Voltammetric behaviour of nitrazepam in solubilized systems

Abstract

Voltammetric behaviour of benzodiazepine tranquilizer drug, nitrazepam, has been studied in acetonitrile using cyclicvoltammetry and differential pulse polarography. Nitrazepam exhibits two well-defined cathodic peaks in acetate buffer (pH3-6). Lower limit of detection (LOD) and lower limit of quantification (LOQ) are found to be 0.47x10-7 and 1.5x10-7 mol l-1respectively. Analysis of nitrazepam in pharmaceutical formulation exhibited mean recoveries of 99.3 % and 99.6 % for bothreduction peaks. Addition of anionic surfactant (sodium lauryl sulphate) to nitrazepam containing electrolyte also exhibit twowell-defined cathodic peaks. Reduction process was irreversible over entire pH range.