Clopidogrel high on treatment platelets reactivity (HTPR) has burdened achieving optimum therapeutic outcome. Although there are known genetic and non-genetic factors associated with clopidogrel HTPR, which explain in part clopidogrel HTPR, yet, great portion remains unknown, often hindering personalizing antiplatelet therapy. Nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) pharmacometabolomics analysis is useful technique to phenotype drug response. We investigated using 1H NMR analysis to phenotype clopidogrel HTPR in urine. Urine samples were collected from 71 coronary artery disease (CAD) patients who were planned for interventional angiographic procedure prior to taking 600mg clopidogrel loading dose (LD) and 6h post LD. Patients' platelets function testing was assessed with the VerifyNow® P2Y12 assay at 6h after LD. Urine samples were analysed using 1H NMR. Multivariate statistical analysis was used to identify metabolites associated with clopidogrel HTPR. In pre-dose samples, 16 metabolites were associated with clopidogrel HTPR. However, 18 metabolites were associated with clopidogrel HTPR in post-dose samples. The pathway analysis of the identified biomarkers reflected that multifactorial conditions are associated with clopidogrel HTPR. It also revealed the implicated role of gut microbiota in clopidogrel HTPR. Pharmacometabolomics not only discovered novel biomarkers of clopidogrel HTPR but also revealed implicated pathways and conditions.
A portable electrochemical sensor was developed to determine xylazine in spiked beverages by adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV). The sensor was based on a graphene nanoplatelets-modified screen-printed carbon electrode (GNPs/SPCE). The electrochemical behavior of xylazine at the GNPs/SPCE was an adsorption-controlled irreversible oxidation reaction. The loading of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) on the modified SPCE, electrolyte pH, and AdSV accumulation potential and time were optimized. Under optimal conditions, the GNPs/SPCE provided high sensitivity, linear ranges of 0.4-6.0 mg L-1 (r = 0.997) and 6.0-80.0 mg L-1 (r = 0.998) with a detection limit of 0.1 mg L-1 and a quantitation limit of 0.4 mg L-1. Repeatability was good. The accuracy of the proposed sensor was investigated by spiking six beverage samples at 1.0, 5.0, and 10.0 mg L-1. The recoveries from this method ranged from 80.8 ± 0.2-108.1 ± 0.3 %, indicating the good accuracy of the developed sensor. This portable electrochemical sensor can be used to screen for xylazine in beverage samples as evidence in cases of sexual assault or robbery.
Bevacizumab is a full-length human monoclonal antibody used to treat various neovascular diseases such as wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic eye disease and other problems of the retina. Monthly intravitreal injections of bevacizumab (Avastin®) are effective in the treatment of wet AMD. However, there is a growing demand in the development of sustained release ophthalmic formulations. Therefore, this study aims, for the first time, to develop a rapid, simple, and sensitive method using size exclusion chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection for routine quantification of bevacizumab in ophthalmic formulations and during in vitro release studies. The selected chromatographic conditions included an aqueous mobile phase composed of 35 mM sodium phosphate buffer and 300 mM sodium chloride (pH 6.8), a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min, and the fluorescence detector was operated at excitation and emission wavelengths of 280 and 340 nm, respectively. The peak area-concentration relationship maintained its linearity over concentration range of 0.1-20 μg/mL (R2 = 0.9993), and the quantitation limit was 100 ng/mL. The method was validated for specificity, accuracy, precision, and robustness. The developed method had a run time of 6 min at temperature 25 °C, making it a unique validated method for rapid and cost-effective quantification of bevacizumab.
A quantitative structure-permeability relationship was developed using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) modeling to study penetration across a polydimethylsiloxane membrane. A set of 254 compounds and their experimentally derived maximum steady state flux values used in this study was gathered from the literature. A total of 42 molecular descriptors were calculated for each compound. A genetic algorithm was used to select important molecular descriptors and supervised ANN was used to correlate selected descriptors with the experimentally derived maximum steady-state flux through the polydimethylsiloxane membrane (log J). Calculated molecular descriptors were used as the ANN's inputs and log J as the output. Developed model indicates that molecular shape and size, inter-molecular interactions, hydrogen-bonding capacity of drugs, and conformational stability could be used to predict drug absorption through skin. A 12-descriptor nonlinear computational neural network model has been developed for the estimation of log J values for a data set of 254 drugs. Described model does not require experimental parameters and could potentially provide useful prediction of membrane penetration of new drugs and reduce the need for actual compound synthesis and flux measurements.
A facile electrochemical sandwich immunosensor for the detection of a breast cancer biomarker, the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), was designed, using lead sulfide quantum dots-conjugated secondary HER2 antibody (Ab2-PbS QDs) as a label. Using Ab2-PbS QDs in the development of electrochemical immunoassays leads to many advantages such as straightforward synthesis and well-defined stripping signal of Pb(II) through acid dissolution, which in turn yields better sensing performance for the sandwiched immunosensor. In the bioconjugation of PbS QDs, the available amine and hydroxyl groups from secondary anti-HER2 and capped PbS QDs were bound covalently together via carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) acting as a linker. In order to quantify the biomarker, SWV signal was obtained, where the Pb2+ ions after acid dissolution in HCl was detected. The plated mercury film SPCE was also detected in situ. Under optimal conditions, HER2 was detected in a linear range from 1-100 ng/mL with a limit of detection of 0.28 ng/mL. The measures of satisfactory recoveries were 91.3% to 104.3% for the spiked samples, displaying high selectivity. Therefore, this method can be applied to determine HER2 in human serum.
Quantitative structure-retention relationship(QSRR) method was used to model reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) separation of 18 selected amino acids. Retention data for phenylthiocarbamyl (PTC) amino acids derivatives were obtained using gradient elution on ODS column with mobile phase of varying acetonitrile, acetate buffer and containing 0.5 ml/l of triethylamine (TEA). Molecular structure of each amino acid was encoded with 36 calculated molecular descriptors. The correlation between the molecular descriptors and the retention time of the compounds in the calibration set was established using the genetic neural network method. A genetic algorithm (GA) was used to select important molecular descriptors and supervised artificial neural network (ANN) was used to correlate mobile phase composition and selected descriptors with the experimentally derived retention times. Retention time values were used as the network's output and calculated molecular descriptors and mobile phase composition as the inputs. The best model with five input descriptors was chosen, and the significance of the selected descriptors for amino acid separation was examined. Results confirmed the dominant role of the organic modifier in such chromatographic systems in addition to lipophilicity (log P) and molecular size and shape (topological indices) of investigated solutes.
Olive trees are one of the most widely cultivated fruit trees in the world. The chemical compositions and biological activities of olive tree fruit and leaves have been extensively researched for their nutritional and health-promoting properties. In contrast, limited data have been reported on olive flowers. The present study aimed to analyse bioactive compounds in olive flower extracts and the effect of fermentation-assisted extraction on phenolic content and antioxidant activity. High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) hyphenated with the bioassay-guided detection and spectroscopic identification of bioactive compounds was used for the analysis. Enzymatic and bacterial in situ bioassays were used to detect COX-1 enzyme inhibition and antibacterial activity. Multiple zones of antibacterial activity and one zone of COX-1 inhibition were detected in both, non-fermented and fermented, extracts. A newly developed HPTLC-based experimental protocol was used to measure the high-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) for the assessment of the relative potency of the extracts in inhibiting COX-1 enzyme and antibacterial activity. Strong antibacterial activities detected in zones 4 and 7 were significantly higher in comparison to ampicillin, as confirmed by low IC50 values (IC50 = 57-58 µg in zone 4 and IC50 = 157-167 µg in zone 7) compared to the ampicillin IC50 value (IC50 = 495 µg). The COX-1 inhibition by the extract (IC50 = 76-98 µg) was also strong compared to that of salicylic acid (IC50 = 557 µg). By comparing the locations of the bands to coeluted standards, compounds from detected bioactive bands were tentatively identified. The eluates from bioactive HPTLC zones were further analysed by FTIR NMR, and LC-MS spectroscopy. Multiple zones of antibacterial activity were associated with the presence of triterpenoid acids, while COX-1 inhibition was related to the presence of long-chain fatty acids.
Ficus deltoidea var angustifolia (FD-A) reduces blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) but the mechanism remains unknown. Changes in urine metabolites following FD-A treatment in SHR were, therefore, examined to identify the mechanism of its antihypertensive action. Male SHR were given either FD-A (1000 mg kg-1 day-1) or losartan (10 mg kg-1 day-1) or 0.5 mL of ethanolic-water (control) daily for 4 weeks. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured every week and urine spectra data acquisition, on urine collected after four weeks of treatment, were compared using multivariate data analysis. SBP in FD-A and losartan treated rats was significantly lower than that in the controls after four weeks of treatment. Urine spectra analysis revealed 24 potential biomarkers with variable importance projections (VIP) above 0.5. These included creatine, hippurate, benzoate, trimethylamine N-oxide, taurine, dimethylamine, homocysteine, allantoin, methylamine, n-phenylacetylglycine, guanidinoacetate, creatinine, lactate, glucarate, kynurenine, ethanolamine, betaine, 3-hydroxybutyrate, glycine, lysine, glutamine, 2-hydroxyphenylacetate, 3-indoxylsulfate and sarcosine. From the profile of these metabolites, it seems that FD-A affects urinary levels of metabolites like taurine, hypotaurine, glycine, serine, threonine, alanine, aspartate and glutamine. Alterations in these and the pathways involved in their metabolism might underlie the molecular mechanism of its antihypertensive action.
The applicability of microwave non-destructive testing (NDT) technique in characterization of matrix property of pharmaceutical films was investigated. Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose and loratadine were selected as model matrix polymer and drug, respectively. Both blank and drug loaded hydroxypropylmethylcellulose films were prepared using the solvent-evaporation method and were conditioned at the relative humidity of 25, 50 and 75% prior to physicochemical characterization using microwave NDT technique as well as ultraviolet spectrophotometry, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) techniques. The results indicated that blank hydroxypropylmethylcellulose film exhibited a greater propensity of polymer-polymer interaction at the O-H and C-H domains of the polymer chains upon conditioned at a lower level of relative humidity. In the case of loratadine loaded films, a greater propensity of polymer-polymer and/or drug-polymer interaction via the O-H moiety was mediated in samples conditioned at the lower level of relative humidity, and via the C-H moiety when 50% relative humidity was selected as the condition for sample storage. Apparently, the absorption and transmission characteristics of both blank and drug loaded films for microwave varied with the state of polymer-polymer and/or drug-polymer interaction involving the O-H and C-H moieties. The measurement of microwave NDT test at 8GHz was sensitive to the chemical environment involving O-H moiety while it was greatly governed by the C-H moiety in test conducted at a higher frequency band of microwave. Similar observation was obtained with respect to the profiles of microwave NDT measurements against the state of polymer-polymer and/or drug-polymer interaction of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose films containing chlorpheniramine maleate. The microwave NDT measurement is potentially suitable for use as an apparent indicator of the state of polymer-polymer and drug-polymer interaction of the matrix.
It is known from our previous studies that kiwifruits, which are used in common human diet, have preventive properties of coronary artery disease. This study describes a combination of (1)H NMR spectroscopy, multivariate data analyses and fluorescence measurements in differentiating of some kiwifruit varieties, their quenching and antioxidant properties. A total of 41 metabolites were identified by comparing with literature data Chenomx database and 2D NMR. The binding properties of the extracted polyphenols against HSA showed higher reactivity of studied two cultivars in comparison with the common Hayward. The results showed that the fluorescence of HSA was quenched by Bidan as much as twice than by other fruits. The correlation between the binding properties of polyphenols in the investigated fruits, their relative quantification and suggested metabolic pathway was established. These results can provide possible application of fruit extracts in pharmaceutical industry.
A cyclodextrin-modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography (CD-MEKC) method with hydroxypropyl-gamma-cyclodextrin (HP-gamma-CD) as chiral selector for the enantiomeric separation of econazole is reported. Enantioseparation of econazole was successfully achieved by the optimized CD-MEKC system containing 40mM HP-gamma-CD, 50mM SDS and 20mM phosphate buffer (pH 8) solution with an analysis time of less than 9min. Calibration curves were linear for the two stereoisomers of econazole (r(2)>0.998). Good repeatabilities in the migration time, peak area and peak height were obtained in terms of RSD% ranging from 0.30 to 7.67%. Combination of solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure using diol column and the CD-MEKC method was successfully applied to the determination of econazole in a formulated cream sample.
Studies reveal that alterations in membrane protein (MP) patterns are associated with underlying drug resistance to chemotherapy. Therefore, the tryptic-digested MPs from the bladder cancer cell line were subjected to global proteomics using LC-MS/MS to identify the highly expressed potential MPs in bladder cancer cells. Our findings revealed the identification of MP biomarkers, CD147, and caveolin-1. Immunocytochemistry analysis confirmed the presence of CD147 on the cell membrane, while caveolin-1 showed positive signals without apparent staining on the membrane, suggesting its existence in multiple locations. Western blot analysis confirmed the higher expression of CD147 in non-invasive (RT 112) and metastatic (UM-UC-13) bladder cancer cells compared to invasive bladder cancer cells (5637 and J82), suggesting its potential as an MP biomarker for both of the former subtypes. The identified MPs could be used as drug therapy targets aimed at improving drug sensitivity and enhancing treatment outcomes in bladder cancer patients. SIGNIFICANCE: Identification of the membrane proteins associated with bladder cancer recurrence is crucial to understanding the mechanisms underlying the drug resistance to chemotherapy.
The aim of the present study is to investigate the influence of the CYP2D6*10 allele on the disposition of tramadol hydrochloride in Malaysian subjects. A single dose of 100 mg tramadol was given intravenously to 30 healthy orthopaedic patients undergoing various elective surgeries. After having obtained written informed consents, patients were genotyped for CYP2D6*10: the most common CYP2D6 allele among Asians by means of allele-specific polymerase chain reaction. The presence of other mutations (CYP2D6*1, *3, *4, *5, *9 and *17) was also investigated. Tramadol was extracted from 1 ml serum with an n-hexane: ethylacetate combination (4:1) after alkalinisation with ammonia (pH 10.6). Serum concentrations were measured by means of high-performance liquid chromatography. The pharmacokinetics of tramadol was studied during the 24 h after the dose. As among other Asians, the allele frequency for CYP2D6*10 among Malaysians was high (0.43). Subjects who were homozygous for CYP2D6*10 had significantly (P=0.046) longer mean serum half-life of tramadol than subjects of the normal or the heterozygous group (Kruskal-Wallis test). When patients were screened for the presence of other alleles, the pharmacokinetic parameter values were better explained. CYP2D6 activity may play a main role in determining tramadol pharmacokinetics. The CYP2D6*10 allele particularly was associated with higher serum levels of tramadol compared with the CYP2D6*1 allele. However, genotyping for CYP2D6*10 alone is not sufficient to explain tramadol disposition.
The identification, characterization and quantification of crystal forms are becoming increasingly important within the pharmaceutical industry. A combination of different physical analytical techniques is usually necessary for this task. In this work solid-state techniques, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and X-ray powder diffractometry (XRPD) were combined to analyze polymorphic purity of crystalline ranitidine-HCl, an antiulcer drug, H2 receptor antagonists. A series of 12 different mixtures of Form 1 and 2 was prepared by geometric mixing and their DRIFT spectra and XRD powder patterns were obtained and analyzed, either alone or combined together, using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). A standard feed-forward network, with back-propagation rule and with multi layer perceptron architecture (MPL) was chosen. A working range of 1.0-100% (w/w) of crystal Form 2 in Form 1 was established with a minimum quantifiable level (MQL) of 5.2% and limit of detection of 1.5% (w/w). The results demonstrate that DRIFTS combined with XRPD may be successfully used to distinguish between the ranitidine-HCl polymorphs and to quantify the composition of binary mixtures of the two.
A simple, sensitive and specific reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) method with UV detection at 251 nm was developed for simultaneous quantitation of buparvaquone (BPQ), atenolol, propranolol, quinidine and verapamil. The method was applicable in rat in situ intestinal permeability study to assess intestinal permeability of BPQ, a promising lead compound for Leishmania donovani infections. The method was validated on a C-4 column with mobile phase comprising ammonium acetate buffer (0.02 M, pH 3.5) and acetonitrile in the ratio of 30:70 (v/v) at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. The retention times for atenolol, quinidine, propranolol, verapamil and BPQ were 4.30, 5.96, 6.55, 7.98 and 8.54 min, respectively. The calibration curves were linear (correlation coefficient > or =0.996) in the selected range of each analyte. The method is specific and sensitive with limit of quantitation of 15 microg/ml for atenolol, 0.8 microg/ml for quinidine, 5 microg/ml for propranolol, 10 microg/ml for verapamil and 200 ng/ml for BPQ. The validated method was found to be accurate and precise in the working calibration range. Stability studies were carried out at different storage conditions and all the analytes were found to be stable. This method is simple, reliable and can be routinely used for accurate permeability characterization.
In this study a sensitive and selective gradient reverse phase UPLC-MS/MS method was developed for the simultaneous determination of six process related impurities viz., Imp-I, Imp-II, Imp-III, Imp-IV, Imp-V and Imp-VI in darunavir. The chromatographic separation was performed on Acquity UPLC BEH C18 (50 mm×2.1mm, 1.7μm) column using gradient elution of acetonitrile-methanol (80:20, v/v) and 5.0mM ammonium acetate containing 0.01% formic acid at a flow rate of 0.4mL/min. Both negative and positive electrospray ionization (ESI) modes were operated simultaneously using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) for the quantification of all six impurities in darunavir. The developed method was fully validated following ICH guidelines with respect to specificity, linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), accuracy, precision, robustness and sample solution stability. The method was able to quantitate Imp-I, Imp-IV, Imp-V at 0.3ppm and Imp-II, Imp-III, and Imp-VI at 0.2ppm with respect to 5.0mg/mL of darunavir. The calibration curves showed good linearity over the concentration range of LOQ to 250% for all six impurities. The correlation coefficient obtained was >0.9989 in all the cases. The accuracy of the method lies between 89.90% and 104.60% for all six impurities. Finally, the method has been successfully applied for three formulation batches of darunavir to determine the above mentioned impurities, however no impurity was found beyond the LOQ. This method is a good quality control tool for the trace level quantification of six process related impurities in darunavir during its synthesis.
Extracts of two Salvia species, Salvia apiana (white sage) and Salvia officinalis (common sage) were screened for phytoconstituents with the ability to act as antidiabetic, cognitive enhancing, or antimicrobial agents, by hyphenation of high-performance thin-layer chromatography with enzymatic and microbial effect directed assays. Two bioactive zones with α-amylase inhibition (zone 1 and zone 2), 3 zones for acetylcholinesterase inhibition (zones 3, 4 and 5), and two zones for antimicrobial activity (zones 4 and 5) were detected. The compounds from the five bioactive zones were initially identified by coelution with standards and comparing the RF values of standards to the bioautograms. Identity was confirmed with ATR-FTIR spectra of the isolated compounds from the bioactive zones. A significantly higher α-amylase and acetylcholinesterase inhibition of S. apiana leaf extract was associated with a higher flavonoid and diterpenoid content. Fermented S. officinalis extract exhibited a significantly higher ability to inhibit α-amylase compared to other non-fermented extracts from this species, due to increased extraction of flavonoids. The ATR-FTIR spectra of 2 zones with α-amylase inhibition, indicated that flavonoids and phenolic acids were responsible for α-amylase inhibition. Multiple zones of acetylcholinesterase inhibition were related to the presence of phenolic abietane diterpenoids and triterpenoid acids. The presence of abietane diterpenoids and triterpenoid acids was also found responsible for the mild antimicrobial activity. Flash chromatography was used to isolate sufficient amounts of bioactive compounds for further characterisation via NMR and MS spectroscopy. Five compounds were assigned to the zones where bioactivity was observed: cirsimaritin (zone 1), a caffeic acid polymer (zone 2), 16-hydroxyrosmanol (zone 3), 16-hydroxycarnosic acid (zone 4), oleanolic and ursolic acids (zone 5).
Bacterial and fungal infections are challenging due to their low susceptibility and resistance to antimicrobial drugs. For this reason, antimicrobial peptides (AMP) emerge as excellent alternatives to overcome these problems. At the same time, their active insertion into the cell wall of microorganisms can be availed for biorecognition applications in biosensing platforms. Temporin-PTA (T-PTA) is an AMP found in the skin secretions of the Malaysian fire frog Hylarana picturata, which presents antibacterial activity against MRSA, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus subtilis. In this work, T-PTA was explored as an innovative sensing layer aiming for the electrochemical differentiation of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Candida albicans, and C. tropicalis based on the structural differences of their membranes. The biosensor was analyzed through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). In this approach, the different structural features of each microorganism resulted in different adherence degrees and, therefore, different electrochemical responses. The transducing layer was fabricated by the self-assembling of a 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (MBA) monolayer and gold-capped magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@Au) implemented to improve the electrical signal of the biointeraction. We found that each interaction, expressed in variations of electron transfer resistance and anodic peak current, demonstrated a singular response from which the platform can discriminate all different microorganisms. We found expressive sensitivity towards Gram-negative species, especially K. pneumoniae. A detection limit of 101 CFU.mL-1 and a linear range of 101 to 105 CFU.mL-1 were obtained. The T-PTA biosensor platform is a promising and effective tool for microbial identification.
A detailed procedure for estimating uncertainty according to the Laboratory of Government Chemists/Valid Analytical Measurement (LGC/VAM) protocol for determination of 18 amino acids in gelatin is proposed. The expanded uncertainty was estimated using mainly the method validation data (precision and trueness). Other sources of uncertainties were contributed by components in standard preparation measurements. The method scope covered a single matrix (gelatin) under a wide range of analyte concentrations. The uncertainty of method precision, μ(P) was 0.0237-0.1128pmolμl(-1) in which hydroxyproline and histidine represented the lowest and highest values of uncertainties, respectively. Proline and phenylalanine represented the lowest and highest uncertainties value for method recovery, μ(R) that was estimated within 0.0064-0.0995pmolμl(-1). The uncertainties from other sources, μ(Std) were 0.0325, 0.0428 and 0.0413pmolμl(-1) that were contributed by hydroxyproline, other amino acids and cystine, respectively. Hydroxyproline and phenylalanine represented the lowest and highest values of expanded uncertainty, U(y) that were determined at 0.0949 and 0.2473pmolμl(-1), respectively. The data were accurately defined and fulfill the technical requirements of ISO 17025:2005.
A microdialysis system coupled with a sensitive ultra-fast liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS) method was developed for the pharmacokinetic analysis of mitragynine in rat blood and striatum. Mitragynine is an active alkaloid of Mitragyna speciosa and has been proposed to be used for opioid withdrawal therapy. In this study, chromatographic separation was performed in a gradient elution mode with 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile on a Zorbax Eclipse C18 column. The mass spectrometric (MS) analysis was carried out in a positive electrospray mode and mitragynine ion (m/z 399.2) was monitored in extracted ion chromatography. A good linearity range was obtained from 10-1000ng/mL with acceptable accuracy and precision parameters. The microdialysate was collected simultaneously from the striatum and the right jugular vein using microdialysis probes. After a single intravenous administration of 10mg/kg mitragynine, mitragynine showed a two-compartmental drug elimination pattern with half-life (T1/2) of approximately 13h. The percent of AUCbrain/AUCplasma of mitragynine was calculated and shown to be 65.8±4.5%. The results indicated that mitragynine could be a suitable molecule to develop into an opioid replacement drug based on its ideal pharmacokinetic properties, namely, small molecular size, lipophilic in nature and with excellent blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability.