Use of cerium (IV) in the spectrophotometric and spectrofluorimetric determinations of penicillins and cephalosporins in their pharmaceutical preparations

Spectrophotometric and spectrofluorimetric procedures for the quantitative determination of four penicillins [Amoxycillin (AMX), Bacampicillin (BAC), Piperacillin (PPN) and Sultamcillin (SULT)] and ten cephalosporins [Cefadro xil (CDL), Cefamandole nafate (MAN), Cefuroxime axetil or sodium (CFX), Cef aclor (CFCR), Ceftazidime (CZD), Ceftizoxime (CTIZ),Ceftriaxone (CTRX), Cef operazone (CPZ), Cefixime (CXIM) and Cefpodoxime proxetil (CFPD)] are descr ibed. Both methods are based an the acidic oxidation of the antibiotics wit h cerium (IV) at elevated temperature.The effect of the reagent concentrati on, volume of the acid,and the heating temperature were studied to optimize the reaction conditions. Each antibiotic was determined by either measurin g the absorbance difference at 317 nm or the cerous inherent fluorescence a t 256 and 356 nm for excitation and emission wavelengths, respectively. The two procedures have been successfully applied to the assay of these antibi otics in their pharmaceutical dosage forms. The obtained results have been statistically compared with those obtained by the official methods.