Characterization of genuine and fake artesunate anti-malarial tablets using Fourier transform infrared imaging and spatially offset Raman spectroscopy through blister packs

In support of the efforts to combat the illegal sale and distribution of counterfeit anti-malarial drugs, we evaluated a new analytical approach for the characterization and fast screening of fake and genuine artesunate tablets using a combination of Raman spectroscopy, Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS) and Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) imaging. Vibrational spectroscopy provided chemically specific information on the composition of the tablets; the complementary nature of Raman scattering and FTIR imaging allowed the characterization of both the overall and surface composition of the tablets. The depth-resolving power of the SORS approach provided chemically specific information on the overall composition of the tablets, non-invasively, through a variety of packaging types. Spatial imaging of the tablet surface (using ATR-FTIR) identified the location of domains of excipients and active ingredients with high sensitivity and enhanced spatial resolution. The advantages provided by a combination of SORS and ATR-FTIR imaging in this context confirm its potential for inclusion in the analytical protocol for forensic investigation of counterfeit medicines.

[1]  N. J. Harrick,et al.  Internal reflection spectroscopy , 1968 .

[2]  Stephane Proux,et al.  Fake artesunate in southeast Asia , 2001, The Lancet.

[3]  S Kapetanaki,et al.  Fourier transform infrared investigation of non-heme Fe(III) and Fe(II) decomposition of artemisinin and of a simplified trioxane alcohol. , 2001, Journal of medicinal chemistry.

[4]  V. Kalasinsky,et al.  Applications of vibrational microspectroscopy to pathology specimens , 2002 .

[5]  Sergei G. Kazarian,et al.  “Chemical Photography” of Drug Release , 2003 .

[6]  S. Kazarian,et al.  New Opportunities in Micro- and Macro-Attenuated Total Reflection Infrared Spectroscopic Imaging: Spatial Resolution and Sampling Versatility , 2003, Applied spectroscopy.

[7]  S. Kazarian,et al.  Applications of attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopic imaging to pharmaceutical formulations. , 2003, Analytical chemistry.

[8]  A. Mahadevan-Jansen,et al.  Automated Method for Subtraction of Fluorescence from Biological Raman Spectra , 2003, Applied spectroscopy.

[9]  M. Mayxay,et al.  Fake antimalarials in Southeast Asia are a major impediment to malaria control: multinational cross‐sectional survey on the prevalence of fake antimalarials , 2004, Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH.

[10]  Peter Aldhous,et al.  Counterfeit pharmaceuticals: Murder by medicine , 2005, Nature.

[11]  William F. Finney,et al.  Subsurface Probing in Diffusely Scattering Media Using Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy , 2005, Applied spectroscopy.

[12]  A. Goodship,et al.  Numerical Simulations of Subsurface Probing in Diffusely Scattering Media Using Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy , 2005, Applied spectroscopy.

[13]  Michael D Morris,et al.  Transcutaneous fiber optic Raman spectroscopy of bone using annular illumination and a circular array of collection fibers. , 2006, Journal of biomedical optics.

[14]  Pavel Matousek,et al.  Noninvasive Raman Spectroscopy of Human Tissue in vivo , 2006, Applied spectroscopy.

[15]  Paul N Newton,et al.  Counterfeit anti-infective drugs. , 2006, The Lancet. Infectious diseases.

[16]  William F. Finney,et al.  Subsurface Raman Spectroscopy and Mapping Using a Globally Illuminated Non-Confocal Fiber-Optic Array Probe in the Presence of Raman Photon Migration , 2006, Applied spectroscopy.

[17]  Weizhong Yang,et al.  Correction: Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome Caused by Streptococcus suis Serotype 2 , 2006, PLoS Medicine.

[18]  K. A. Hall,et al.  Characterization of counterfeit artesunate antimalarial tablets from southeast Asia. , 2006, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene.

[19]  C. Ricci,et al.  Combining the Tape-Lift Method and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic Imaging for Forensic Applications , 2006, Applied spectroscopy.

[20]  Pavel Matousek,et al.  Inverse Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy for Deep Noninvasive Probing of Turbid Media , 2006, Applied spectroscopy.

[21]  Rajendrani Mukhopadhyay,et al.  The Hunt for Counterfeit Medicine , 2007 .

[22]  Pavel Matousek,et al.  Noninvasive Authentication of Pharmaceutical Products through Packaging Using Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy , 2022 .

[23]  K. A. Hall,et al.  Fast detection and identification of counterfeit antimalarial tablets by Raman spectroscopy , 2007 .

[24]  C. Ricci,et al.  Combined Fourier-transform infrared imaging and desorption electrospray-ionization linear ion-trap mass spectrometry for analysis of counterfeit antimalarial tablets , 2007, Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry.