Pharmaceutical Analysis: the Power of Chromatographic Techniques

248 views 18 July 2023
Column equipment for Gas chromatography
Column equipment for Gas chromatography | Photo: Adobe Stock

Pharmaceutical analysis is a form of using all chemical, physical, biological, microbial and other means and methods to study the chemical properties of drugs. During the testing process, the stability of the drug itself, biological components and clinical drug use must be considered. With the continuous development of high technology, the rapid analysis and detection technology of modern drugs has also been continuously improved.

Chromatography

Chromatography technology is a rapid detection method, and with continuous development, chromatographic detection technology is expected to have higher performance, higher stability and faster speed, which can basically meet the basic needs of pharmaceutical analysis. Thanks to the high sensitivity and accuracy, multiple chromatographic detection methods have been widely used in the analysis of pharmaceuticals.

Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) Detection Technique

There are many types of chromatographic detection techniques. When this technique is used, the separated sample solution is dropped on the thin-layer plate, and the reagent is used to carry out the sample, and finally the digital display is used to separate the sample components. Thin-layer chromatography detection technology can perform qualitative analysis and rapid separation of a small amount of substances and has been widely used in this field.

In recent years, many unscrupulous dealers have added illegal substances such as biguanides to healthcare products, which has caused very serious damage to the patient’s body and even endangered the patient’s life in a critical situation. The use of thin-layer chromatography detection technology can quickly detect the biguanide ingredients in medical products and other substances, thus ensuring the quality and safety of medical products.

Liquid Chromatography

Liquid chromatography is a relatively common chromatographic detection technique. It has a wide range of applications and can analyze, separate and detect samples. By using a liquid solvent to make it a mobile phase chromatographic detection technology, this technology has very powerful advantages, such as speed, high efficiency and high sensitivity. In the process of drug detection, liquid chromatography can control the quality, analyze metabolites, analyze the purity of substances, analyze degradation products, analyze trace impurities, and so on. In short, liquid chromatography plays a very critical role in these aspects.

Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Technology

This is the most widely used technique in chromatographic technology. It is mainly based on the super separation ability of chromatographic itself, combined with the molecular weight structure information contained in mass spectrometry and the molecular weight structure information of compounds, to realize the sample analysis, qualitative testing, etc. The advantage of this technology is that it has the advantages of mass spectrometry and chromatography and can automatically screen drugs.

In order to realize the rapid detection of drugs, it is very important to process the samples before testing the samples, and to combine the processed samples with the analysis and detection to form an online connection, which breaks the use of a single fixed-form detection technology.

In the actual detection process, the online solid phase extraction technology can use the automatic sampler as the main basic platform, and then replace it with the chromatographic flow to realize the detection and analysis of the sample, which can fully realize the automation of the detection objects of drugs and drugs with complex matrices, high sensitivity, and high-efficiency separation and detection.

Colloidal Gold Immunoassay Technology

Colloidal gold immunoassay technology is a relatively new detection technology, which is a combination of chromatographic analysis technology and colloidal gold immunoassay technology, thus forming a solid-phase membrane immunoassay technology. In the actual use process, this technology has the characteristics of strong operability, stability and rapidity, and strong specificity. In the actual detection, the reaction takes only 5-10 minutes. After the detection is over, the detection result can be directly judged by the naked eye. The detection mode is easy and fast.

Summary

Today, pharmaceutical analysis is not just a static routine test, but requires comprehensive evaluation and monitoring in every link of drug research and development, production, transportation and clinical practice. CD Formulation is a leading bio-pharmaceutical laboratory service provider that offers comprehensive, innovative and timely solutions to meet the analytical testing needs of the pharmaceutical industry.

With extensive technical expertise in biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, chemistry and microbiology, the company helps to perform a range of analytical services such as physical parameter determination (i.e. molar concentration of osmotic pressure test), biological testing, impurity determination (i.e. organic impurity test), property determination and stability analysis.

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CD Formulation

Provider of preformulation, formulation, analytical and custom pharmaceutical excipients services Read more