Determination of two antibacterial binary mixtures by chemometrics-assisted spectrophotometry

Simple chemometrics-assisted spectrophotometric methods are described for determination of 2 antibacterial binary mixtures. The mixtures are composed of norfloxacin in combination with tinidazole and erythromycin (as ethylsuccinate ester or stearate salt) in combination with trimethoprim. The normal UV absorption spectra of each pair of drugs in the studied mixtures, in the range of 200-400 nm, showed a considerable degree of spectral overlapping: 77.5% for the norfloxacin-tinidazole mixture and 84.3% for the erythromycin-trimethoprim mixture. Resolution of the norfloxacin-tinidazole mixture and trimethoprim in the presence of erythromycin was accomplished successfully by using zero-crossing first derivative (1D), classical least-squares (CLS) regression analysis, and principal component regression (PCR) analysis methods. In addition, an alternative simple and accurate colorimetric method was developed for the determination of erythromycin in the presence of trimethoprim using 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine. All variables affecting the development of the colored chromogen were studied and optimized, and the product was measured at 526-529 and 538-542 nm for erythromycin stearate and erythromycin ethylsuccinate, respectively. For zero-crossing, first derivative technique Beer's law was obeyed in the general concentration range of 2-50 microg/mL for norfloxacin, tinidazole, and trimethoprim with good correlation coefficients (0.9994-0.9996). Overall limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) ranged from 0.59 to 2.81 and 1.96 to 9.33 microg/mL, respectively. The obtained results from CLS and PCR were compared with those obtained from a 1D spectrophotometric method. With the exception of erythromycin, overall recoveries in the average range of 97.33-103.0% were obtained with a considerable degree of accuracy when the suggested methods were applied to analysis of synthetic binary mixtures, some commercial dosage forms such as tablets and oral suspension without interference from the commonly encountered excipients and additives. For the colorimetric method, Beer's law was obeyed in the general concentration range of 7.21-28.84 microg/mL erythromycin with good correlation coefficients (0.9980-0.9996). Overall LOD and LOQ ranged from 0.73 to 1.65 and 2.43-5.49 microg/mL, respectively. Erythromycin derivatives were determined in the commercial dosage form, without interference from trimethoprim-encountered excipients and additives. The obtained results, with both chemometric and colorimetric methods, have been compared with those obtained from reported methods, and proper F- and t-values were observed, indicating no significant difference between the results of the suggested methods and reported method(s). The good percentage recoveries and proper statistical data obtained proved the efficiency of the proposed procedures for the determination of the studied drugs in their binary mixtures as well as in the commercial dosage forms with quite satisfactory precision.