Derivative spectrophotometry in the analysis of mixtures of cefotaxime sodium and cefadroxil monohydrate

Derivative spectrophotometry (ratio-spectra 1st- and 2nd-derivative and zero-crossing 2nd-derivative techniques) was applied for the determination of some cephalosporins in two component mixtures. Cefotaxime sodium salt (C16H16O7N5S2Na) and cefadroxil monohydrate (C16H17N3O5S.H2O) were examined. In all procedures, the calibration plots are linear up to 43 mug/ml of each antibiotic, with r ranging from 0.9997 to 0.9999. In the ratio-spectra method, the measurements were taken at 239.5 and 291.5 nm (cefotaxime, 1st-derivative), 238 and 283 nm (cefadroxil, 1st-derivative), 284 and 303 nm (cefotaxime, 2nd-derivative), and 229.5 and 245.5 nm (cefadroxil, 2nd-derivative). Detection limits at P = 0.05 level of significance, calculated by a statistical treatment of calibration data, ranged from 0.15 to 0.58 mug/ml. LOD and LOQ ranged, respectively, from 0.19 to 0.51 and from 0.63 to 1.70 mug/ml. By the zero-crossing 2nd-derivative method, lines of regression are linear at 257 and 279 nm (cefotaxime) and 242 and 296 nm (cefadroxil). Detection limits from 0.28 to 0.51 mug/ml. LOD and LOQ from 0.27 to 0.41 and from 0.90 to 1.37 mug/ml, respectively. All the samples were tested for stability in solution and in the course of actual analysis, up to 80 h from their preparation. The developed derivative spectrophotometric methods were applied to synthetic mixtures and the RSD values ranged between 0.05 and 1.35% (ratio-spectra technique) and 0.01 and 1.07% (zero-crossing technique). The methods were also applied to vials and tablets for these drugs. The recoveries obtained were between 100.9 and 102.4% (ratio-spectra) and between 99.8 and 102.0% (zero-crossing). The procedures are simple, rapid, and did not require any preliminary separation or treatment of the samples. Instrumentation commonly available was utilised. The cephalosporins analysed are frequently used antibiotics of relevant clinical and pharmacological importance; hence this work would be of interest for the readers of journals devoted to pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.