Optimisation of the Procedure of Cefepime Extraction from Biological Material

Cefepime (active substance ‒ cefepime dihydrochloride monohydrate) is a fourth-generation antibiotic with a broad spectrum of action. The study of the chemical and toxicological properties of cefepime is especially relevant because there have been some cases of poisoning with this antibiotic which resulted in a fatal outcome, and because there is a lack of simple and up-to-date methods of its determination.

The study objective was to select conditions for cefepime extraction from biological material for subsequent use in forensic examination.

Materials and methods: the determination of conditions for cefepime extraction from biological material was performed using model mixtures and included selection of an adequate extracting agent and the required amount of the agent, as well as selection of the duration and number of digestion steps. Identification, purification and quantification of cefepime were performed using thin-layer chromatography and spectrophotometry methods.

Results: an acceptable agent that could be used for cefepime extraction from biological material is an acetone-water mixture (1:1), the amount of the extracting component should be twice the amount of the biological material, the time of contact between the extracting agent and the biological material should be at least 30 minutes.

Conclusions: the results of the study allowed us to identify an acceptable extracting agent and the conditions for cefepime extraction from biological material for identification and quantification of the antibiotic during forensic examination.

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