Opicapone is a novel catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor that emerged to fulfil the need of a safer and more efficacious COMT inhibitor. The present study was carried out in order to assess and compare the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (COMT inhibition) of opicapone after single and multiple oral administrations (30 mg/kg) to Wistar rats. For this purpose, at predefined time points up to 72 h post-dosing, blood, liver and kidneys were collected and, then, the concentrations of opicapone and its active metabolite (BIA 9-1079) were determined in plasma and in liver and kidney tissues, as well as the erythrocyte, liver and kidney COMT activity. No systemic, renal or hepatic accumulation of opicapone was observed following repeated administration. Furthermore, the tissue-systemic exposure relationships to opicapone suggested a low drug exposure in the liver and kidneys. After single-dosing, COMT inhibition profiles were reasonably comparable in all the studied matrices; although similar results were found after multiple-dosing, a higher degree of inhibition was observed, indicating a continuous peripheral COMT inhibition when opicapone is administered once-daily. Despite having a short elimination half-life (<= 2.94 h), opicapone showed a strong and long-lasting COMT inhibition in both studies, since more than 50% of the COMT activity was still inhibited at 24 h post-dosing. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The profiling analysis of catecholamines and their metabolites in brain tissue offers a crucial key to understand their functions in the body and the opportunity to follow up neural diseases. A rapid and simple liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection (LC-FLD) method was developed and validated for simultaneously measuring several catecholamines and endogenous related compounds in the rat brain tissue samples. The target analytes measured in this bioanalytical assay were levodopa (L-DOPA), dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E), 3-O-methyldopa (3-O-MD), and homovanillic acid (HVA), being the 3,4-dihydroxybenzylamine (DHBA) used as internal standard (IS). The six analytes (L-DOPA, DA, NE, E, 3-O-MD and HVA) can be determined in a single chromatographic run of less than 12min, and all the compounds (analytes and IS) were detected using their native fluorescence and monitored at excitation/emission wavelengths of 279nm/320nm, respectively. The chromatographic and detection conditions were experimentally optimized and then several validation parameters (linearity, limits of quantification and detection, precision and accuracy, recovery, stability and selectivity) were examined. In accordance with the international guidelines of the Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency the method described herein exhibited limits of quantification in the range of 2-25ngmL-1, linearity in wide concentration ranges (r2≥0.994), and acceptable precision (coefficient variation ≤8.76%) and accuracy (bias ±14.65%) levels. Since the bioanalytical procedure does not involve pre-purification or derivatization of the sample, the absolute recovery was found to be around 100%. Moreover, the developed LC-FLD method was successfully applied for the determination of the compounds of interest in tissue samples of different rat brain regions (cerebellum, amygdala, cortex, hippocampus, striatum, mesencephalon, medulla oblongata, substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area). Hence, this assay represents a valuable bioanalytical tool to support several pre(non)clinical studies in the broad field of neurosciences, requiring the quantitative analysis of these bioamines and their metabolites.

Cymbopogon citratus(DC.) Stapf is a tropical herb of the Poaceae family from Southeast Asia, commonly known as lemongrass. Studies previously conducted demonstrated its hypoglycemic, hipolypidemic, anxiolytic, sedative, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects

Opicapone is a novel potent, reversible and purely peripheral catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor that has been developed to be used as an adjunct to levodopa/aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase inhibitor therapy for Parkinson's disease. Thus, this study aimed to compare the plasma pharmacokinetics of opicapone and its active metabolite (BIA 9-1079) after the administration of single and multiple oral doses to rats. Wistar rats (n=8 per group) were orally treated with single (30, 60 or 90mg/kg) or multiple (30mg/kg once-daily for seven consecutive days) oral doses of opicapone. Blood samples were collected up to 24h post-dosing through a cannula introduced in the tail vein of rats. After quantifying opicapone and BIA 9-1079 in plasma, a non-compartmental pharmacokinetic analysis was performed. Opicapone was quickly absorbed (time to reach the maximum plasma concentration≤2h) in both dosage regimens and the extent of systemic exposure to opicapone increased approximately in a dose-proportional manner after single-dosing within the studied dose range (30–90mg/kg). Opicapone and BIA 9-1079 showed a relatively short plasma elimination half-life (1.58–4.50h) and a small systemic accumulation after multiple-dosing. Hence, no pharmacokinetic concerns are expected when opicapone is administered with a once-daily dosing regimen.

Cymbopogon citratus, commonly known as lemongrass, is a tropical herb used in worldwide traditional medicine for centuries. Studies previously conducted by our team demonstrated its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and recently, the antiinflammatory potential was also observed in vivo. However, little is known about its pharmacokinetics. The current study aimed at obtaining, for the first time, the pharmacokinetic profile of lemongrass infusion after a single dose oral administration to rats. All in vivo experimental procedures were approved by the Portuguese Veterinary General Division. Male Wistar rats were administered with a single oral dose of lemongrass infusion (68.24 mg/kg) and aliquots of plasma were collected at 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 h post-dosing. Liver and kidney samples were collected at 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 h post-dosing. Plasma and tissues homogenates were processed and luteolin (LUT), luteolin 7-O-glucuronide (L7G), chrysoeriol (CHR), diosmetin (DIO) and luteolin 3’-O-sulphate (L3’S) were quantified employing a RP-HPLC-DAD method. The mean concentration-time profiles obtained were analyzed by a noncompartmental pharmacokinetic analysis using the WinNonlin®. The pharmacokinetic studies revealed the presence of LUT, L7G, CHR, DIO and L3’S. L7G and L3’S were rapidly detected, with maximum plasma concentrations at 30 min after oral administrations. The concentration-time profile of liver samples evidenced compounds undetected in plasma: LUT, CHR and DIO. L7G, CHR and L3’S were detected in the liver from the first hour and stayed in the tissue until at least 24h.The kidney concentration-time profile revealed the presence of the same compounds detected in plasma. The pharmacokinetic analysis showed that the compounds present in lemongrass infusion are not present in plasma, liver or kidneys. On the other hand, L7G and L3’S were the major metabolites found in plasma and tissues, suggesting that lemongrass polyphenols are promptly metabolized in vivo and their metabolites may be the ones responsible for the anti-inflammatory activity of C. citratus, when orally administered.

Objectives: To evaluate the pharmacokinetics of opicapone following administration of single oral doses to Wistar rats.

Opicapone is a novel potent, reversible and purely peripheral third generation catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor, currently under clinical trials as an adjunct to levodopa therapy for Parkinson's disease. To support additional nonclinical pharmacokinetic studies, a novel high-performance liquid chromatographic method coupled to a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) to quantify opicapone and its active metabolite (BIA 9-1079) in rat plasma and tissues (liver and kidney) is herein reported. The analytes were extracted from rat samples through a deproteinization followed by liquid-liquid extraction. Chromatographic separation was achieved in less than 10 min on a reversed-phase C18 column, applying a gradient elution program with 0.05 M monosodium phosphate solution (pH 2.45 ± 0.05) and acetonitrile. Calibration curves were linear (r(2)  ≥ 0.994) within the ranges of 0.04-6.0 µg/mL for both analytes in plasma, 0.04-4.0 µg/mL for opicapone in liver and kidney homogenates, and 0.07-4.0 µg/mL and 0.06-4.0 µg/mL for BIA 9-1079 in liver and kidney homogenates, respectively. The overall intra- and inter-day accuracy ranged from -12.68% to 7.70% and the imprecision values did not exceed 11.95%. This new HPLC-DAD assay was also successfully applied to quantify opicapone and BIA 9-1079 in a preliminary pharmacokinetic study.

Opicapone (BIA 9-1067) is a novel catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor presently under clinical development as an adjuvant in the pharmacotherapy of Parkinson's disease. This report describes the development and validation of a bioanalytical assay for the simultaneous quantification of opicapone and its active metabolite (BIA 9-1079) in human plasma. The method herein reported is based on high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) and the sample preparation consists of a plasma protein precipitation step followed by liquid-liquid extraction. Chromatographic separation of the analytes (opicapone and BIA 9-1079) and the internal standard (tamoxifen) was achieved in less than 10 min on a reversed-phase C18 column at 25 °C by applying a gradient elution program using a mobile phase composed of 0.05 M monosodium phosphate solution adjusted to pH 2.45 (A) and acetonitrile (B) pumped at 0.8 mL min(-1). Opicapone and the internal standard were monitored at 271 nm while BIA 9-1079 was assessed at 257 nm. Calibration curves of both analytes were linear (r(2) ≥ 0.997) in the concentration range of 25-3000 ng mL(-1) and their limits of quantification were established to be 25 ng mL(-1). The overall precision did not exceed 13.2% and the accuracy was within ±11.1%. Several drugs potentially co-administered with opicapone were tested and they did not interfere at the retention times of the analytes (opicapone and BIA 9-1079) and internal standard. The method was then successfully applied for quantifying opicapone and its active metabolite (BIA 9-1079) in plasma samples obtained from a healthy subject enrolled in a clinical trial.

In the past years, it has been recognised that the levodopa therapy may be improved with therapeutic regimens including a catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor. At the present time, tolcapone and entacapone are the only two COMT inhibitors available in the market. However, further COMT inhibitors are under development for Parkinson's disease, namely nebicapone and opicapone (formerly known as BIA 9-1067). In addition, the nitecapone, another well-known COMT inhibitor, is also in preclinical development but for neuropathic pain. Since the 1990s different liquid chromatography methods have been developed and validated to quantify tolcapone, entacapone, nitecapone, nebicapone and some metabolites in biological samples, particularly in plasma samples obtained from rodent and human species. These bioanalytical methods have been primarily used to support pharmacokinetic assays with such COMT inhibitors in non-clinical and clinical studies. As these inhibitors present hydrophobic groups in their chemical structures, reversed-phase liquid chromatography has been used as the major approach for the determination of such compounds, especially high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV), electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) and mass spectrometry detection (HPLC–MS). Regarding the sample preparation, the traditional liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) and solid-phase extraction (SPE) were also the most widely used procedures for extraction of the analytes of interest prior to the analysis of samples. Thus, this review aimed to gather, for the first time, sufficient background information about the bioanalytical chromatographic methods which have been already developed and applied for the determination of tolcapone, entacapone, nitecapone, nebicapone and their metabolites. Moreover, some pharmacokinetic aspects of the COMT inhibitors with interest from a bioanalytical perspective were also addressed.