Flow-injection spectrophotometric determination of methyldopa in pharmaceutical formulations

A flow-injection spectrophotometric procedure is proposed for methyldopa determination in pharmaceutical preparations. The determination is based on formation of a yellow product (measured at 410 nm) after complexation of methyldopa with molybdate. Under optimal conditions, Beer's law is obeyed in a concentration range of 50-200 mg l⁻¹ methyldopa. Typical correlation between absorbance and analyte concentration was 0.9999. Usual excipients used as additives in pharmaceuticals do not interfere with the proposed method. The analytical frequency was 210 h⁻¹ and the relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) was ≤2% for sample solution containing 150 mg l⁻¹ methyldopa (n = 11). The analytical results obtained in commercial formulations by applying the proposed FIA method were in good agreement with labeled values and those obtained by the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia procedure at 95% confidence level.     

Electrochemical studies and square-wave voltammetric determination of fenofibrate in pharmaceutical formulations

The electrochemical reduction of fenofibrate at a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) was investigated by cyclic voltammetry, square-wave voltammetry, and chronoamperometry. Different buffer solutions were used over a wide pH range (3.0–10.0). The best definition of the analytical signals was found in borate buffer (pH 9.0)–tetrabutylammonium iodide mixture containing 12.5% (v/v) methanol at –1.2 V (versus Ag/AgCl). According to cyclic voltammetric studies, the reduction was irreversible and diffusion controlled. The diffusion coefficient was 2.38×10^–6 cm² s^–1 as determined by chronoamperometry. Under optimized conditions of square-wave voltammetry, a linear relationship was obtained between 0.146–4.96 g mL^–1 of fenofibrate with a limit of detection of 0.025 g mL^–1. Validation parameters such as sensitivity, accuracy, precision, and recovery were evaluated. The proposed method was applied to the determination of fenofibrate in pharmaceutical formulations. The results were compared with those obtained by a published high-performance liquid chromatography method. No difference was found statistically.     

Two- and three-way chemometrics methods applied for spectrophotometric determination of lorazepam in pharmaceutical formulations and biological fluids

In this work, direct determination of lorazepam, an anxiolytic and sedative agent, in pharmaceutical formulations and biological fluids (urine and human plasma) was accomplished based on ultraviolet spectrophotometry (260-380 nm) using parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) and partial least squares (PLS). The study was carried out in the pH range from 1.0 to 12.0 and with a concentration range from 0.50 to 8.75 μg ml⁻¹ of lorazepam. Multivariate calibration models using PLS at different pH and PARAFAC were elaborated for ultraviolet spectra deconvolution and lorazepam quantitation. The best models for the system were obtained with PARAFAC and PLS at pH = 2.05 (PLS-PH2). The capabilities of the method for the analysis of real samples were evaluated by determination of lorazepam in pharmaceutical preparations and biological (urine and plasma) fluids with satisfactory results. The accuracy of the method, evaluated through the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP), was 0.0429 for lorazepam with best calibration curve by PARAFAC and 0.0467 for lorazepam with PLS model at best pH. The protolytic equilibria of lorazepam at 25 °C and ionic strength of 0.1 M have also been determined spectrophotometrically. Protolytic equilibria of lorazepam were evaluated by DATAN program using the corresponding absorption spectra-pH data. The obtained pK_a values of lorazepam are 1.54 and 11.61 for pK_a1 and pK_a2, respectively.     

Chromatographic determination of caffeine in pharmaceutical formulations using micellar mobile phases

Summary An HPLC procedure is described for the determination of caffeine in pharmaceutical preparations. A Spherisorb octadecylsilane ODS-2 C₁₈ analytical column and spectrophotometric detection at 273 nm were used. The chromatographic behaviour of caffeine with different micellar eluents containing sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) is described. The determination of caffeine in pharmaceutical preparations was performed by use of a mobile phase containing 0.05 M sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) and 1.5% propanol at pH7. At a 6.0 g mL^–1 concentration level the peak area and peak height repeatability were 2.6 and 2.4%, respectively. The application of the proposed method to the analysis of five pharmaceutical formulations, using peak heights as the dependent variable, gave recoveries between 85 and 104% of the values declared by the manufacturers. The proposed procedure for the determination of caffeine is rapid (15 min per sample), reliable and free from interferences.     

Electrochemical determination of prolintane in pharmaceutical formulations and in human urine

The oxidative behavior of 1-[1-(phenylmethyl)butyl]pyrrolidine, prolintane, was studied at a glassy carbon electrode using linear-sweep and differential-pulse voltammetry. The oxidation process was shown to be irreversible using 0.04 M Britton–Robinson buffer and was diffusion-adsorption controlled. Two voltammetric methods were developed for the determination of prolintane using different techniques: linear-sweep and differential-pulse voltammetry. The peak current varied linearly with prolintane concentrations in the range of 1.0 × 10⁻⁵ −2.5 × 10⁻⁴ M, with a detection limit of 8.5 × 10⁻⁶ and 4.0 × 10⁻⁶ M, and with relative standard deviations of 2.1 % and 3.1 %, respectively. The methods were applied to commercial preparations, giving relative errors less than 3.1 % and relative standard deviations lower than 4.8 % (n = 10). Determination of prolintane (down to the 8.5 × 10⁻⁸ M level) can be performed by using a preconcentration step prior to the determination by differential-pulse voltammetry in 0.04 M Britton–Robinson buffer (pH 8.0) with preconcentration potential of 0.0 V. The detection limit was found to be 6.2 × 10⁻⁸ M (4 min preconcentration) and the relative standard deviation for 2.5 × 10⁻⁷ M prolintane (n = 5) was 4.6 %. Applicability to human urine analysis is illustrated (recovery 98 ± 2 %). Standard additions method can be used to determine prolintane in real samples of urine.     

Flow-injection turbidimetric determination of homatropine methylbromide in pharmaceutical formulations using silicotungstic acid as precipitant reagent

A flow-injection turbidimetric procedure exploiting merging zones is proposed for determining homatropine methylbromide (HMB) in pharmaceutical preparations. The determination is based on the precipitation reaction of homatropine methylbromide with silicotungstic acid in acidic medium to form a precipitate, which was measured at 410 nm. The analytical curve was linear in the HMB concentration range from 8.1 × 10⁻⁵ to 2.2 × 10⁻⁴ mol l⁻¹, with a detection limit of 5.0 × 10⁻⁶ mol l⁻¹. The recoveries ranged from 96 to 103%, the sampling frequency was 70 determinations per hour and relative standard deviations were less than 1.5% (n = 10). The results obtained for commercial formulations using the FIA procedure were in good agreement with those obtained by using a comparative method.     

Kinetic spectrophotometric determination of hyoscine butylbromide in pure form and in pharmaceutical formulations

A simple and sensitive kinetic method was described for the determination of hyoscine butylbromide in pharmaceutical preparations. The method is based upon a kinetic investigation of the oxidation reaction of the drug with alkaline potassium permanganate at room temperature for a fixed time of 15 min. The absorbance of the colored manganate ion was measured at 610 nm. The absorbance–concentration plot was rectilinear over the range of 1.0–10 μg mL^?1 (r = 0.9999) and detection limit of 0.092 μg mL^?1. The concentration of hyoscine butylbromide was calculated using the corresponding calibration equation for the fixed-time method. The determination of hyoscine butylbromide by the fixed-concentration and rate constant methods is also feasible with the calibration equations obtained but the fixed-time method has been found to be more applicable. The different experimental parameters affecting the development and stability of the colors were carefully studied and optimized. The proposed method was applied to the determination of hyoscine butylbromide in pharmaceutical formulations. The results obtained were in good agreement with those obtained using the official British Pharmacopeial method (2004).     

Sequential injection method for the direct spectrophotometric determination of bismuth in pharmaceutical products

A spectrophotometric method is reported for the determination of bismuth in pharmaceutical products using sequential injection analysis. Methylthymol blue (MTB) was used as a color forming reagent and the absorbance of the Bi(III)-MTB complex was monitored at 548 nm. The various chemical and physical variables that affected the reaction were studied. A linear calibration graph was obtained in the range 0.0-75.0 mg l⁻¹ Bi(III) at a sampling frequency of 72 h⁻¹. The reagent consumption was considerably reduced compared to conventional flow injection systems, as only 150 μl of MTB were consumed per run. The precision was very satisfactory (s_r=0.5%, at 50.0 mg l⁻¹ Bi(III), n=12) and the limit of detection, c_L, was 0.250 mg l⁻¹. The developed method was applied successfully to the analysis of various pharmaceutical products containing Bi(III). The relative errors e_r, were <1.5% in all cases and were evaluated by comparison of the obtained results with those found using atomic absorption spectrometry as the reference method.     

Determination of pentoxifylline in pharmaceutical formulations using iodine as oxidizing agent

Simple, selective and sensitive spectrophotometric methods are described for the determination of pentoxifylline, based on the haloform reaction with a known and excess of standard iodine solution under alkaline conditions. The excess of iodine is determined at pH 3.0 with metol–isoniazid (λ_max=620 nm; method A) or wool fast blue BL (λ_max=540 nm, method B). All the variables have been optimised and the reaction mechanisms presented. Regression analysis of Beer's law plots showed good correlation in the concentration ranges 4.0–24.0 and 0.4–2.4 mg ml⁻¹ for methods A and B respectively. No interferences were observed from excipients and the validity of the methods was tested by analysing pharmaceutical formulations. Recoveries were 99.0–100.0%. The concentration measurements were reproducible within a relative standard deviation of 1.0%.     

HPLC‐DAD method for the simultaneous determination of zofenopril and hydrochlorothiazide in oral pharmaceutical formulations

An HPLC method with DAD detection was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of zofenopril and hydrochlorothiazide in tablets. The separation was carried out through a gradient elution using an Agilent LiChrospher C18 column (250×4.0 mm id, 5 μm) and a mobile phase consisting of (A) water–TFA (99.9:0.1 v/v) and (B) acetonitrile–TFA (99.1:0.1 v/v) delivered at a flow‐rate of 1.0 mL/min. 8‐Chlorotheophylline was used as internal standard. Calibration curves were found to be linear for the two drugs over the concentration ranges of 5.0–40 and 1.0–20 μg/mL for zofenopril and hydrochlorothiazide, respectively. Linearity, precision, accuracy, specificity and robustness were determined in order to validate the proposed method, which was further applied to the analysis of commercial tablets. The proposed method is simple and rapid, and gives accurate and precise results.     

Selective spectrophotometric determination of phenolic β-lactam antibiotics in pure forms and in their pharmaceutical formulations

Four simple and selective spectrophotometric methods were developed for the quantitative determination of some phenolic β-lactam antibiotics (amoxicillin trihydrate, cefoperazone sodium, cefadroxil monohydrate, and cefprozil anhydrous) in pure forms as well as in their pharmaceutical formulations through their nitration and subsequent complexation with an nucleophilic reagent (method I), nitrosation and subsequent metal chelation (method II), coupling with diazo reagent (method III), and reaction with copper and extraction of the resulting chelate into chloroform (method IV). The reaction conditions were studied and optimized. Beer’s plots were obeyed in a general concentration range of 5-30 ug ml⁻¹ with correlation coefficients not less than 0.9997 for the four drugs. The methods are successfully applied to the analysis of pharmaceutical formulations containing amoxicillin, either alone or in combination with potassium clavulanate. They were also applied to the analysis of the other three studied drugs in vials, capsules, tablets, and suspensions with good recovery; percentage ranged from 99.0 (±1.42) to 100.2 (±1.25) in method I, 99.0 (±0.82) to 100.5 (±0.92) in method II, 99.5 (±0.09) to 100.8 (±0.98) in method III, and 99.3 (±0.01) to 100.2 (±0.05) in method IV. Interferences from other antibiotics and additives were investigated.     

HPLC analysis of aspartame and saccharin in pharmaceutical and dietary formulations

Summary A reversed-phase HPLC method has been developed suitable for a reliable quality control of pharmaceutical and dietary formulations containing the synthetic sweeteners aspartame and saccharin. The proposed method is able to separate acesulfame, aspartame and saccharin, and their impurities such as 5-benzyl-3,6-dioxo-2-piperazineacetic acid (the major degradation product of aspartame) and 4-sulphamoylbenzoic acid,o- andp-toluenesulphonamides (the synthesis impurities of saccharin). A convenient solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure using C-18 sorbent, was also developed for the determination of potential saccharin impurities.     

Flow injection-chemiluminescence determination of propranolol in pharmaceutical preparations

A rapid and precise continuous-flow method is described for the determination of propranolol based on the chemiluminescence (CL) produced by its reaction with potassium permanganate in a sulphuric acid medium. The optimum chemical conditions for the chemiluminescence emission were investigated. Two manifolds were tested and their characteristics such as the length of the reactor, injection volume and flow rate were compared. When using the selected manifold, propranolol gives a linear calibration graph over the concentration range 1.0-17.5 mg l⁻¹. The detection limit calculated as proposed by IUPAC was 70 ng ml⁻¹ and the detection limit calculated as proposed by Clayton was 0.87 mg l⁻¹. For analysis of 10 solutions of 10.0 mg l⁻¹ propranolol, if error propagation theory is assumed, the relative error was 0.1%. The standard deviation (S.D.) for 10 replicate samples was 0.07 mg l⁻¹. The method has been validated versus a published fluorimetric method.The present chemiluminescence procedure was applied to the determination of propranolol in simple British and Spanish pharmaceutical formulations, with excellent recoveries, as the determination is free from interference from common excipients. However, some drugs, such as hydralazine and bendroflumethizide which may also be present in the formulation, increase the emission intensity.     

Stability-indicating high performance thin layer chromatography determination of Paroxetine hydrochloride in bulk drug and pharmaceutical formulations

A simple selective precise and stability-indicating high performance thin layer chromatographic method of analysis of Paroxetine hydrochloride both as a bulk drug and in formulations was developed and validated. The method employed TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography) aluminum precoated with silica gel 60F-254 as the stationary phase. The solvent system consisted of butanol:acetic acid:water (8:2:0.5, v/v/v). This system was found to give compact spots for Paroxetine HCl (Rf, retardation factor, value-0.48 ± 0.02). Paroxteine HCl was subjected to acid and alkali hydrolysis, oxidation and photodegradation, where the degraded product was well separated from the pure drug. Densitometric analysis of Paroxetine hydrochloride was carried out in the absorbance mode at 295 nm. The linear regression analysis data for the calibration spots showed good relationship with (regression) r² = 0.9903 in the amount range of 300-1500 ng (nanogram) per spot. The mean value of co-relation co-efficient, slope and intercept were 0.9903 ± 0.001, 5.38 ± 0.058 and 182.5 ± 2.16 respectively. The method was validated for precision, recovery and robustness. The limits of detection and quantitation were 50 and 150 ng, respectively. The drug doesnot undergo degradation with oxidation, but gets affected in acidic and alkaline conditions. The acid and alkali degradation showed extra peaks at 0.4 and 0.08 Rf, respectively. This indicates that the drug is susceptible to acidic and alkaline medium. As the method could effectively separate the drug from its degradation products, it can be employed as a stability-indicating one.     

p-Aminobenzoate ion determination in pharmaceutical formulations by using a potentiometric sensor immobilized in a graphite matrix

The characteristics, performance, and application of an electrode, namely, Pt|Hg|Hg₂(PABzt)₂| graphite, where PABzt stands for p-aminobenzoate ion, are described. This electrode responds to PABzt with sensivity of (58.1±1.0) mV per decade over the range 1.0×10⁻⁴ to 1.0×10⁻¹ mol l⁻¹ at pH 6.5-8.0 and a detection limit of 3.2×10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹. The electrode shows easy construction, fast response time (within 10-30 s), low-cost, and excellent response stability (lifetime greater than 6 months, in continuous use). The proposed sensor displayed good selectivity for p-aminobenzoate in the presence of several substances, especially, concerning carboxylate and inorganic anions. It was used to determine p-aminobenzoate in pharmaceutical formulations by means of the standard additions method. The results obtained by using this electrode compared very favorably with those given by an HPLC procedure.     

Determination of paracetamol in pharmaceutical formulations using a sequential injection system

A simple method for the rapid determination of paracetamol in pharmaceutical formulations is described. The method involves oxidation of paracetamol by potassium hexacyanoferrate(III) and a subsequent reaction with phenol in the presence of ammonia. The blue complex formed is measured at 630 nm. The system has a sample frequency of 27 samples per h with a detection limit of 0.2 mg l⁻¹. The calibration curve is linear up to 60 mg l⁻¹ with a relative standard deviation of 1.2% (n=10).     

FIA-fluorimetric determination of adrenaline in pharmaceutical formulations by oxidation with molecular oxygen

The fluorimetric determination of adrenaline is carried out in a continuous-flow assembly and by means of the molecular dissolved oxygen. The sample solution merges with an NaOH stream, then the resulting mixture is heated at 73 °C and led to the flow-cell of the fluorimeter. The flow-assembly is very simple and the procedure is quick (107 samples h^–1) reproducible (R.S.D. 0.6%), selective and suitable to be applied to determination of adrenaline in formulations. Calibrations graph are linear over the ranges 0.05–15 and 20–40 mgl^–1.     

Determination of lithium in pharmaceutical formulations used in the treatment of bipolar disorder by flow injection analysis with spectrophotometric detection

In this work, a flow injection system with spectrophotometric detection was developed for the determination of lithium in pharmaceutical formulations used in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Reaction between Quinizarine (1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone) and Li(I) ion in alkaline medium containing dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) was explored for this purpose. The flow system was optimized regarding to its chemical (DMSO, Quinizarine and NaOH concentrations and sample pH) and physical parameters (sample loop volume, carrier flow rate and reactor length) in order to establish better conditions in terms of sensitivity and sampling frequency. The results obtained showed that the concentration of DMSO in the reagent solution presents remarkable influence on the magnitude of analytical signal. Chemical species that could be found in the formulations such as Na(I), K(I), Mg(II), Ca(II), Ti(IV), Cl⁻, CO₃²⁻ e sodium dodecylsulfate were tested as possible interfering ions. Among them, only non-monovalent cations presented noticeable interference on lithium signal. However, they were not found in concentrations high enough to cause interference in the determination of lithium in the samples. Sample preparation was performed by sonicating a slurry prepared by dispersing 100 mg of powdered sample in 15 mL of 0.10 mol L⁻¹ HCl solution. Results obtained by developed methodology were not statistically different from those obtained by flame emission spectrometry. In the optimized conditions the method presented a linear range of 5-40 mg L⁻¹ and a relative standard deviation of 3.6% at 5 mg L⁻¹ Li concentration. Detection and quantification limits were 0.54 and 1.8 mg L⁻¹, respectively. Sampling frequency, calculated as the time interval passed between two consecutive injections, was 60 samples per hour. The methodology was successfully applied in the determination of lithium in three commercial samples.     

HPLC determination of thiol drugs in pharmaceutical formulations using ethacrynic acid as a precolumn ultraviolet derivatization reagent

Summary A high performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the determination of aliphatic thiol drugs, such as N-acetyl-L-cysteine, captopril and mercaptopropionylglycine in pharmaceutical formulations. The procedure involves a precolumn derivatization of the thiol drug with ethacrynic acid followed by reversedphase HPLC separation and UV detection. The conditions for a rapid and selective reaction of the thiols with ethacrynic acid have been investigated. The method proved to be suitable for a reliable and selective quality control of commercial dosage forms of the examined thiol drugs.     

Enantioseparation and quality control of biperiden in pharmaceutical formulations by capillary electrophoresis

An original capillary electrophoretic method has been developed and applied for the enantioselective analysis of the antiparkinson drug biperiden in pharmaceutical formulations, using a modified cyclodextrin as the chiral selector. Baseline enantioseparation of the racemic compound was achieved in less than 7 min using an uncoated fused silica capillary (50 μm i.d. and 48.5, 40.0 cm, total and effective length, respectively), filled with a background electrolyte consisting of a 50 mM phosphate buffer at pH 3.5 supplemented with 3% (w/v) β-cyclodextrin sulphate and applying a voltage of 20 kV, reversed polarity. Samples were injected by pressure (50 mbar, 90 s) at the cathodic end of the capillary and detection wavelength was 195 nm (bandwidth: 10 nm). A simple and fast pre-treatment procedure allowed the complete extraction of the drug from commercial formulations (sustained release tablets and ampoules for injections) without any interference from the matrix. Good linearity was found in the 1–50 μg/mL concentration range; the limit of quantitation was 1 μg/mL and the limit of detection was 0.4 μg/mL. Precision and accuracy were good, with R.S.D. values always lower than 2.8% and a mean recovery value of 101.1%. The method was suitable for the quality control of biperiden in commercial formulations.