A RAPID METHOD FOR SCREENING NONSTEROIDAL ANTIINFLAMMATORY AGENTS FORHYDROXYL RADICAL SCAVENGING

Dequalinium chloride undergoes photodegradation in simulated sunlight at 22 +/- 1-degrees-C. The reaction follows first order kinetics, the addition of a molar equivalent of hydrogen peroxide markedly increases the rate constant of this reaction. The incorporation of non-steroida l anti-inflammatory agents as well as hydrogen peroxide results in a d iminution in the rate constant. In such cases where the test drug is i nsoluble in water the addition of 2% ethanol to effect solubilisation changes the order of reaction to second order but still provides a mea ns of comparing the hydroxyl radical scavenging properties of the drug s. This technique is rapid and cheap and could form a feature of the s tandard screening technique for novel medicinal agents.