum concentration of penicillin; increasing concentrations of penicillin are less and less effective. On the other hand, low lucigenin concentrations enhance penicillin-amplified chemiluminescence at optimum penicillin concentrations more than in an additive manner. Fe²⁺ does not alter luminol-, lucigenin- or penicillin-amplified chemiluminescence. Co²⁺ increases luminol-amplified chemiluminescence by a factor of 100. Lucigenin- and penicillin-amplified chemiluminescence are minimally enhanced by Co²⁺. Cu²⁺ enhances luminol-amplified chemiluminescence with increasing concentrations by a factor of 1000. Lucigenin-amplified chemiluminescence increases also by the factor of 1000, but the concentration–reaction curve is not as steep. NaOCl enhances H₂O₂/Fe²⁺-driven luminol-amplified chemiluminescence in a concentration-dependent manner by a factor of 10⁴ (in the highest concentration of 10 mmol/L) and lucigenin amplified chemiluminescence only by a factor of about 25. Catalase (CAT) abolishes luminol-, lucigenin- and penicillin-amplified chemiluminescence completely, whereas superoxide dismutase (SOD) has no effect on luminol- or penicillin-amplified chemiluminescence, but enhances lucigenin-amplified chemiluminescence five-fold increasingly with increasing SOD activity. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electrochemical selective determination of ascorbic acid at redox active polymer modified electrode derived from direct blue 71

A simple selective method for determination of ascorbic acid using polymerized direct blue 71 (DB71) is described. Anodic polymerization of the azo dye DB71 on glassy carbon (GC) electrode in 0.1M H(2)SO(4) acidic medium was found to yield thin and stable polymeric films. The poly(DB71) films were electroactive in wide pH range (1-13). A pair of symmetrical redox peaks at a formal redox potential, E('0)=-0.02V vs. Ag/AgCl (pH 7.0) was observed with a Nernstian slope -0.058V, is attributed to a 1:1 proton+electron involving polymer redox reactions at the modified electrode. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements were used for surface studies of polymer modified electrode. Poly(DB71) modified GC electrode showed excellent electrocatalytic activity towards ascorbic acid in neutral buffer solution. Using amperometric method, linear range (1x10(-6)-2x10(-3)M), dynamic range (1x10(-6)-0.01M) and detection limit (1x10(-6)M, S/N=3) were estimated for measurement of ascorbic acid in pH 7.0 buffer solution. Major interferences such as dopamine and uric acid are tested at this modified electrode and found that selective detection of ascorbic acid can be achieved. This new method successfully applied for determination of ascorbic acid in commercial tablets with satisfactory results.     

Determination of tetracycline, chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline by flow injection with inhibitory chemiluminescence detection using copper(II) as a probe ion.

This paper reports an indirect flow-injection (FI) method for the determination of the tetracycline drugs (TCs), tetracycline (TC), chlortetracycline (CTC) and oxytetracycline (OTC), using copper(II) as a probe ion. The method was based on the inhibition caused by these TCs to the copper(II)-catalysed chemiluminescence (CL) reaction between luminol and H(2)O(2). The CL reaction was induced on-line and injection of the sample produced negative peaks as a result of the copper(II) complexation or displacement by the analytes. The height of the peaks was proportional to the drug concentration in the sample. The choice of the catalyst ion, the concentration of luminol, H(2)O(2) and copper(II) are discussed. The linear range was 3.6 x 10(-8)-1.0 x 10(-5), 1.1 x 10(-7)-1.0 x 10(-5) and 1.9 x 10(-7)-1.0 x 10(-5) mol/L for TC, CTC and OTC, respectively. The detection limit was 5.0 x 10(-9) mol/L for TC, 1.0 x 10(-8) mol/L for CTC and 2.0 x 10(-8) mol/L for OTC (3sigma), respectively. The method was applied to the determination of TCs in pharmaceutical preparations and human urine with recoveries in the range 95-105%.     

Determination of agmatine in biological samples by capillary electrophoresis with chemiluminescence detection

A fast and simple method based on capillary electrophoresis (CE) with chemiluminescence (CL) detection has been developed for the determination of agmatine, a recently identified neurotransmitter/modulator. The CE run time was approximately 2 min for each sample injected. CL detection employed a lab-built reaction flow cell and a photon counter. The CL reagents used were luminol and NaBrO. The optimized conditions for the CL detection were 5 x 10(-4)M luminol added to the CE running buffer and 5.0 x 10(-4)M NaBrO in 100 mM NaCO3-NaOH buffer solution at pH 12.5 introduced post column. Detection limit for agmatine was 4.3 x 10(-6)M (S/N=3). The precision (R.S.D.) on peak height (at 1 x 10(-5)M agmatine) and migration time were 3.7 and 2.5%, respectively. The present CE-CL method was evaluated with the determination of agmatine in tissue samples taken from rat brain, and rat and monkey stomachs. Samples were directly injected into the CE-CL system after the removal of proteins. A higher level of agmatine was detected in the stomach samples. Agmatine concentrations in the tissue samples taken from rat and monkey stomachs were similar at approximately 1950 ng/g wet tissue.     

Semi‐micro flow injection analysis method for evaluation of quenching effect of health foods or food additive antioxidants on peroxynitrite

A semi‐micro flow injection analysis (SMFIA) method for evaluation of quenching effect of food additive antioxidants or health foods on peroxynitrite (ONOO^‐) is described. The injected sample was carried with phosphate buffer containing NaNO₂, mixed with a trigger solution to generate ONOO^‐ and then detected CL generated after mixing with luminol solution. Selective chemiluminescence caused by ONOO^‐ in this generation system was confirmed by catalase treatment. Ascorbic acid (ASA), Trolox and ascorbyl palmitate (ASP) were used as food additive antioxidants. EC₅₀ values of ASA, Trolox and ASP were 2.6, 6.4 and 43 µg/mL, respectively. The amount of reagents required for an assay by this SMFIA system could reduce the time by a third compared with the conventional method previously reported. Furthermore, as an application of the proposed method, the quenching effect of commercially available Noni (Morinda citrifolia) juices was evaluated. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chemiluminometric determination of ascorbic acid in pharmaceutical formulations exploiting photo‐activation of GSH‐capped CdTe quantum dots

An automated multi‐pumping flow system is proposed for the chemiluminometric determination of ascorbic acid in pharmaceutical formulations, relying on the ability of semiconductor nanocrystals to generate short‐lived reactive species upon photo‐irradiation. A photo‐unit based on visible‐light‐emitting diodes is used to photo‐excite cadmium telluride (CdTe) quantum dots capped with glutathione, leading to the generation of radicals that react with luminol under alkaline conditions, yielding the chemiluminescence. Ascorbic acid acts as a radical scavenger, preventing the oxidation of luminol, thus ensuring a concentration‐dependent chemiluminescence quenching. After system optimization, a linear working range of 5.0 × 10^‐7 to 5.0 × 10^‐6 mol/L ascorbic acid (r = 0.9967, n = 5) was attained, with a detection limit of 3.05 × 10^‐7 mol/L and a sampling rate of 200/h. The flow system was applied to the analysis of pharmaceutical formulations and the results were in good agreement with those obtained by the reference titrimetric procedure (RD < ± 4.3%, n = 7). Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ascorbic acid and copper in linoleate oxidation. 3. Catalysts in combination

In promoting oxidation of 0.02 m potassium linoleate in a buffered (pH 7.0) aqueous dispersion at 37 degrees C, ascorbic acid at low concentrations (1.8 x 10(-6) and 1.8 x 10(-5) m) in combination with copper (1.3 x 10(-7) to 1.3 x 10(-3) m) had greater catalytic activity than the additive activity of the two catalysts individually. Possible explanations for the enhanced catalysis include reduction of copper by ascorbic acid to the cuprous form, increased concentration of semidehydroascorbic acid radical, and formation of a metal-ascorbic acid-oxygen complex. Some combinations of ascorbic acid (1.8 x 10(-4) and 1.8 x 10(-3) m) and copper (1.3 x 10(-6) and 1.3 x 10(-3) m) inhibited the formation of conjugated dienes but not the oxidation of ascorbic acid, and caused rapid loss of part of the conjugated dienes that were already present. It is suggested that free-radical inhibitors formed by the combination of catalysts inhibit initiation of lipid oxidation but not copper-catalyzed oxidation of ascorbic acid. Effects of the inhibitory combinations on changes in UV absorption by conjugated dienes, and absorbance in the TBA test, indicate the presence of at least two conjugated dienes that differ in stability.     

Chemiluminescence flow biosensor for glucose based on gold nanoparticle-enhanced activities of glucose oxidase and horseradish peroxidase

In this work, a novel chemiluminescence (CL) flow biosensor for glucose was proposed. Glucose oxidase (GOD), horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and gold nanoparticles were immobilized with sol-gel method on the inside surface of the CL flow cell. The CL detection involved enzymatic oxidation of glucose to d-gluconic acid and H(2)O(2), and then the generated H(2)O(2) oxidizing luminol to produce CL emission in the presence of HRP. It was found that gold nanoparticles could remarkably enhance the CL respond of the glucose biosensor. The enhanced effect was closely related to the sizes of gold colloids, and the smaller the size of gold colloids had the higher CL respond. The immobilization condition and the CL condition were studied in detail. The CL emission intensity was linear with glucose concentration in the range of 1.0 x 10(-5)molL(-1) to 1.0 x 10(-3)molL(-1), and the detection limit was 5 x 10(-6)molL(-1) (3sigma). The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant of GOD in gold nanoparticles/sol-gel matrix was evaluated to be 0.3mmolL(-1), which was smaller than that of GOD immobilized in sol-gel matrix without gold nanoparticles. The proposed biosensor exhibited short response time, easy operation, low cost and simple assembly, and the proposed biosensor was successfully applied to the determination of glucose in human serum.     

Chemiluminescent simultaneous determination of phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide and phosphatidylethanolamine hydroperoxide in the liver and brain of the rat.

The quantification of phospholipid hydroperoxides in biological tissues is important in order to know the degree of peroxidative damage of membrane lipids. For this purpose, optimal conditions for the chemiluminescent simultaneous assay of phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide (PCOOH) and phosphatidylethanolamine hydroperoxide (PEOOH) in rat liver and brain were determined. A chemiluminescence detection-high performance liquid chromatography (CL-HPLC) method that incorporates cytochrome c and luminol as a post-column hydroperoxide-specific luminescent reagent was used (Miyazawa et al. 1987. Anal. Lett. 20: 915-925; Miyazawa. 1989. Free Radical Biol. Med. 7: 209-217). An n-propylamine-bound silica column with hexane-2-propanol-methanol-water 5:7:2:1 (v/v/v/v) (flow rate 1.0 ml/min) as eluant was used to determine both PCOOH and PEOOH, which were separated from each other and from other lipids and lipid-soluble antioxidants. High reproducibility and sensitivity as low as 10 pmol hydroperoxide-O2 were observed with a mixture of 10 micrograms/ml cytochrome c and 2 micrograms/ml luminol in 50 mM borate buffer (pH 10.0, flow rate 1.1 ml/min) as luminescent reagent and a post-column mixing joint temperature of 40 degrees C. Using the established analytical conditions, it was confirmed that both PCOOH (1324 +/- 122 pmol/g liver, 114 +/- 18 pmol/g brain, mean +/- SD) and PEOOH (728 +/- 89 pmol/g liver, 349 +/- 60 pmol/g brain, mean +/- SD) are present in the liver and brain of Sprague-Dawley rats bred on a slightly modified AIN-76A semisynthetic diet for 3 months. The phospholipid hydroperoxide content in the rat liver was shown to be affected by dietary oils, but not significantly affected in the brain.     

Mild hypothermia protects against postischemic hepatic endothelial injury and decreases the formation of reactive oxygen species

Abstract

The ability of mild hypothermia (MH; 34°C) to protect against postischemic endothelial injury and decrease reactive oxygen species' (ROS) formation was studied using lucigenin and luminol enhanced chemiluminescence (CL). Lucigenin CL is largely specific for superoxide, while luminol reacts with many ROS.

Isolated rat livers perfused under constant flow in a non-recirculating system were exposed to 2.5 h of ischemia after 0.5 h perfusion with Krebs-Henseleit buffer at either normothermia (38°C) or mild hypothermia (34°C) (n = 5, all groups). CL (cps), vascular resistance (Woods units), O₂ consumption, and potassium efflux were measured at the end of perfusion, and at 0 min reperfusion, and every 30 min during reperfusion.

For both the lucigenin and luminol groups, CL and vascular resistance increased significantly (repeat measures ANOVA, P <0.05) for normothermia (NT, 38°C) but not mild hypothermia. Potassium efflux did not change significantly for the mild hypothermia groups. In the luminol enhanced group, oxygen consumption was greater in the mildly hypothermic group at 1 h and 1.5 h of reperfusion.

Mild hypothermia decreased postischemic ROS production. Increased vascular resistance in the normothermia group may indicate an endothelial injury. Mild hypothermia appears to protect against this injury.     

Lucigenin chemiluminescence in human seminal plasma

Seminal plasma protects spermatozoa from the detrimental effects of reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide. We investigated the lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence in cell-free seminal plasma from andrological patients. The seminal plasma was separated from cells by centrifugation. In all seminal plasmas studied lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence (LCL) was detected. The LCL showed a strong pH-dependence. The signal was stable if samples were stored at +4°C for up to 4 days or up to 8 days at -80°C. Filtration of the samples (0.45 and 0.22 μm pore size) did not lower their luminescence. The addition of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbic acid oxidase (AAO) lowered LCL nearly to baseline values while trolox and desferal showed moderate effect, whereas allopurinol had no effect. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy demonstrated ascorbyl radicals in seminal plasma. Physiological concentrations of ascorbic acid yielded SOD-inhibitable lucigenin-chemiluminescence. The nitroblue-tetrazolium assay showed that ascorbic acid in buffer solution produced formazan. Superoxide-anion radicals were not detected in seminal plasma by the spin-trap DEPMPO due to their low steady state concentration. It is concluded that in seminal plasma ascorbate reacts with molecular oxygen yielding ascorbyl radicals and superoxide anion. If lucigenin is added to seminal plasma, reducing substances present, such as ascorbate, reduce lucigenin to the corresponding radical; this radical reacts with molecular oxygen and also forms O₂^-2. So LCL in human seminal plasma results from the autoxidation of ascorbate and the oxidation of the reduced lucigenin. While the physiological relevance of the former mechanism is unknown, the latter is an artifact.     

Effects of inhibitors on chicken polymorphonuclear leukocyte oxygenation activity measured by use of selective chemiluminigenic substrates

Chicken heterophil polymorphonuclear leukocytes (CPMNLs) have NADPH oxidase activity, but lack myeloperoxidase (MPO). Stimulation of CPMNLs by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or chicken opsonified zymosan results in luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) activity, which is small relative to that of human peroxidase-positive neutrophils (HPMNLs), as well as lucigenin-dependent CL, comparable to HPMNL responses. Inhibitors were used to investigate and characterize the CL activity of CPMNLs. Inhibition constants were calculated, using Dixon inhibition analysis, or were reported as the concentration producing 50% inhibition of the magnitude of CL responses. Azide and cyanide are effective inhibitors of luminol CL in HPMNLs, although these peroxidase inhibitors do not inhibit either luminol or lucigenin CL of CPMNLs. Since these agents also inhibit eosinophil peroxidase, lack of inhibition of CPMNL CL indicates that the small percentages of peroxidase-positive eosinophils in CPMNL preparations are not responsible for the luminol CL observed. Iodoacetate and fluoride, pre-oxidase and pre-peroxidase inhibitors of glycolytic metabolism, effectively inhibit lucigenin and luminol CL activities in CPMNLs. Superoxide dismutase competitively inhibits lucigenin and luminol CL in CPMNLs, but catalase is an ineffective inhibitor. Although luminol is efficiently dioxygenated by a MPO-dependent mechanism in HPMNL, use of peroxidase-deficient CPMNLs indicates that this substrate does not exclusively measure peroxidase activity.     

Development of a new procedure for the determination of captopril in pharmaceutical formulations employing chemiluminescence and a multicommuted flow analysis approach

This paper describes a new technique for the determination of captopril in pharmaceutical formulations, implemented by employing multicommuted flow analysis. The analytical procedure was based on the reaction between hypochlorite and captopril. The remaining hypochlorite oxidized luminol that generated electromagnetic radiation detected using a homemade luminometer. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that this reaction has been exploited for the determination of captopril in pharmaceutical products, offering a clean analytical procedure with minimal reagent usage. The effectiveness of the proposed procedure was confirmed by analyzing a set of pharmaceutical formulations. Application of the paired t‐test showed that there was no significant difference between the data sets at a 95% confidence level. The useful features of the new analytical procedure included a linear response for captopril concentrations in the range 20.0–150.0 µmol/L (r = 0.997), a limit of detection (3σ) of 2.0 µmol/L, a sample throughput of 164 determinations per hour, reagent consumption of 9 µg luminol and 42 µg hypochlorite per determination and generation of 0.63 mL of waste. A relative standard deviation of 1% (n = 6) for a standard solution containing 80 µmol/L captopril was also obtained. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.