Greenness Assessment of Chromatographic Methods Used for Analysis of Praziquantel and Ivermectin: A Comparative Study

Abstract

The analytical chemistry community is attempting to incorporate green chemistry concepts in the development of analytical techniques to rede?ne analytical methods and dramatically modify the philosophy of analytical technique development. Each greenness assessment method has its own bene?ts and drawbacks, as well as its own procedures. The results of each greenness assessment method produce numerous deductions regarding the selection of a greenest analytical method on which the determination of a greenness assessment tool depends. The current study examined the greenness behavior of 5 reported Chromatographic methods in the literature for the evaluation of the medicine Praziquantel and Ivermectin using four evaluation methods: Analytical GREEnness Metric Approach and Software (AGREE), Blue applicability grade index (BAGI), Complex green analytical procedure index (GAPI), Eco-scale. GAPI being a complex assessment compared to the others, it provided a fully descriptive three-colored pictogram and a precise assessment. The ?ndings recommended applying more than one greenness assessment tool to evaluate the greenness of methods prior to planning laboratory-based analytical methods to ensure an environment friendly process.

Keywords

Introduction

The increasing global demand for pharmaceuticals has led to a significant rise in the environmental impact of the pharmaceutical industry. In recent years, the concept of green analytical chemistry has gained significant attention, with a focus on minimizing waste, reducing solvent consumption, and promoting sustainability in analytical methodologies. [1-5]

Praziquantel and Ivermectin are two essential anthelmintic drugs used in combination to treat various parasitic infections. [6-10] The analysis of these drugs in combination possessessignificant selective analytical methods.

Chromatographic techniques, such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), are widely used for the analysis of Praziquantel and Ivermectin in combination. [11-17] Nevertheless, these techniques frequently call for the use of substantial amounts of organic solvents, which can have detrimental effects on human health and the environment.

The creation of environmentally friendly analytical techniques that limit waste, use fewer solvents, and support sustainability has drawn more attention in recent years. To assess the sustainability of analytical techniques on the environment, a number of greenness assessment tools have been developed, including the Analytical Eco-Scale Assessment (ESA), the National Environmental Method Index (NEMI), the Analytical Greenness Metric (AGREE), the Analytical Greenness Metric for Sample Preparation (AGREEprep), the Green Certificate Modified Eco-Scale, Red-Green-Blue (RGB), RGB 12 Algorithm, the Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI), Complex GAPI, the Blue Applicability Grade Index (BAGI), and HEXAGON. [18-19]

With an emphasis on their sustainability and greenness, this review attempts to give a thorough summary of the chromatographic techniques utilized for the analysis of praziquantel and ivermectin together. The review will go over the benefits and drawbacks of various chromatographic techniques and emphasize the necessity of creating ecologically friendly and sustainable analytical techniques. Therefore, using the four suggested tools-AGREE, GAPI, BAGI, and ESA-the provided study compares the chromatographic methods for assessing Praziquantel and Ivermectin while taking greenness assessment into account to minimize waste and harmful materials. The comparative greenness investigation includes recently reported chromatographic techniques.

Comprehensive greenness, blueness, and whiteness evaluation

Analytical method’s sustainability must be evaluated by considering a number of factors, including their effects on the environment, the economy, and performance. No one instrument is able to evaluate every essential aspect in detail.[20-21] For a more comprehensive assessment from several complementary viewpoints, this work uses a combined multi-tool method.

1. AGREE

An innovative way for evaluating analytical method’s environmental sustainability chemistry techniques is the Analytical GREEnness calculator. This tool provides a comprehensive assessment of a method's environmental friendliness by considering important elements including the quantities and toxicity of reagents, waste produced, energy needs, procedural stages, miniaturization, and automation. The computation is based on significance, the 12 Green Analytical Chemistry Principles, which are converted into a single, easily interpretable 0-1 scale. The method's overall greenness, performance in each criterion, and customized weightings are visually represented by a pictogram, which is produced by weighing each principle based on the user-assigned importance. This straightforward and informative approach enables analytical chemists to readily identify areas for improvement and develop more environmentally benign and safer methods.[22-23]

2. BAGI

Introducing the Blue Applicability Grade Index (BAGI), a new tool for assessing the viability of analytical techniques in practice. Building on existing green metrics, BAGI assesses ten crucial factors, including analysis type, sample capacity, reagent usage, instrumentation, and automation. This comprehensive evaluation yields a visual asteroid pictogram and score, providing insights into a method's strengths and limitations. With user-friendly online tools and applications, BAGI enables straightforward comparisons of different methods and identification of areas for improvement. By establishing a connection between theoretical and practical aspects of analytical chemistry, BAGI is set to become a valuable asset for the scientific community. [24]

3. Eco-Scale

The Analytical Eco-Scale, a ground-breaking tool for assessing the environmental impact of analytical methods. By giving penalty points to non-ideal green practices, this scale provides a comprehensive assessment of various parameters and steps involved in the analytical process. Unlike traditional green metrics, which are geared towards organic synthesis, the Analytical Eco-Scale is specifically designed for analytical chemistry. It fills a gap left by existing databases, which focus on established methods and instruments, by encouraging the development of more sustainable alternatives. As a semi-quantitative tool, the Analytical Eco-Scale offers a nuanced evaluation of a method's greenness, making it a valuable resource for advancing eco-friendly analytical practices. [25]

4. ComplexGAPI

Finding suitable instruments to assess the "green" aspects of analytical processes that use compounds, materials, or chemicals produced before the analytical phase is difficult. The proposed approach extends the popular green analytical procedure index by including more fields related to the actions taken before the actual analytical method. Each field of the newly added hexagon to the GAPI symbol is colored green and reflects an alternative facet of the process being described, provided certain conditions are met. Analytical techniques were evaluated in order to demonstrate the usefulness of the suggested metric. The chemical community will also pay more attention to, finally trust, and accept the Complementary Green Analytic Procedure Index (ComplexGAPI). Freeware software for creating the Complex GAPI pictograms is available to make this tool easier to use. [26,27]

 

Fig 1.: Criteria’s for Greenness Assessment Tools.

 

Table 1.: Comparative Greenness study forevaluation of analytical procedures from published studies of Praziquantel and ivermectin

RESULTS & DISCUSSION

The present article compiles the analytical methods available for Praziquantel and ivermectin estimation by various analytical techniques. Greenness assessments were compared using four tools i.e., AGREE, ComplexGAPI, BAGI and Eco-scale (Table 1, Supplementary file). The AGREE pictogram was generated by inputting data for the 12 principles of GAC, and a corresponding score within the range of 0 to 1 was generated. A score closer to 1 indicates a more environmentally friendly method. Based on AGREE, method 2 [29]has a score of 0.86 which is the closest to 1, hence it can be considered the greenest method amongst the other reported methods while method 5 [32]is the least green method with an AGREE score of 0.56. ComplexGAPI pictogram is generated by representing the sample preparation, reagent, and solvent use, as well as instrumentation with a color-coded pentagram (green, yellow, and red). According to the GAPI tool, method 2 [29] is the greenest method amongst the other reported methods while method 5 [32]is the least green method. According to the BAGI tool, the BAGI score of 77.5 was assigned to methods 2 [29]which depicts the good applicability of the method. The ESA score for each method was determined by subtracting the total penalty points of solvents and reagents, the energy consumption of the instrument used, and the volume of waste produced from 100. According to the analytical eco-scale tool, it presented a score that shows that method 2 [29]is the greenest methods with an eco-scale score of 87. The least green method according to ESA is method 4 [31]with a score of 79.

CONCLUSION

This comprehensive review highlights the importance of AGREE, GAPI, BAGI and Eco-scale were used to determine the greenness of the selected analytical methods for the estimation of Praziquantel and ivermectin. From the study, it was found that method 2 (29) is the greenest concerning all the tools. All the tools have pros and cons of their own. AGREE has merit as it covers 12 principles of GAC and can be used for quantitative assessment, it does not include the quantity of reagents or solvents used. It does not provide an exact justification for solvents. While the AGREE method appears to offer a straightforward, accessible, and numerical means of assessment presently, it is advisable to standardize the suggested alternatives. This involves integrating green parameters alongside method features when assessing various methodologies for analytical determinations. ComplexGAPI uses a color-coding pattern which is used for qualitative assessment. whereas BAGI depicts the practicability and applicability of the methods and provides results in quantitative as well as qualitative methods. ESA provides quantitative data, but it has shown that the method uses hazardous solvents for the analysis. However, it still achieves a score exceeding 75 and is accepted as an environmentally friendly approach. It is recommended that the greenness of the analytical method be considered during the method development stage only so that greener methods can be used for the analysis of drugs without harming the environment or the analyst. By adopting greener chromatographic methods, researchers and analysts can contribute to a more sustainable future.

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