Determination of furosemide in pharmaceutical formulations by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy

In this report an analytical method to determine furosemide by using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy is presented. This study shows that this technique can give quantitative results using spot test analysis, particularly in the case of pharmaceuticals containing furosemide. The color spot test could be obtained by reaction between furosemide with p-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde, in acid medium. This reaction produced a stable complex on filter paper after heating to 80degreesC for 5 min. All reflectance measurements were carried out at 585 nm and the linear range was from 7.56 x 10(-3) to 6.05 x 10(-2) mol l(-1), with a correlation coefficient of 0.999. The limit of detection was estimated to be 2.49 x 10(-3) mol l(-1) (R.S.D. = 1.7%) and the effect of common excipients on the reflectance measurements was evaluated. The method was applied to determine furosemide in commercial brands of pharmaceuticals. The results obtained by the proposed method were favorably compared with those of the official method, showing for the first time ever that quantitative spot test analysis by diffuse reflectance could be successfully used to determine furosemide in tablets. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Amperometric differential determination of ascorbic acid in beverages and vitamin C tablets using a flow cell containing an array of gold microelectrodes modified with palladium

A simple and attractive method for quantification of ascorbic acid (AA) in beers, soda, natural juices and commercial vitamin C tablets was achieved by combining Bow injection analysis and amperometric detection. An array of gold microelectrodes electrochemically modified by deposition of palladium was employed as working electrode which was almost unaffected by fouling effects. Ascorbic acid was quantified in beverages and vitamin tablets using amperometric differential measurements. This method is based on three steps involving the flow injection of: 1) the sample plus a standard addition of AA, 2) the pure sample, and 3) the enzymatically-treated sample. The enzymatic treatment was carried out with Cucumis sativus tissue, which is a rich source of ascorbate oxidase, at pH 7. The calibration plots for freshly prepared ascorbic acid standards were very linear in the concentration range of 0.18-1.8 mg L-1 with a relative standard deviation (RSD) < 1%, while for real samples the deviations were between 2.7% to 8.9%.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for sparfloxacin

A specific and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure was developed for the assay of sparfloxacin in raw material and tablets. It was also found that the excipients in the commercial tablet preparation did not interfere with the assay. The method validation yielded good results and included the range, linearity, precision, accuracy, specificity and recovery. This method can also be applied to stability studies. (C) 1999 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Potentiometric determination of alendronate in pharmaceutical formulations

A simple, precise, fast and low-cost potentiometric method for alendronate determination in pharmaceutical formulations has been proposed. Alendronate present in tablets at the known concentration was potentiometrically titrated in an aqueous solution using a combined glass electrode coupled with an autotitrator. Determination limit of alendronate was 20.0 mug mL(-1). In the presence of common excipients, such as lactose, microcrystalline cellulose, glucose, croscarmellose sodium, starch, talc, magnesium stearate and titanium dioxide no interferences were observed. The method proposed was validated by determining alendronate in various dosage forms. The average RSD was 0.75%.

Porosity measurement of solid pharmaceutical dosage forms by gamma-ray transmission

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Efficacy, safety and tolerability of terbinafine for Tinea capitis in children: Brazilian multicentric study with daily oral tablets for 1, 2 and 4 weeks

Background: Tinea capitis is a common skin disease seen predominantly in children. The standard therapies for this disease are griseofulvin and ketoconazole. Nevertheless, these drugs have drawbacks in that they are only fungistatic and require treatment for at least 6 weeks. Previous studies with oral terbinafine for the treatment of Tinea capitis have shown that this agent is effective when given for 4 weeks, comparable to an 8-week regimen with griseofulvin. To date there is no data on the use of oral terbinafine in Brazilian children. Objectives: To assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of oral terbinafine in short-term treatments (1-, 2- and 4-week treatment) of Tinea capitis in children. Patients and methods: One hundred and thirty-two children aged 1-14 years were enrolled in this study, but only 107 were considered for the final efficacy analysis. Diagnosis included clinical assessment and examination by Wood's light. Confirmation was obtained by direct microscopy and culture for fungus. Terbinafine dosage (125 or 250 mg/day) was adjusted according to patient weight. Efficacy was evaluated both by clinical and mycological assessment. Safety and tolerability variables included data on adverse reaction and clinical laboratory evaluations. Results: Mycological evaluation in the follow-up visit at week 12 showed negative direct microscopy and culture results in 48.6, 60.5 and 69.7% patients in groups 1-, 2- and 4-week, respectively (n.s.). At week 12, 84.8% patients in group 4-week achieved clinical cure with a significant difference compared to groups 1- and 2-week, 54.3 and 60.5%, respectively (P < 0.01). Adverse reactions were present in 4.8, 6.8 and 10.9% of patients in groups 1-, 2- and 4-week, respectively. Terbinafine was not associated with clinically relevant increases in liver function tests. Conclusions: Terbinafine is an effective, well tolerated and safe antifungal agent for the treatment of Tinea capitis m children. The shorter duration of treatment resulted in lower cure rates. However, it is important to note that depending on the severity of the disease, a 1-week-only treatment can also be effective in this indication.

Performance characteristics of bioassay, UV-spectrophotometry and high performance liquid chromatographic determination of sparfloxacin in tablets

The microbiological bioassay, the UV-spectrophotometry and the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods for assaying sparfloxacin in tablets were compared. The accuracy, repeatability, and precision of each method was assessed and precise. All methods were reliable within acceptable limits for antibiotic pharmaceutical preparations being accurate and precise. The microbiological bioassay and HPLC are more specific than UV-spectrophotometric analysis. However, the microbiological bioassay requires 20 h to get results, and HPLC is the most expensive analysis. The application of each method as a routine analysis should be investigated considering cost, simplicity, equipment, solvents, speed, and application to large or small workloads.

Non-aqueous Titration of Gatifloxacin in Pharmaceutical Formulations using Perchloric Acid

An inexpensive, simple, precise and rapid method for the determination of fluoroquinolone gatifloxacin in tablets is described. The procedure is based on the use of volumetric dosage in a non-aqueous medium in glacial acetic acid with 0.1 M perchloric acid. The method validation yielded good results and included the precision, recovery and accuracy. It was also found that the excipients in the commercial tablet preparation did not interfere with the assay.

Validation of UV spectrophotometric method for determination of lomefloxacin in pharmaceutical dosage form

A simple and reproducible method was developed for the assay of lomefloxacin in tablets. The excipients in the commercial tablet preparation did not interfere with the assay. Beer's law is obeyed in the range 2.0-9.0 μg.mL-1 at λmax 280 nm. The molar absorptivity was calculated. Six triplicate analyses of solutions containing six different concentrations of the examined drug were carried out and gave a mean correlation coefficient 0.9997. The proposed method was applied to the determination of the examined drug in coated tablet and the results demonstrated that the method is equally accurate, precise and reproducible as the official methods.

Influência das propriedades de granulados de lactose nas características físicas dos comprimidos

The compaction behavior of powdered solids used in tablets can be dominated by the physical-chemical properties of the excipients because, frequently, they are present in much larger amounts than the drug in tablet formulation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the size of lactose granules on the physical characteristics of tablets produced in punches of various diameters, since this relation has not been explored in the literature. Granules were produced in several sizes by wet granulation and compressed in punches of different diameters by applying different forces. Size distribution, apparent density and flow of granules were evaluated, as well as the physical characteristics of the tablets (weight, friability, hardness and disintegration time). The results indicate that in situations where excipient characteristics predominate due to low drug content, as in the 7 mm punch, the selection of granule size is important for the mechanical strength of tablet. On the other hand, with the 9, 11 and 13mm punches, it was possible to produce strong tablet from all sizes of granules.

Influência das propriedades de granulados de celulose nas características físicas dos comprimidos

The compaction behavior of powdered solids can be strongly influenced by the physicochemical properties of excipients because they are frequently present in the tablet in larger amounts than the drug itself. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of the granule size of the cellulose on the physical characteristics of tablets produced in punches of different diameters, since this relation has never been explored in the literature. Granules of several sizes were produced by wet granulation and compressed in punches of various diameters by applying different forces. Size distribution, apparent density and flow of granules were assessed, as well as physical characteristics of the tablets (weight, hardness, friability and disintegration time). Reducing the granule size resulted in tablets of adequate crushing strength and fast disintegration; moreover, it allowed tablets to be produced without the need to use forces near the upper limit of the press, thus avoiding premature wear on the tabletting machine. Thus, once a suitable size for a given tablet formulation has been chosen, the granule size selected has been shown to determine the crushing strength of the tablet.

Back to school with tablets embedded in digital desks

A digital-desk pilot program, named One Laptop Per Child (OPLC), in Brazil uses a unique display design to provide an interactive interface developed to enhance education and minimize ergonomic concerns. The one-to-one computer strategy as proposed by Nicholas Negroponte is a way of circumventing the tragedy of the locked computer lab because it gives children full access to computers anytime. The OLPC program has focused on a solution that minimizes power consumption, which also limits the display's maximum size and processor performance because the LCD backlights are responsible for a significant part of the power consumption in laptops. The government has also developed a new type of low-cost tablet that is based on a resistive principle. High transparencies can be obtained in the 90% range in the tablet, while robustness is guaranteed by the outstanding tribological characteristics of Sn02 on glass.

Uso de tablets como ferramenta facilitadora em projetos de inclusão digital de idosos

Pós-graduação em Design - FAAC

Avaliação de processos para obtenção de comprimidos de Beta-Ciclodextrina-Paracetamol

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Multivariate Development and Validation of a Stability-Indicating HPLC Method for the Determination of Glimepiride in Tablets

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)