SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC AND SPECTROFLUOROMETRIC DETERMINATION OF CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE AND ITS ISOMER IFOSPHAMIDE

Based on the condensation reaction between amino groups of either cycl ophosphamide or ifosphamide with the carbonyl group of ninhydrin, givi ng coloured and fluorescent products, a spectrophotometric procedure f or both drugs is suggested in the range from 30 to 90 mu g ml(-1) at 5 64 nm, with accuracies of 100.6 +/- 1.06% and 100.8 +/- 1.02% for cycl ophosphamide and ifosphamide, respectively. Also, a spectrophotometric procedure for both drugs is proposed in the range from 1.2 to 3.6 mu g ml(-1) at 465 nm and 485 nn for cyclophosphamide and ifosphamide, re spectively, using 380 nm as an excitation wavelength for both drugs wi th accuracies of 100.4 +/- 1.83% and 99.5 +/- 1.64%, respectively. Thi s condensation reaction, however, does not differentiate between the t wo isomeric drugs. Another new method is, therefore, suggested. It dep ends on the fact that the secondary amino group of ifosphamide is hind ered electronically and sterically, while the nucleophilic amino group of cyclophosphamide reacts with the nitrosyl group of sodium nitropru sside molecule, giving a bluish green colour measurable at 708 nm. Thi s colour is used for the determination of cyclophospahmide in the pres ence of its isomer ifophamide in the range from 0.2 to 1 mg ml(-1) wit h repeatability of 99.2 +/- 1.49%. The suggested procedures are applie d successfully to pharmaceutical formulations of cyclophosphamide and ifosphamide, and their validities are assessed by applying the standar d addition technique. The results obtained by applying the proposed pr ocedures are statistically analyzed and compared with those obtained b y adopting the United States Pharmacopoeial method.