INFLUENCE OF COPPER, IRON, AND ZINC ON THE PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIESOF PARENTERAL ADMIXTURE

A parenteral admixture composed of 25% of 20% Intralipid(R), 25% of Az onutril(R) 25, 37.5% of 30% Glucose(R) and 12.5% of 50% Glucose(R) was supplemented with copper, iron and zinc in the organic (gluconate) or inorganic (chloride) form at the following usual final concentrations : copper 0.24 mg/L, iron 0.50 mg/L, zinc 2.00 mg/L. The mixture was st ored at 4-degrees-C and at 25-degrees-C for 24, 48, and 72 hours, and for one week. Determination of the pH indicated good stability of the mixture containing the trace elements in the gluconate form. A signifi cant decrease in the pH of the mixture containing the trace elements a s chlorides was noted after one week of storage at both temperatures. Particle size analysis revealed no significant variations between the two formulations after one week of storage. Flocculation kinetics conf irmed the results obtained with the other two methods used to determin e physicochemical stability. In addition, the kinetics indicated that the possibilities of coalescence processes are highly reduced in all c ases. It may be concluded that the two type of mixtures remain stable for Seven days at 4-degrees-C and 25-degrees-C However, mixtures conta ining trace elements in gluconate form should be chosen in cases of lo nger storage.