Paroxetine-HCl is a new selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor used as antidepressant. [1][2][3] Most of the reported methods for the analysis of paroxetine in biological fluids and breast milk rely on the use of chromatographic techniques including TLC, 4,5) HPLC [6][7][8][9] and GC 10,11) in addition to electrophores. 12,13) Although chromatographic methods are highly selective however, their requirements of cleaning up samples and sophisticated instrumentation preclude their use in routine analysis. Other reported methods are one voltammetric 14) and one FIA.
15)Reviewing the literature revealed that, up to the present time, nothing has been reported concerning the spectrofluorimetric determination of paroxetine. This encourages the use of the native fluorescence of paroxetine to develop a simple and sensitive fluorimetric method for its determination in formulations and human plasma.
ExperimentalApparatus Fluorimetric measurements were performed using a spectrofluorimeter (Jasco model FP6200, Japan) equipped with Xenon discharge lamp and 1 cm quartz cell at medium sensitivity.Reagents and Materials A reference standard of paroxetine-HCl was kindly supplied by Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries and Medical Appliances corporation (Buraydah, Saudi Arabia). Zeroxat C.R. tablets each labeled to contain 20 mg paroxetine as paroxetine HCl (manufactured by Smith Kline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, England) were purchased from local market. Plasma was obtained from king Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh KSA and kept frozen until used after gentle thawing.A stock solution of paroxetine-HCl (0.5 mg ml
Ϫ1) in methanol (Merck, Germany) was prepared, which was found to be stable for up to 30 d if kept in a refrigerator protected from light. Working standard solution (5 mg ml Ϫ1 ) was prepared by dilution with methanol as appropriate.Procedure. Calibration Curve Accurate volumes (0.25-2 ml) of the working standard solution of paroxetine-HCl (5 mg ml Ϫ1 in methanol) were transferred into a series of 25 ml volumetric flasks and completed to the mark with methanol. The fluorescence intensity was measured at 340 nm after excitation at 290 nm. To get the calibration curve, the fluorescence intensity was plotted versus the final concentration of the drug and the corresponding regression equation was derived.Analysis of Tablets Ten zeroxat CR tablets were weighed and pulverized. An accurate weight of the fine powder equivalent to 25 mg of paroxetine-HCl were transferred to a small beaker and extracted with 40 ml methanol by sonnication for 20 min, then filtered into a 50-ml volumetric flask. The flasks were completed to volume after washing the residue with methanol.The above procedure under "Calibration curve" was then followed and the nominal contents of tablets were calculated using the regression equation.Analysis of Spiked Human Plasma Different aliquots (0.2-0.8) ml of the working drug solution 5 mg ml Ϫ1 in methanol were added to 1.0 ml plasma in five standard centrifuge tubes and the volume was completed to 10 ml with methanol. ...