Determination of fenofibrate and gemfibrozil in pharmaceuticals by densitometric and videodensitometric thin-layer chromatography

New thin-layer chromatography (TLC) methods with densitometric and videoscanning detection were elaborated for the quantitative determination of fenofibrate in Fenoratio capsules and gemfibrozil in Gemfibral tablets. Analysis was performed on high-performance TLC diol F254 plates using hexane-tetrahydrofuran (8 + 2, v/v) mobile phase in horizontal DS chambers using the sandwich technique. The active substances were extracted from tablets with methanol. Densitometric assay was performed at 227 nm and videoscanning quantitation at 254 nm. Calibration plots were constructed in range 5-30 microg/spot (20 microL of solutions in different concentrations) for both of the drugs. The calibration data were tested against 3 regression models, and the optimum model was selected (quadratic for videoscanning and nonlinear y = ax(m) + b for the densitometric method, R2 > 0.997 in all cases). Linearity of the methods was tested by spotting different amounts of extracted solution (15-30 mg/spot). The recovery function was sufficiently linear in all cases, with an insignificant intercept and a slope very close to 1. Accuracy was tested by quantitating 3 fortified samples (50,100, and 150% of theoretical), and the results were homogeneous with no significant differences. The recovery in the densitometric assay was 101.42% (total relative standard deviation 10.76%) for fenofibrate and 100.47% (9.7%) for gemfibrozil. Videodensitometry resulted in recoveries of 102.73% (12.59%) and 98.79% (8.56%), respectively. The F-Snedecor test and Student's t-test for 2 means showed no significant differences between the precision and accuracy of both methods.     

Stability-indicating chromatographic methods for the determination of some oxicams

Two sensitive and selective methods were developed for the determination of some oxicams, namely, lornoxicam (LOX), tenoxicam (TEX), and meloxicam (MEX), in the presence of their alkaline degradation products. The first method is based on the thin-layer chromatographic separation of the 3 drugs from their alkaline degradation products, followed by densitometric measurement of the intact drug spots for LOX, TEX, and MEX at 380, 370, and 364 nm, respectively. The developing systems used for separation are ethyl acetate-methanol-26% ammonia (17 + 3 + 0.35, v/v/v) for LOX and TEX and chloroform-n-hexane-96.0% acetic acid (18 + 1 + 1, v/v/v) for MEX. The linear ranges were 0.25-6.0 microg/spot for LOX and TEX and 0.5-10 microg/spot for MEX, with mean recoveries of 99.80 +/- 1.32, 100.57 +/- 1.34, and 100.71 +/- 1.57%, respectively. The second method is based on the liquid chromatographic separation of the 3 drugs from their alkaline degradation products on a reversed-phase C18 column, using mobile phases of methanol-acetonitrile-acetate buffer, pH 4.6 (4.5 + 0.5 + 5.0, v/v/v) for LOX and MEX and methanol-acetonitrile-acetate buffer, pH 4.6 (1.9 + 0.1 + 3.0, v/v/v) for TEX at ambient temperature. Quantification is achieved by UV detection at 280 nm, based on peak area. The linear ranges were 0.5-20 microg/mL for LOX and TEX and 1.25-50 microg/mL for MEX, with mean recoveries of 99.81 +/- 1.01, 98.90 +/- 1.61, and 100.86 +/- 1.55%, respectively. The methods were validated according to guidelines of the International Conference on Harmonization. The developed methods were successfully applied to the determination of LOX, TEX, and MEX in bulk powder, laboratory-prepared mixtures containing different percentages of degradation products, and pharmaceutical dosage forms.     

Thin-layer chromatography-densitometric measurements for determination of N-(hydroxymethyl)nicotinamide in tablets and stability evaluation in solutions

A thin-layer chromatography (TLC)-densitometric method was developed to determine N-(hydroxymethyl)nicotinamide in tablets and basic solutions along with nicotinic acid. Analysis was performed on silica gel F254 plates using chloroform-ethanol (2 + 3, v/v) mobile phase. The densitometric observations were made at 260 nm. The results showed good precision and accuracy; relative standard deviation was 2.37%, and recovery ranged from 97.60 to 100.82%. The limit of detection was 0.1 microg/spot, while the linearity range was from 0.2 to 1.75 microg/spot. Applicability of the newly developed method was tested for determination of N-(hydroxymethyl)nicotinamide in the preparation Cholamid. Densitometric measurements were used to evaluate stability of N-(hydroxymethyl)nicotinamide in basic solutions. It was found that decomposition corresponded to first-order reaction kinetics. The computed kinetic and thermodynamic parameters at 30 degrees C were as follows: k = 0.00675/min, t0,5 = 1.71 h, t0,1 = 0.26 h, and Ea = 44.75 kJ/mol.     

Column and thin-layer chromatographic methods for the simultaneous determination of acediasulfone in the presence of cinchocaine, and cefuroxime in the presence of its hydrolytic degradation products

Column liquid chromatography (LC) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC)-densitometry methods are described for simultaneous determination of acediasulfone (Ace) and cinchocaine (Cinco). In the LC method, the separation and quantitation of the 2 drugs was achieved on a Zorbax C8 column (5 microm, 150 x 4.6 mm id) using a mobile phase composed of methanol-phosphate buffer, pH 2.5 (66 + 34, v/v), at a flow rate of 1 mL/min and ultraviolet detection at 300 and 327 nm for Ace and Cinco, respectively. The method showed linearity over concentration ranges of 20-200 and 45-685 microg/mL, respectively. In the TLC-densitometry method, a mobile phase composed of methanol-tetrahydrofuran-acetic acid (45 + 5 + 0.5, v/v/v) was used for the separation of the 2 drugs. The linearity range was 0.5-4 and 2-9 microg/spot, respectively. In addition, stability indicating TLC-densitometry method has been developed for determination of cefuroxime sodium in the presence of 5-70% of its known hydrolytic degradation products. The mobile phase butanol-methanol-tetrahydrofuran-concentrated ammonium hydroxide (50 + 50 + 50' + 5, v/v/v/v) was used. The concentration range was 2-10 microg/spot. The optimized methods proved to be specific and accurate for the analysis of the cited drugs in laboratory-prepared mixtures and dosage forms. The obtained results agreed statistically with those obtained by the reference methods.     

Determination of Sumatriptan and Zolmitriptan in Presence of Their Corresponding Degradation Products by HPTLC Methods

Accurate, sensitive, and precise high performance thin layer chromatographic (HPTLC) methods were developed and validated for the determination of sumatriptan and zolmitriptan in presence of their degradation products. Sumatriptan was separated from its degradation products and analyzed on TLC silica gel 60 F₂₅₄ plates using chloroform–ethyl acetate–methanol–ammonia (4:3:3:0.1, v/v) as a developing system followed by densitometric measurement of the bands at 228 nm. Zolmitriptan was determined using chloroform–ethyl acetate–methanol–ammonia (3:3:3:1, v/v) as a developing system followed by densitometric measurement at 222 nm. The methods were validated over a range of 0.5–4 μg/spot for sumatriptan and 0.5–3 μg/spot for zolmitriptan. The proposed methods were successfully applied for the determination of the studied drugs in bulk powder and in their pharmaceutical formulations.     

HPLC, TLC, and first-derivative spectrophotometry stability-indicating methods for the determination of tropisetron in the presence of its acid degradates

Three stability-indicating assay methods were developed for the determination of tropisetron in a pharmaceutical dosage form in the presence of its degradation products. The proposed techniques are HPLC, TLC, and first-derivative spectrophotometry (1D). Acid degradation was carried out, and the degradation products were separated by TLC and identified by IR, NMR, and MS techniques. The HPLC method was based on determination of tropisetron in the presence of its acid-induced degradation product on an RP Nucleosil C18 column using methanol-water-acetonitrile-trimethylamine (65 + 20 + 15 + 0.2, v/v/v/v) mobile phase and UV detection at 285 nm. The TLC method was based on the separation of tropisetron and its acid-induced degradation products, followed by densitometric measurement of the intact spot at 285 nm. The separation was carried out on silica gel 60 F254 aluminum sheets using methanol-glacial acetic acid (22 + 3, v/v) mobile phase. The 1D method was based on the measurement of first-derivative amplitudes of tropisetron in H2O at the zero-crossing point of its acid-induced degradation product at 271.9 nm. Linearity, accuracy, and precision were found to be acceptable over concentration ranges of 40-240 microg/mL, 1-10 microg/spot, and 6-36 micro/mL for the HPLC, TLC, and 1D methods, respectively. The suggested methods were successfully applied for the determination of the drug in bulk powder, laboratory-prepared mixtures, and a commercial sample.     

Determination of cimetidine,famotidine, and ranitidine hydrochloride in the presence of their sulfoxide derivatives in pure and dosage forms by high-performance thin-layer chromatography and scanning densitometry

A selective, precise, and accurate method was developed for the determination of cimetidine (C), famotidine (F), and ranitidine hydrochloride (R x HCl) in the presence of their sulfoxide derivatives. The method involves quantitative densitometric evaluation of mixtures of the drugs and their derivatives after separation by high-performance thin-layer chromatography on silica gel plates (10 x 20 cm) with ethyl acetate-isopropanol-20% ammonia (9 + 5 + 4, v/v) as the mobile phase for both C and F and ethyl acetate-methanol-20% ammonia (10 + 2 + 2, v/v) as the mobile phase for R x HCl; Rf values for C, F, and R x HCl and their corresponding derivatives were 0.85 and 0.59, 0.73 and 0.41, and 0.56 and 0.33, respectively. Developing time was approximately 20 min. For densitometric evaluation, peak areas were recorded at 218, 265, and 313 nm for C, F, and R x HCl, respectively. The relationship between concentration and the corresponding peak area was plotted for the ranges of 5-50 microg/spot for C and 2-20 microg/spot for F and R x HCl. Mean recoveries were 100.39 +/- 1.33, 99.77 +/- 1.30, and 100.09 +/- 0.69% for C, F, and R x HCl, respectively. The proposed method was used successfully for stability testing of the pure drugs in the presence of up to 90% of their degradates, in bulk powder and dosage forms. The results obtained were analyzed statistically and compared with those obtained by the official methods.     

Estimation of L-dopa from Mucuna pruriens LINN and formulations containing M. pruriens by HPTLC method

A selective, precise, and accurate high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method has been developed for the analysis of L-dopa in Mucuna pruriens seed extract and its formulations. The method involves densitometric evaluation of L-dopa after resolving it by HPTLC on silica gel plates with n-butanol-acetic acid-water (4.0+1.0+1.0, v/v) as the mobile phase. Densitometric analysis of L-dopa was carried out in the absorbance mode at 280 nm. The relationship between the concentration of L-dopa and corresponding peak areas was found to be linear in the range of 100 to 1200 ng/spot. The method was validated for precision (inter and intraday), repeatability, and accuracy. Mean recovery was 100.30%. The relative standard deviation (RSD) values of the precision were found to be in the range 0.64-1.52%. In conclusion, the proposed TLC method was found to be precise, specific and accurate and can be used for identification and quantitative determination of L-dopa in herbal extract and its formulations.     

Densitometric thin-layer chromatographic determination of aescin in a herbal medicinal product containing Aesculus and Vitis dry extracts

A thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) method is developed to analyze the total saponin content, also referred to as the aescin content, in a herbal medicinal product (HMP) containing two dry extracts in capsules. The capsules contain 250 mg of Aesculus hippocastanum dry extract, 120 mg of Vitis vinifera dry extract and 50mg of excipients. After a purification step using C(18) solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridges, the samples are analyzed on a silica-gel HPTLC plate with the upper layer of a mixture of acetic acid/water/butanol (10/40/50 v/v/v) as the mobile phase. Spots are visualized by spraying with anisaldehyde reagent and heating the plate for 5-10 min (100-105 degrees C) and measured at a wavelength of 535 nm. This method, applicable for the quality control and stability investigation of both the Aesculus dry extract and HMP capsules thereof containing Vitis dry extract in combination with the Aesculus dry extract, is validated according to the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. The proposed assay method is specific for aescin in the presence of Vitis dry extract and formulation excipients. Analysis of stressed samples in forced degradation tests proves the method to be applicable for stability evaluation. The standard aescin curve is linear (r > 0.99) over a concentration range of 0.16-0.80 microg/spot. Recovery from the HMP capsules is statistically equal to 100%. The precision of the method with respect to time and concentration is acceptable, with relative standard deviation (RSD) values of 1.28 and 1.49%, respectively.     

Stability indicating methods for the determination of some fluoroquinolones in the presence of their decarboxylated degrades

Two stability-indicating methods, namely densitometric TLC and derivative spectrophotometry for the determination of the fluoroquinolone antibacterials lomefloxacin (Lfx), moxifloxacin (Mfx), and sparfloxacin (Sfx) in the presence of their acid degrades are described. Acid degradation was adopted and the main decarboxylated product separated by TLC. Degradation products were identified confirming a previously mentioned degradation scheme. The densitometric method is based on the separation of the intact drug from its acid degradation product on silica gel G plates using different mobile phases and the spots of the intact drugs were scanned at 288, 290, and 292 nm for Lfx, Mfx, and Sfx, respectively. The derivative spectrophotometric method utilizes first derivative D(1) UV spectrophotometry with zero crossing points at 295.2 nm for Lfx, 280.4 and 303.4 nm for Mfx, and 280.8 nm for Sfx. Regression analysis of Beer's plots showed good correlation in the concentration ranges 0.2-1.2, 0.1-1.4, and 0.5-2.0 microg/spot for Lfx, Mfx, and Sfx, respectively, in the densitometric method and 2-16 microg/ml for all drugs in the derivative spectrophotometric method. The proposed methods were successfully applied for the determination of the investigated drugs in bulk powder with mean percentage accuracy ranges from 98.93 to 101.25% for the TLC method and from 98.18 to 100.35% for the D(1) method. The proposed methods were also applied for the determination of the investigated drugs in their pharmaceutical dosage forms and their validity was assessed using the standard addition technique with mean percentage recovery ranging from 100.25 to 101.70% in the TLC method and from 99.27 to 102.12% in the D(1) method. The selectivity of the proposed methods was tested by the analysis of laboratory-prepared mixtures containing different percentages of the studied drugs and their acid degrades. The proposed methods were found selective for the determination of the intact drugs in the presence of up to 90% of their degrades in the TLC method and 70% for Lfx and 90% for Mfx and Sfx in the D(1) method.     

Thin Layer Chromatographic Method for Rapid Quantification and Identification of Trimethoprim and Sulfamethoxazole in Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms

Abstract

A densitometric and a spectrophotometric method for rapid but accurate determination of sulfamethoxazole (SMA) and trimethoprim (TMP) present in combined dosage forms were described. SMA and TMP were extracted with 90% acqueous methanol and the interfering and related contaminants were removed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) or high performance TLC (HPTLC) on silicagel plates using chloroform : isopropanol : diethylamine :: 10 : 6 : 1 (v/v) as mobile phase. Assay was done at the respective absorption maxima of the drugs by in situ densitometry and by spectroscopy after extracting the drugs from TLC plates with 90% acqueous ethanol. Results obtained by both the methods agreed well with those obtained by the method prescribed by the United States Pharmacopoeia XXI edition. Total time required for HPTLC and densitometric assay of 32 samples using 4 standards was 30 min. Probable source of errors in densitometric studies and their rectification was discussed.     

Rapid identification and quantification of chlorpheniramine maleate or pheniramine maleate in pharmaceutical preparations by thin-layer chromatography-densitometry

Thin-layer chromatography (TLC)-densitometry was used to separate, identify, and quantitate chlorpheniramine maleate (CPM) and pheniramine maleate (PM) when present in combination with other drugs in pharmaceutical preparations of tablets, syrups, eye and ear drops, etc. CPM or PM was extracted (tablets, capsules, etc.) or diluted (liquid preparations, if needed) with 80% ethanol and isolated from other ingredients by TLC on silica gel G using cyclohexane-chloroform-methanol-diethylamine (4.5 + 4.0 + 0.5 + 1.0, v/v) as the mobile phase. Separated CPM and PM were detected under shortwave ultraviolet light and quantitated by scanning densitometry at 260 nm. Recoveries of CPM and PM were 100.09+/-0.77% and 100.09+/-0.87%, respectively.     

High-performance thin-layer chromatography with densitometry for the determination of ciprofloxacin and impurities in drugs

A thin-layer chromatographic (TLC)-densitometric method has been developed for identification and quantification of ciprofloxacin (Rf = 0.61) and an ethylenediamine compound (Rf = 0.42), a desfluoro compound (Rf = 0.48), by-compound A (Rf = 0.53), and fluoroquinolonic acid (Rf = 0.68) as ciprofloxacin degradation products in pharmaceutical preparations. By using chloroform-methanol-25% ammonia (43 + 43 + 14, v/v/v) as the mobile phase and silica gel 60 F254 high-performance TLC plates as the stationary phase, it was possible to separate individual constituents that, when subjected to ultraviolet (UV) densitometric analysis at 330 nm for fluoroquinolonic acid and 277 nm for the other compounds, gave well developed peaks allowing easy qualitative and quantitative analyses. DMSO-methanol (1 + 1) was used to extract drug constituents. The method showed high sensitivity (limit of detection 10 to 44 ng), a wide linearity range (3 to 20 microg/mL), and good precision (2.32 to 6.46% relative standard deviation) and accuracy (percentage recoveries 98.62 to 101.52%) for individual constituents.     

Stability-indicating thin-layer chromatographic method for quantitative determination of ribavirin

A simple and accurate stability-indicating thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) method is developed and validated for the quantitative determination of ribavirin (RBV) in its bulk and with used for development consists of chloroform-methanol-acetic acid (60:15:15, v/v/v). The separated spots are visualized as bluish green spots after being sprayed with anisaldehyde reagent. RBV is subjected to different accelerated stress conditions. The drug is found to undergo degradation under all stress conditions, and the degradation products are well resolved from the pure drug with significantly different Rf values. The optical densities of the separated spots are found to be linear with the amount of RBV in the range of 5-40 microg/spot with a good correlation coefficient (r=0.9980). The limit of detection and limit of quantitation values are 1.40 and 4.67 microg/spot, respectively. Statistical analysis proves that the method is repeatable and accurate for the determination of RBV in the presence of its degradation products. The method meets the International Conference on Harmonisation/Food and Drug Administration regulatory requirements. The proposed TLC method is successfully applied for the determination of RBV, pure and in capsules, with good accuracy and precision; the label claim percentages are 98.8%+/-1.5%. The results obtained by the proposed TLC method are comparable with those obtained by the official method.     

Stability indicating reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic and thin layer densitometric methods for the determination of ziprasidone in bulk powder and in pharmaceutical formulations

Two sensitive and reproducible methods were developed and validated for the determination of ziprasidone (ZIP) in the presence of its degradation products in pure form and in pharmaceutical formulations. The fi rst method was based on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), on a Lichrosorb RP C(18) column using water:acetonitrile:phosphoric acid (76:24:0.5 v/v/v) as the mobile phase at a fl ow rate of 1.5 mL min(-1) at ambient temperature. Quantification was achieved with UV detection at 229 nm over a concentration range of 10-500 micro g mL(-1) with mean percentage recovery of 99.71 +/- 0.55. The method retained its accuracy in presence of up to 90% of ZIP degradation products. The second method was based on TLC separation of ZIP from its degradation products followed by densitometric measurement of the intact drug spot at 247 nm. The separation was carried out on aluminium sheet of silica gel 60 F(254) using choloroform:methanol:glacial acetic acid (75:5:4.5 v/v/v) as the mobile phase, over a concentration range of 1-10 micro g per spot and mean percentage recovery of 99.26 +/- 0.39. Both methods were applied successfully to laboratory prepared mixtures and pharmaceutical capsules.     

Rapid method for the simultaneous determination of six ionophores in feed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

A simple and highly sensitive LC/MS method was developed for the simultaneous determination of six ionophores--lasalocid, monensin, laidlomycin, maduramycin, salinomycin, and narasin--in feed. The procedure involved extraction of 1 g of feed with 4 mL of methanol-water (9 + 1, v/v) by shaking on a platform shaker for 45 min. After centrifugation, the extracts were diluted with methanol-water (75 + 25, v/v) and analyzed without any cleanup. The analysis was performed on a Betasil C18 column (150 x 4.6 mm id, 5 pm particle size) connected to an LC/MS system operated in the atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) mode. We believe this to be the first method that uses the APCI mode for the analysis of ionophores. The mobile phase consisted of 50 mM ammonium acetate as solvent A and acetonitrile-methanol (7 + 3, v/v) as solvent B in a gradient run. Excellent recoveries of 81-120% were found for all compounds at fortification levels of 1-200 microg/g, with RSD < or =15% (except 17% for maduramycin at 2 and 5 microg/g, and 16% for salinomycin at 1 microg/g). At 0.5 microg/g, recoveries of 87-119% were obtained, with RSD < or =20%. However, recovery of lasalocid was 133% and salinomycin 79% in sow and horse feed, respectively. Average RSD values of lasalocid and salinomycin were 22 and 21%, respectively. Finally, proficiency test samples analyzed with the method demonstrated favorable agreement with the certified values.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of cetirizine in oral formulations

The development and validation of a reversed-phase liquid chromatographic (LC) method for the determination of cetirizine dihydrochloride in oral formulations are described. An isocratic LC analysis was performed on a reversed-phase C18 column (250 x 4.6 mm id, 5 microm particle size). The mobile phase was 1% orthophosphoric acid solution, pH 3.0-acetonitrile (60 + 40, v/v), pumped at a constant flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. Measurements were made at a wavelength of 232 nm. The calibration curves were linear over the range of 10-30 microg/mL (r2 = 0.9999). The relative standard deviation (RSD) values for intraday precision were 0.94 and 1.43% for tablets and compounded capsules, respectively. The RSD values for interday precision were 0.13 and 0.82% for tablets and compounded capsules, respectively. Recoveries ranged from 97.7 to 101.8% for tablets and from 98.4 to 102% for compounded capsules. No interferences from the excipients were observed. Because of its simplicity and accuracy, the method is suitable for routine quality-control analysis for cetirizine in tablets and compounded capsules.     

Improved thin-layer chromatographic method for the separation of cholesterol,egg phosphatidylcholine,and their degradation products

Degradation products of egg phosphatidylcholine (EPC) and cholesterol were analyzed with different normal- and reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography (TLC) systems. The best separation, in terms of the highest number of degradation products from both analytes, was obtained with a reversed-phase system, using butanol-methanol-water-96-98% (v/v) acetic acid (40 + 40 + 20 + 4, v/v/v/v) as the mobile phase after overnight saturation at 25 degrees C. A special development technique was used. After a first development, the plate was dried and a second development was performed in the same direction. This method enabled us to separate lysophosphatidylcholine, several free fatty acids and hydroperoxides, and several undefined degradation products of EPC and cholesterol. All products were visualized after the plate was dipped in a 1% (v/v) solution of 4-methoxybenzaldehyde in 98% sulfuric acid-96-98% (v/v) acetic acid-ethanol-water (2 + 10 + 60 + 30), presenting a blue color or a white spot against a colored background. After activation at 110 degrees C, a stable color for both analytes was reached after 12 min. Precision of <5% was obtained at 2 levels of analysis. Good linearity was obtained in the range of 5-30 microg for EPC (r = 0.991) and 5-40 microg for cholesterol (r = 0.991). These results show that TLC can be an inexpensive and easy alternative for the analysis of EPC and cholesterol.     

An efficient and simultaneous analysis of caffeine and paracetamol in pharmaceutical formulations using TLC with a fluorescence plate reader

A simple, rapid, and efficient method using TLC with a fluorescence plate reader has been described for simultaneous determination of caffeine and paracetamol. Determination was carried out using the fluorescence-quenching action of caffeine and paracetamol on a TLC plate with a fluorescent indicator at lambda ex = 254 nm in the linear ranges of 0.2-1.9 and 0.03-1.5 microg/L, respectively. Separation of caffeine and paracetamol were performed on the TLC plate, and the best results were obtained using the optimized mobile phase n-hexane-ethyl acetate-ethanol (2.5 + 1.5 + 0.4, v/v). Some important parameters, such as solvent type and ratio of the mobile phase, the presence of other components, and instrumental parameters, were studied. Caffeine and paracetamol detection limits were 0.025 and 0.032 microg/L, and RSD values for 0.6 microg/L caffeine and 0.06 microg/L paracetamol (n = 5) were 1.93 and 2.06%, respectively. Using this technique, some pharmaceuticals containing caffeine and paracetamol were analyzed with satisfactory results.     

Stability-indicating methods for the determination of disopyramide phosphate

Four methods were developed for the determination of intact disopyramide phosphate in the presence of its degradation product. In the first and second methods, third-derivative spectrophotometry and first derivative of the ratio spectra were used. For the third-derivative spectrophotometric method, the peak amplitude was measured at 272 nm, while for the derivative ratio spectrophotometric method, disopyramide phosphate was determined by measuring the peak amplitude at 248 and 273 nm. Both methods were used for the determination of disopyramide phosphate in the concentration range 12.5-87.5 microg/mL, with corresponding mean recovery 100.8 +/- 0.7% for the first method and 99.9 +/- 0.7% and 99.6 +/- 0.7% for the second method at 248 and 273 nm, respectively. In the third method, an ion selective electrode (ISE) was fabricated using phosphotungstic acid as an anionic exchanger, PVC as the polymer matrix, and dibutylsebacate as a plasticizer. The ISE was used for the determination of disopyramide phosphate in pure powder form in the concentration range 10(-2)-10(-5) M. The slope was found to be 58.5 (mV/decade), and the average recovery was 99.9 +/- 1.6%. The fourth method depended on the quantitative densitometric determination of the drug in concentration range of 0.25-2.5 microg/spot using silica gel 60 F245 plates and ethyl acetate-chloroform-ammonium hydroxide (85 + 10 + 5, v/v/v) as the mobile phase, with corresponding mean accuracy of 100.3 +/- 1.1%. The 4 proposed methods were found to be specific for disopyramide phosphate in presence of up to 80% of its degradation product for the spectrophotometric methods, 90% of its degradation for the densitometric method, and 40% for the ISE method. The 4 proposed procedures were successfully applied for the determination of disopyramide phosphate in Norpace capsules. Statistical comparison between the results obtained by these methods and the official method of the drug was done, and no significant differences were found.