The Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences, Vol 12 No 2 (2008): 348 - 351

 

 

 

 

ANALYSIS OF NIFEDIPINE CONTENT IN TRANSDERMAL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM USING NON-DESTRUCTIVE VISIBLE SPECTROPHOTOMETRY TECHNIQUE

 

Normaizira Hamidi,^1,2,3 Mohd Nasir Taib,^1,3 and Wong Tin Wui^2,3

 

¹Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450, Shah Alam

²Particle Design Research Group, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450, Shah Alam

 ³Non-Destructive Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Centre, Universiti Teknologi MARA,

40450, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

 

Abstract

The applicability of visible spectrophotometry technique as a tool to determine the drug content of polymeric film for use as a transdermal drug delivery system was investigated. Hydroxypropylmethycellulose (HPMC) was selected as the matrix polymer and nifedipine as the model drug. Blank and nifedipine-loaded HPMC films were prepared using the solvent evaporation method. The absorbance spectra of these films under the visible wavelengths between 400 and 800 nm were assessed and compared against the drug content values obtained by means of the conventional destructive UV-spectrophotometry technique. The latter required the use of a solvent system which contained methanol, a harmful organic component in pharmaceutical applications.  The results indicated that the absorbance values, attributed to nifedipine, at the wavelengths of 545, 585, 638 and 755nm were significantly correlated to the drug content values obtained using the chemical assay method (Pearson correlation value: r ≥ 0.990 and p < 0.01). The visible spectrophotometry technique is potentially suitable for use to determine the nifedipine content of films owing to its nature of characterization of transdermal drug delivery system which does not require sample destruction during the process of measurement. The samples are recoverable from test and analysis of the entire batch of samples is possible without the need of solvents and chemical reagents.

 

Keywords: Hydroxypropylmethycellulose; Nifedipine; Visible Spectrophotometry; UV Spectrophotometry

 

References

1.       N.K. Anuar, T.W. Wong, D.K. Ghodgaonkar and M.N. Taib 2007. Characterization of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose films using microwave non-destructive testing technique. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 43 , pp549-557.

2.      X. Zhan, G. Tang, S. Chen and Z. Mao. 2006. A new copolymer membrane controlling clonidine linear release in a transdermal drug delivery system. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 322,  pp 1-5.