Rapid and simple methods for quantitative analysis of some antidepressant in pharmaceutical formulations by using first derivative spectrophotometry and HPLC

Two rapid, simple and accurate first derivative spectrophotometry and HPLC method for the determination of nefazodone hydrochloride and sertraline hydrochloride in pharmaceutical formulations are discussed. The first one is a derivative spectrophotometric procedure and the second one is based on a HPLC method with a UV detector. In the first method, first derivative spectrophotometry, nefazodone hydrochloride or sertraline hydrochloride by measurement of their first derivative signals at 241.8-256.7 nm (peak-to-peak amplitude), or 271.6-275.5 nm (peak-to-peak amplitude), respectively. Calibration graphs were established for 10.0-42.0 microg ml(-1) nefazodone hydrochloride, or 8.0-46.0 microg ml(-1) sertraline hydrochloride. In the other method, HPLC, the UV detection was carried out at 265.0 nm (nefazodone hydrochloride) and 270.0 nm (sertraline hydrochloride). The samples were chromatographed on a Supercosil RP-18 column. The mobile phases were methanol:acetonitrile:phosphate buffer at pH 5.5 (10:50:40 v/v/v) (nefazodone hydrochloride) and methanol:phosphate buffer at pH 4.5 (20:80 v/v) (sertraline hydrochloride). The results obtained from first derivative spectrophotometric method were comparable with those obtained by using HPLC. It was concluded that both the developed methods are equally accurate, sensitive, and precision could be applied directly and easily to the pharmaceutical formulations of nefazodone hydrochloride and sertraline hydrochloride, respectively.