Spectrophotometric and HPLC determination of secnidazole in pharmaceutical tablets

Simple and accurate spectrophotometric and HPLC methods were developed for the determination of secnidazole in tablets dosage form. The first spectrophotometric method depends on the reduction of secnidazole molecule with zinc dust and hydrochloric acid followed by condensation with either p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde or anisaldehyde to give colored chromogens having absorbance at 494 and 398 nm, respectively. The second method was based on the reaction of the drug with sodium nitroprusside in the presence or absence of hydroxylammonium hydrochloride. The formed colored chromogens were measured at 584 and 508 nm, respectively. The experimental conditions were optimized and Beer's law was obeyed over the applicable concentration ranges. The application of HPLC procedures depended on using either a conventional or microbore reverse-phase (C18) column along with mobile phases consisting of water and methanol (30:70), at pH of 3.5. Both techniques were applied successfully for the analysis of secnidazole in tablets form. The results obtained from both procedures were statistically compared using the Student's-t and F-variance ratio tests.