Optimization and validation of spectrophotometric methods for determination of finasteride in dosage and biological forms

AIM AND BACKGROUND: Three simple, accurate and sensitive spectrophotometric methods for the determination of finasteride in pure, dosage and biological forms, and in the presence of its oxidative degradates were developed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: These methods are indirect, involve the addition of excess oxidant potassium permanganate for method A; cerric sulfate [Ce(SO4)2] for methods B; and N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) for method C of known concentration in acid medium to finasteride, and the determination of the unreacted oxidant by measurement of the decrease in absorbance of methylene blue for method A, chromotrope 2R for method B, and amaranth for method C at a suitable maximum wavelength, λ(max): 663, 528, and 520 nm, for the three methods, respectively. The reaction conditions for each method were optimized. RESULTS: Regression analysis of the Beer plots showed good correlation in the concentration ranges of 0.12–3.84 μg mL(–1) for method A, and 0.12–3.28 μg mL(–1) for method B and 0.14 – 3.56 μg mL(–1) for method C. The apparent molar absorptivity, Sandell sensitivity, detection and quantification limits were evaluated. The stoichiometric ratio between the finasteride and the oxidant was estimated. The validity of the proposed methods was tested by analyzing dosage forms and biological samples containing finasteride with relative standard deviation ≤ 0.95. CONCLUSION: The proposed methods could successfully determine the studied drug with varying excess of its oxidative degradation products, with recovery between 99.0 and 101.4, 99.2 and 101.6, and 99.6 and 101.0% for methods A, B, and C, respectively.