Abstract INTRODUCTION: Primaquine (PQ) diphosphate is an 8-aminoquinoline antimalarial drug with unique therapeutic properties. It is the only drug that prevents relapses of Plasmodium vivax or Plasmodium ovale infections. In this study, a fast, sensitive, cost-effective, and robust method for the extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array ultraviolet detection (HPLC-DAD-UV ) analysis of PQ in the blood plasma was developed and validated. METHODS: After plasma protein precipitation, PQ was obtained by liquid-liquid extraction and analyzed by HPLC-DAD-UV with a modified-silica cyanopropyl column (250mm × 4.6mm i.d. × 5μm) as the stationary phase and a mixture of acetonitrile and 10mM ammonium acetate buffer (pH = 3.80) (45:55) as the mobile phase. The flow rate was 1.0mL·min-1, the oven temperature was 50OC, and absorbance was measured at 264nm. The method was validated for linearity, intra-day and inter-day precision, accuracy, recovery, and robustness. The detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) limits were 1.0 and 3.5ng·mL-1, respectively. The method was used to analyze the plasma of female DBA-2 mice treated with 20mg.kg-1 (oral) PQ diphosphate. RESULTS: By combining a simple, low-cost extraction procedure with a sensitive, precise, accurate, and robust method, it was possible to analyze PQ in small volumes of plasma. The new method presents lower LOD and LOQ limits and requires a shorter analysis time and smaller plasma volumes than those of previously reported HPLC methods with DAD-UV detection. CONCLUSIONS: The new validated method is suitable for kinetic studies of PQ in small rodents, including mouse models for the study of malaria.

Este artigo mostra alguns aspectos ambientais e toxicológicos sobre os herbicidas triazínicos atrazina e simazina. Esses compostos são usados no controle de ervas-daninhas em plantações de cana-de-açúcar e milho. Apesar de serem parcialmente solúveis, podem ser detectados em água subterrânea e superficial. Suas mobilidade e biodegradação no sistema água-solo podem variar dependendo das características intrínsecas de cada matriz como teor de matéria orgânica. Embora sejam considerados pouco tóxicos, esses herbicidas possuem alta capacidade de interferência nos sistemas nervoso e endócrino humano e da biota selvagem. Os mecanismos de sua detoxificação são semelhantes à de outros xenobióticos; no entanto, existem poucos dados sobre os efeitos à saúde humana causada pela simazina. Portanto, o uso desses compostos deve ser revisto devido ao seu comportamento ambiental e os efeitos toxicológicos.

This article shows some environmental and toxicology aspects of triazine herbicides atrazine and simazine. These compounds are used to control weeds in sugar and corn crops. Despite being partially soluble, they can be detected in ground and surface water. Their mobility and biodegradation in the soil-water system can vary depending on the intrinsic characteristics of each matrice, such as organic matter content. Although considered slightly toxic, these herbicides have a strong ability to interfere in the nervous and endocrine systems of human and wild biota. The detoxification mechanisms are similar to other xenobiotics; however, little is known about the effects on human health caused by simazine. Therefore, the use of these compounds should be revised due to their environmental behavior and toxicological effects.