Novel RP-HPLC Method for Simultaneous Estimation of Doxofylline and Sertraline in Bulk and Tablet Dosage Form

 

M.M. Eswarudu*, Y. Ravi Kumar and M. Chinna Eswaraiah

Department of  Pharmaceutical Analysis, Anurag Pharmacy College, Ananthagiri (V), Kodad (M),

Nalgonda  (Dt), 508206, Telangana State, India.

*Corresponding Author E-mail: eswarmunnangi@gmail.com

 

ABSTRACT:

The objective of this study was to develop a simple, rapid, accurate and precise isocratic stability indicating reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for simultaneous estimation of Doxofylline and Sertraline in tablet dosage form. The separation method was carried out using Std XDB C18 column (150 x 4.6 mm; 5μ).The mobile phase used was a mixture of Acetonitrile and Potassium Di Hydrogen Phosphate buffer in the ratio of 45:55(v/v) delivered at an isocratic flow rate of 0.8mL/min. Column temperature was 300c and eluents were monitored at 231nm using Waters 2695 HPLC instrument equipped with the waters 2998 PDA detector and Empower-2 software for data collecting and processing. With the optimized method, the retention times of Doxofylline and Sertraline were found to be 2.06 min and 4.14 min respectively, with theoretical plate count and asymmetry as per the ICH limits. The method has shown a good linearity in the concentration range of 100-600 μg/ml for Doxofylline and 12.5-75μg/ml for Sertraline with regression coefficient (R2) of 0.999 and 0.997.The percentage assays were found to be 99.11 and 96.44 for Doxofylline and Sertraline. The method was found to be accurate (with percentage mean recoveries 99.71 for Doxofylline, and 99.10 for Sertraline), precise, robust, reliable, specific and stable. The proposed method was validated in accordance with ICH guidelines and hence this method can be successfully used for quantitative analysis of Doxofylline and Sertraline in tablet formulations.

 

KEYWORDS: Doxofylline, Sertraline, RP- HPLC, Validation, Tablet dosage forms.

 


INTRODUCTION:

Doxofylline is a xanthine derivative drug used in the treatment of asthma. It has antitussive and  bronchodilator effects, and acts as a phosphodiesterase inhibitor in animal and human studies, it has shown similar  efficacy to  theophylline but with significantly fewer side effects  other xanthines, doxofylline lacks any significant affinity  for  adenosine receptors and does not produce  stimulant effects.Chemically, Doxofylline is 7-(1, 3-dioxolan-2-methyl)-1, 3-dimethyl purine-2, 6-dione and the structure shown in figure-11.

 

Figure 1: Chemical structure of Doxofylline

 

Sertraline is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) used in the therapy of depression, anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Sertraline therapy can be associated with transient asymptomatic elevations in serum amino transferase levels and has been linked to rare instances of clinically apparent acute liver injury. Chemically, Sertraline is (1S, 4S)-4-(3, 4- dichlorophenyl)-N-methyl-1,2,3,4tetra hydronaphthalen-1-amine and the structure shown in figure-22.

 

Figure 2: Chemical structure of Sertraline

 

The literature survey revealed that there is only one RP-HPLC method was reported for the simultaneous determination of doxofylline and sertraline till date3. But methods are available for the quantification of doxofylline individually and with other combinations other than sertraline4-17. Methods are available for the quantification of sertraline individually and with other combinations other than doxofylline18-22. Present study involves the development and validation of a RP-HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of doxofylline and sertraline in bulk and its pharmaceutical formulations. The method was validated as per the ICH guidelines 23-25.

 

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Chromatographic conditions:

Separation was performed with Waters HPLC equipped with pumps, auto sampler, PDA detector, Empower-2 software was applied for data collecting and processing. The separation was achieved on an STD XDB C18 column (150 x 4.6 mm, 5 μ). The mobile phase consisted of Acetonitrile: Buffer (1ml of Triethylamine then pH adjusted to 3.5 with dilute ortho phosphoric acid) in the ratio of 45:55 V/V. The flow rate was 0.8mL/min and UV detection was performed at 231 nm. The mobile phase was shaken on an ultrasonic bath for 20 min. The resulting transparent mobile phase was filtered through a 0.45 μ membrane filter. The injection volume was 10μL and all the experiments were performed at temperature 300C.The run time was set at 8 minutes.

 

Chemicals and reagents used:

Pharmaceutical grade of Doxofylline and Sertraline were kindly supplied as gift samples by Spectrum analytical Labs, Hyderabad, India. Commercially available Doxoder tablets were purchased from local market. Tablets claimed to contain 400 mg of Doxofylline and 50 mg of Sertraline have been utilized in the present work. Potassium dihydrogen phosphate and ortho phosphoric acid of AR Grade were obtained from S.D. Fine Chemicals Ltd., Mumbai, India. HPLC grade Acetonitrile and HPLC grade water was purchased from Rankem, RFCL Gujarat, India.

Preparation of mobile phase solution:

Weighed accurately 1.41grms of potassium dihyrogen phosphate and transferred into a clean dry 1000ml volumetric flask, it dissolved in 900ml of HPLC graded water, degas to sonicate and then added 1ml of triethyl amine. Finally make up to the volume with HPLC water.  PH adjusted to 3.5 with dilute orthophosphoric acid solution filtered this solutions through 0.45 μ filter paper and sonicated for degas.

 

Preparation of standard stock solution:

Accurately weighed and transferred 400 mg of Doxofylline and 50 mg of sertraline working standards into 10 ml clean dry volumetric flask, add about 7 ml of methanol and sonicated for 5 minutes and dissolved it completely and make volume up to the mark with diluent (mobile phase) and sonicated for 5minutes.

 

Preparation of diluted standard solution:

From the above stock solution pipette out 1ml into 50 ml clean dry volumetric flask and diluted up to the mark with diluent.

 

Preparation of sample solution:

Twenty tablets were accurately weighed, their mean weight was determined and they were mixed and finally powdered in a clean dry motor and pestle. The tablet powder equivalent to 400 mg Doxofylline and 50mg of Sertraline transferred into a 100mL clean volumetric flask. Add about 70 ml of diluent and sonicated to 20 minutes dissolve it completely and make volume up to the mark with diluent. Mix well and filter through 0.45 μ filter paper, from this solution 0.2mL pipette out and transferred into a 10 ml volumetric flask and dilute up to the mark with diluent and sonicated for 10 minutes.

 

Method validation:

The method was validated in accordance with ICH guidelines. The parameters assessed were Linearity, Accuracy, Precision, Limit of Detection (LOD), Limit of Quantification (LOQ), Robustness, Ruggedness and Specificity etc.

 

Linearity:

Several aliquots of standard solutions of  Doxofylline and Sertraline were taken into different 10 ml volumetric flasks and diluted up to the mark with mobile phase such that the final concentrations of Doxofylline 100 to 600 μg/ml and Sertraline 12.5 to 75 μg/ml. Evaluation of the two drugs was performed with PDA detector at 231nm; peak area was recorded for all the dilutions. The correlation coefficient (R2) values 0.999 and 0.997 for Doxofylline and Sertraline respectively. The results show that an excellent correlation exists between peak area and concentration of drugs within the concentration range indicated.

Accuracy:

The accuracy of the method was assessed by recovery studies of Doxofylline and Sertraline in the dosage form at three concentration levels. A fixed amount of preanalyzed sample was taken and standard drug was added at 50%, 100% and 150% levels. Each level was repeated three times. The contents of Doxofylline and Sertraline per tablet were calculated. The % mean recoveries of Doxofylline and Sertraline were 99.38% and 99.10% that shows there is no interference from excipients and the lower values of % RSD of assay indicate the method is accurate.

 

Precision:

The precision was determined for both the drugs Doxofylline and Sertraline in terms of intra-day and inter-day precision. For intra-day precision evaluation, a standard solution of fixed concentration was injected at various time intervals and % RSD for Doxofylline and sertraline were 0.862% and 0.92% respectively (limit of % RSD < 2.0%). In addition, the inter-day precision was studied by injecting the same concentration of standard solution on consecutive days and the % RSD for Doxofylline and Sertraline were 0.3% and 0.4% respectively (limit % RSD < 2.0%).

 

Limit of detection and limit of quantification:

The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of the developed method were determined by injecting progressively low concentrations of the standard solutions using the developed HPLC method. The LOD for Doxofylline and Sertraline were found to be 0.345μg/ml and 0.176μg/ml respectively. The LOQ for Doxofylline and Sertraline were found to be 0.046μg/ml and 0.536μg/ml respectively.

 

Robustness:

Robustness of the method was determined by making slight changes in the chromatographic conditions like mobile phase composition and flow rate. It was observed that there were no marked changes in the chromatograms, which demonstrated that the HPLC method so developed is robust.

 

Ruggedness:

The ruggedness of the method was determined by carrying out the experiment on different instruments by different operators using different columns of similar types, which demonstrated that the developed HPLC method is rugged.

 

Specificity:

Specificity is the ability of the analytical method to measure the analyte response in the presence of interferences including degradation products and related substances. No interference from any of the excipients was found at retention times of the examined drugs. These results demonstrate the absence of interference from other materials in the pharmaceutical formulations and therefore confirm the specificity of the proposed method.

 

Assay:

10 μl of each standard and sample solution were injected and from the peak area of Doxofylline Sertraline amount of each drug in samples were computed. The result of assay undertaken yielded 99.11% and 96.44% of label claim of Doxofylline and Sertraline respectively.

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

The HPLC procedure was optimized with a view to develop an accurate assay method for simultaneous estimation of Doxofylline and Sertraline in tablet dosage form using STD XDB C18 column (150 x 4.6 mm; 5μ) in isocratic mode with mobile phase composition of Acetonitrile: potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer in the ratio of 45: 55 V/V. The use of 1% Triethylamine and pH adjusted to 3.5 with dilute ortho phosphoric acid. The flow rate was 0.8 ml/min and both the components were measured with PDA detector at 231nm.The results of optimized HPLC conditions were shown in Table 1.

 

Table no. 1: Optimized chromatographic conditions of Doxofylline and Sertraline

Parameter

Condition

Mobile phase

Acetonitrile : Potassium Di Hydrogen phosphate buffer (45: 55V/V)

Resolution

6

Column

Std XDB, C18 column (150 x 4.6 mm; 5μ)

Column temperature

300c

Wave length

231nm

Injection volume

10μl

Flow rate

0.8 ml/min

Run time

8 min

 

The method was linear in the range of 100-600μg/ml and 12.5-75μg/ml for Doxofylline and Sertraline with correlation coefficient of R2=1 and R2=0.999 for Doxofylline and Sertraline. Linear regression data for Doxofylline and Sertraline were given in Table 2&3.The linearity curves for Doxofylline and Sertraline were shown in Fig. 3&Fig. 4.

 

Table no.2: Linearity results of Doxofylline

S.no

% of test

Concentration  (µg/ml)

Area

1

25

100

1990564

2

50

200

4273464

3

75

300

6403423

4

100

400

8657588

5

125

500

10440148

6

150

600

12629785

 

 

Table no.3: Linearity results of Sertraline

S.no

% of test

Concentration (µg/ml)

Area

1

25

12.5

393653

2

50

25

951622

3

75

37.5

1456381

4

100

50

1984703

5

125

62.5

2398170

6

150

75

2868752

 

Figure 3: Linearity curve of Doxofylline

 

Figure 4: Linearity curve of Sertraline

 

The mean % recoveries were found to be 99.38% for Doxofylline and 99.10% for Sertraline which indicate the method is accurate. The accuracy results were shown in Table 4&5.

 

Table no.4: Accuracy data of Doxofylline

S. no

Spike

Level

µg/ml

added

µg/ml found

%Recovery

Mean % recovery

1

50%

100

98.84

98.84

 

98.68%

2

50%

100

98.50

98.50

3

50%

100

98.70

98.70

1

100%

400

398.60

99.65

 

99.59%

2

100%

400

398.19

9954

3

100%

400

398.37

99.59

1

150%

600

599.22

99.87

 

99.87%

2

150%

600

599.99

99.83

3

150%

600

599.59

98.93

 

 

 

Table no.5: Accuracy data of Sertraline

S.no

Spike Level

µg/ml added

µg/ml found

% Recovery

Mean% recovery

1

50%

25

24.85

99.41

 

99.42%

2

50%

25

24.75

97.00

3

50%

25

24.96

99.86

1

100%

50

49.06

98.12

 

98.95%

2

100%

50

49.71

99.43

3

100%

50

49.65

99.31

1

150%

75

74.36

98.14

 

98.94%

2

150%

75

74.06

98.75

3

150%

75

74.21

98.95

 

The %RSD for intra-day precision and inter-day precision for were found to be Doxofylline 0.862 and 0.92% for Sertraline were found to be 0.3% and 0.4% respectively, which indicate the method is precise. The precision results were shown in Table 6 &7.

 

Table no. 6: Inter-day precision data of proposed method

S. no

Doxofylline

Sertraline

 

RT

Area

RT

Area

1

2.06

17003541

4.151

1901289

2

 2.069

17062261

4.156

1935395

3

2.070

 17084990

4.156

1913443

4

2.070

17097936

4.159

1886970

5

2.070

17401513

4.159

1891048

6

2.071

17115424

4.160

1879289

Average

 

17114862

 

1904572

S.D

 

147599

 

17664

%R.S.D

 

0.862

 

0.92

 

Table no. 7: Intra- day precision data of proposed method

S.no

Doxofylline

Sertraline

RT

Area

RT

Area

1

2.068

17160404

4.151

1909991

2

2.069

17157293

4.156

1917052

3

2.069

17052753

4.156

1918659

4

2.069

17096680

4.159

1916970

5

2.070

17096712

4.159

1912088

6

2.072

17115101

4.160

1900943

Average

 

17116446

 

1911747

S.D

 

44861.1

 

6997.1

%R.S.D

 

0.3

 

0.4

 

The retention times of Doxofylline and Sertraline was 2.06 min and 4.14 minutes respectively. The number of theoretical plates calculated was 3153 for Doxofylline and 2566 for Sertraline and symmetry factor was 1.20 for Doxofylline and 1.59 for Sertraline, which indicates efficient performance of the column. The LOD for Doxofylline and Sertraline were found to be 0.345μg/ml and 0.176μg/ml respectively. The LOQ for Doxofylline and Sertraline were found to be 0.046μg/ml and 0.536μg/ml respectively, which indicate the sensitivity of the method. The summary of system suitability parameters and validation parameters were shown in Table 8.

 

Table no.8: System suitability parameters of the method

Parameter

Observed values

Doxofylline

Sertraline

Retention time (min)

2.068

4.140

Linearity (μg/ml)

100-600

12.5-75

Theoretical plates

3153

2566

Symmetry factor

1.20

1.59

LOD (μg/ml)

0.0345

0.176

LOQ (μg/ml)

0.046

0.536

Resolution(Rs)

6

 

Validated method was applied for the determination of Doxofylline and Sertraline in commercial formulations. The % assay was found to be 99.11% and 99.44% for Doxofylline and Sertraline respectively and the assay results were shown in Table 9.

 

Typical chromatogram and UV spectra of standards showing the separation of the drugs Doxofylline and Sertraline was shown in Fig. 5& 6 No interfering peaks were found in the chromatogram of the formulation within the run time indicating that excipients used in tablet formulations did not interfere with the estimation of the drug by the proposed HPLC method.

 

CONCLUSION:

The developed HPLC method is simple, specific, accurate and precise for the simultaneous estimation of Doxofylline and Sertraline tablet dosage form. The developed method provides good resolution between Doxofylline and Setraline. It was successfully validated in terms of linearity, accuracy, precision, specificity, robustness, LOD, LOQ and system suitability in accordance with ICH guidelines. Thus the described method is suitable for routine analysis and quality control of pharmaceutical preparations containing these drugs in combinations.

 

Figure 5: Typical chromatogram of Doxofylline and Sertraline

 

 

Figure 6: UV Spectra of Doxofylline and Sertraline (λmax 231)

 



 

Table no.9: Assay results of proposed method

Formulation

Label Claim

Amount Found

% Assay

DOXOER

Doxofylline

Sertraline

Doxofylline

Sertraline

Doxofylline

Sertraline

400mg

50mg

396.78mg/tab

47.48mg/tab

99.11

96.44

 


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

The authors are thankful to Management of Anurag Pharmacy College, for providing all types of facilities for the research, and also thankful to Spectrum Analytical Lab pvt. Limited, Hyderabad, India for providing the gift samples of the drugs and research facilities for this work.

 

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Received on 22.07.2015         Modified on 16.08.2015

Accepted on 22.08.2015         © AJRC All right reserved

Asian J. Research Chem. 8(8): August 2015; Page 539-544

DOI: 10.5958/0974-4150.2015.00086.3