Molecular imprinting applied to the analysis of nanoencapsuled Coenzyme Q10

GARCÍA BECERRA C.; MORETTON M.A.; CONTIN M.; LUCANGIOLI S.; CHIAPPETTA D.A.; TRIPODI V.

Cordoba

Congreso; RICIFA 2014; 2014

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an essential cofactor in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and a powerful antioxidant. It is used as a therapeutic agent in certain conditions like cancer, Parkinson, Alzheimer, cardiovascular, mitochondrial, neurological and muscular diseases. However, due to its high hydrophobicity and low permeability, CoQ10 bioavailbility is extremely reduced. That is why it was decided to employ a polymer-based nanoparticle approach to improve it. CoQ10 is currently analyzed by HPLC in pharmaceutical and biological matrices. In our experience, HPLC analysis of nanoencapsulated drugs, implies an intrinsic challenge due to the potential presence of chromatographic interferences and reduced lifetime in the chromatographic column produced by the polymer and surfactants which are dissolved with the drug in the sample. In order to minimize these problems, it was decided to apply a clean up technique based on a molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction (MISPE), previously developed by this group, which have demonstrated a high specificity for CoQ10. The MISPE extract was analysed by a micro-HPLC system developed by our group. CoQ10 was nanoencapsulated using an Eudragit® E PO copolymer, via a nanoprecipitation technique. HPLC direct injection of nanoencapsuled CoQ10 was compared to the sample previously purified by the MISPE procedure before chromatographic injection. The recovery assay using MISPE was carried out by spiking nanoparticles with CoQ10 at three different levels (120, 100 and 80%) by triplicate. It was observed an excellent clean-up of the sample using the MISPE procedure with respect to the direct injection showing the complete absence of interferences with recoveries higher than 99%. This method provides a practical way to analyze CoQ10 nanoparticles, being useful in the analytical monitoring during the development of this type of highly complex matrices.