Quantitative Determination of Acetaminophen in Pharmaceutical Formulations Using Differential Scanning Calorimetry. Comparison with Spectrophotometric Method

• Published in: Drug development and industrial pharmacy Vol. 33; no. 8; pp. 830 - 840
• Main Authors: Campanella, Luigi, Magrì, Antonio L., Tomassetti, Mauro, Rossi, Vanessa, Vecchio, Stefano
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Colchester Informa UK Ltd 01-08-2007; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: acetaminophen; Acetaminophen - analysis; Analgesics, Non-Narcotic - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Calibration; Calorimetry, Differential Scanning - methods; determination; DSC; General pharmacology; Medical sciences; Pharmaceutical technology. Pharmaceutical industry; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Quality Control; Reproducibility of Results; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet - methods; thermal analysis; UV spectrophotometry; Differential scanning calorimetry; Pharmaceutical technology; UV spectrophotometry; Antimigrainous agent; determination; Ultraviolet spectrometry; Paracetamol; acetaminophen; Analgesic; DSC; Antipyretic; Dosage form; Thermal analysis; Spectrophotometry; Comparative study; Quantitative analysis
• ISSN: 0363-9045; 1520-5762
• DOI: 10.1080/03639040701377797

In this paper our previous researches dealing with compatibility, thermoanalytical characterization, the kinetics of thermal degradation of acetaminophen, either pure or contained in some commercial pharmaceutical formulations, have found applications outlets. In a previous investigation the possible interactions between acetaminophen and four excipients contained in the commercial pharmaceutical formulations were tested. As a continuation of this research in the present study an analytical method based on differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was applied to determine the acetaminophen content of four commercial pharmaceutical formulations. For a fifth drug it was shown that the method is not applicable owing to observed incompatibility with one of the excipients. Finally, the analytical results obtained were compared with those derived from two UV spectrophotometric methods (one, i.e., "direct method," recommended by the Pharmacopeia and the other based on the first-order derivative UV spectra).