Abstract
Two simple and sensitive methods are presented for the determination of eprosartan in pharmaceutical preparations. The first method, spectrophotometry, was based on the oxidation of this drug by ammonium cerium (IV) nitrate in the presence of perchloric acid with subsequent measurement of the absorbance at 326 nm; this principle was adopted to develop a kinetic method for the determination of eprosartan in dosage forms. The second method, differential pulse polarography, was based on measuring the peak height at -1300 mV, corresponding to the reduction of the drug in Britton-Robinson buffer (pH 3). The proposed methods proved to be accurate and precise and can be applied for the routine analysis of this drug in commercial dosage forms, without interference from the excipients. The work was extended to study the electrochemical oxidation of eprosartan at different electrolysis currents (10-40mA). The electrochemical decomposition products were characterized by UV/visible spectroscopy; the decomposition rates follow first order reactions and increase with raising the current. The degradation was found to be faster in basic than acidic medium. The thermodynamics for electrochemical decomposition were also evaluated at different pH values.