3. Stability of Medicines Flashcards
Define Stability:
capacity of a product to remain within specifications to ensure potency, quality or purity
Chemical degradation:
Decomposition of chemical moiety
Due to effects of moisture, oxygen, light & heat
Results in loss of active drug
Physical degradation
Formulation-specific =
Caking in suspensions, phase separation in emulsions
Hardness & brittleness of tablets
Microbial degradation
Microbial contamination =
Metabolism of drug molecule
Physical spoilage of dosage form
Infection-causing
Drug instability: may cause
Inconsistent dosage
Undesired change in performance – dissolution/bioavailability
Changes in physical appearance of the dosage form
Product failures
Drug instability: may cause
Inconsistent dosage
Undesired change in performance – dissolution/bioavailability
Changes in physical appearance of the dosage form
Product failures
Chemical degradation reactions
- Hydrolysis
- Oxidation
- Photodegradation
- Polymerisation and dimerisation
- Hydrolysis
Most common chemical degradation
Water present in many pharmaceuticals
> As ingredient or contaminant
Carboxylic acid derivatives are common in medicines
> Esters and amides
Examples of hydrolosis:
Hydrolysis of aspirin (ester)
Hydrolysis of chloramphenicol (amide)
Functional groups prone to hydrolysis
Ester
Amide
Imide
Urea
Lactone
Lactam
Hydrolysis reduction:
Dry formulations (powder for reconstitution, solid dosage form)
Adjusting pH to maximum stability in aqueous solution
Storage temperature
Coating
Choice of packaging
the rate of hydrolysis is reduced by:
- Complexation
Caffeine (a xanthine) complexes with local
anesthetics, such as benzocaine and procaine - Surfactants
Drug molecules become trapped in the micelle
Hydrolytic groups such as OH cannot penetrate
the micelle and reach the drug molecules
- Oxidation
Second most common pathway for drug breakdown
Define Oxidation
removal of H, loss of e-, addition of O
Oxidation - Generally occurs via the action of free radicals
Highly reactive species possessing one or more unpaired electrons
Generated by the action of light energy (UV), heat or trace metals such as Fe2+ or Cu+
Auto-oxidation
Uncatalysed and proceeds slowly under the influence of molecular oxygen
Reaction of free radicals with drugs or biomolecules leads to the formation of peroxyl radicals, which initiate and propagate auto-oxidation
Circumvention of auto-oxidation
- Remove initiators
- Exclude O2
- Remove Initiators
Chelation of trace metals with chelating agents: ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), citric acid & tartaric acid
Exclude O2
Sparge liquids with inert gases such as nitrogen to displace oxygen
Circumvention of auto-oxidation
Add free-radical scavengers/antioxidants
>Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) more readily oxidised than oils, used to stabilise fatty/oily products > Ascorbic acid possesses lower redox potential than drug, more readily oxidised
- Photochemical degration
Energy of a photon increases with decreasing wavelength (𝐸=1/𝜆)
> UV light has high energy which can catalyse reactions
UV light may induce complex reactions
- Oxidation
- Polymerisation
- Ring rearrangement
- Polymerisation
> A process by which two (dimerisation) or more identical drug molecules combine together to from a complex molecule
> UV radiation induces the polymerisation of chlorpromazine (in anoxic conditions)
Dimerisation and hydrolysis of ampicillin
** diagrams shown on lecture slide 21**
Lactam ring»_space; Opened lactam ring
Define Photolysis:
The decomposition or separation of molecules by the action of light
Photolysis of the pentacyanonitrosylferrate (II) ion in sodium nitroprusside (administered by IV infusion for the management of acute hypertension)
Advantages?
Protected from light, stable for ~1 year
Exposed to normal room light, a shelf life of only 4 hours