Kinetics of the radiation-induced radicals in gamma irradiated solid cefazolin sodium

Room and high temperature kinetic and spectroscopic features of the radical species produced in gamma irradiated cefazolin sodium (here after CS) were investigated in detail using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy to determine the feasibility of its sterilization by radiation and to explore the dosimetric properties of this semi-synthetic representative of cephalosporins. Irradiated CS exhibits an unresolved ESR doublet as other cephalosporins reported up to date. Signal intensity data derived from microwave saturation, dose-response, decays at room and at high temperature studies were analysed assuming a model of two radical species giving rise to doublet and singlet ESR signals. Spectroscopic parameters of these species were determined through spectrum simulation calculations. Decay parameters calculated from annealing studies at seven different temperatures were used to calculate the activation energies of the contributing species. Radiosensitivity of CS to gamma rays was found to be relatively low in the dose range of 0-25 kGy. This conclusion was considered as an indication of the feasibility of radiosterilization of CS by gamma radiation. Five different functions were tried to explore dose-response data of CS in the dose range of 0-25 kGy and it was concluded that a function comprising a linear and a quadratic terms of applied dose describes best experimental results.