| Abstract: | A simple and sensitive kinetic method was developed for the determination of ritodrine hydrochloride in pharmaceutical preparations. The method is based upon a kinetic investigation of the oxidation reaction of the drug with alkaline potassium permenganate at room temperature for a fixed 12.5 min; the absorbance of the colored permenganate ion was measured at 609 nm. The absorbance concentration plots were rectilinear over the range of 1.6–11.2 μg mL?1 (r = 0.9992) with a minimum detectability of 0.096 μgmL?1 (2.88 × 10?7 M). The different experimental parameters affecting the development and stability of color were carefully studied and optimized. The determination of ritodrine hydrochloride 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 proposed method was applied successfully to the determination of ritodrine hydrochloride in tablets and ampoules with average recoveries of 100.37 ± 0.93% and 100.42 ± 0.87%, respectively. The results obtained were in good agreement with those obtained using a reference method for comparison. A proposal of the reaction pathway is also presented. |
