Simultaneous Determination of Timolol Maleate and Pilocarpine Hydrochloride in Ophthalmic Solutions by First Derivative UV Spectrophotometry and PLS-1 Multivariate Calibration

ABSTRACT

The use of UV spectrophotometry (first-derivative/zero-crossing and zero-order spectra/multivariate calibration) is reported for the analysis of two miotic agents in ophthalmic solutions. The resolution of these mixtures has been accomplished without prior separation or derivatisation by using: 1) first-derivative measurements at two appropriate zero-crossing points: λ₁ = 222 nm, where the absorption corresponding to excipients is negligible, and λ₂ = 307 nm, where the contribution of pilocarpine and excipients to the overall absorption is negligible, and 2) partial least squares (PLS-1) regression analysis of zero-order spectral data. Although the components show an important degree of spectral overlap, they have been simultaneously determined with high accuracy, and with no interference from ophthalmic solution excipients.