Author(s)

Mariette Desiree Yehe^1,2*, Frédérique Yah Marie-Pierre Nikiema¹, Linda Hé¹, Vincent De Paul Ovi², Jean-Kisito Kouame², Patrick Grah Atheba³, Gildas Komenan Gbassi¹

¹Department of Analytical Sciences and Public Health, UFR of Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences (UFR SPB), Félix Houphouët Boigny University, Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
²National Public Health Laboratory, Food Control Service, Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
³Félix Houphouët Boigny University, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Bromatology, General Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry, Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

The present work aims to study the influence of some physicochemical parameters (light, temperature, ethanol, bile salts, potassium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide) on the content of Metronidazole (MTZ) contained in the reference substance (SR) and in a pharmaceutical specialty Flagyl^® 250 mg tablet (FLG). The method developed was linear and accurate in accordance with USP 38 and the MTZ contents were obtained by UV-visible spectrophotometry at 278 nm. These contents ranged from 225 mg to 275 mg and were thus consistent with the concentration present in the proprietary medicines (250 mg). The study of the influence of physicochemical parameters on the MTZ content in SR and FLG showed that MTZ contents are unstable in the presence of Ethanol at 96˚, KOH at 0.1N and bile salts but also when the temperature is higher than 25˚C. However, they remain stable in the presence of light and H₂O₂ and undergo degradation in an acidic environment.

Metronidazole, Influence, Physicochemistry, Content, Stability

Desiree Yehe, M. , Yah Marie-Pierre Nikiema, F. , Hé, L. , De Paul Ovi, V. , Kouame, J. , Grah Atheba, P. and Komenan Gbassi, G. (2022) Influence of Some Physicochemical Exposure Factors on the Metronidazole Content of a Pharmaceutical Product: Flagyl® 250 mg Tablet. Open Journal of Physical Chemistry, 12, 31-45. doi: 10.4236/ojpc.2022.123003.