Electrochemical reduction of ciprofloxacin at the mercury electrode and its voltammetric determination in tablet and urine

In this study a reduction square wave voltammetric method was developed and validated for the direct determination of ciprofloxacin (CIP) in pharmaceutical formulation and biological fluid using hanging mercury dropping electrode (HMDE) surface. Best results were obtained for the quantitative determination of CIP in 0.02 M Britton-Robinson buffer at pH 2.5 and at a potential of −1300 mV vs. Ag/AgCl reference electrode. Various experimental and instrumental parameters affecting the peak current and potential of CIP electrochemical reduction were investigated and optimized. The monitored peak current was directly proportional to the concentration of CIP, where it exhibited a linear response in the range 3.0 × 10−7–2 × 10−6 M (r = 0.99). The accuracy of the proposed method was concluded based on the value of mean recovery of 98 ± 0.72 % with RSD of 0.181 % at a detection limit of 7 × 10−9 M. Possible interferences by various substances usually present in pharmaceutical formulations have been also evaluated. After validating the proposed method, the applicability of this voltammetric method was demonstrated by estimating CIP in its pharmaceutical formulation and spiked human urine, where values of mean recoveries of 97 ± 1.0% and 108.0 ± 2.0% were obtained, respectively.