Electrochemical behavior of colchicine using graphite-based screen-printed electrodes.

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Colchicine analysis is crucial for pharmaceutical quality control.
• Existing methods like HPLC can be complex and time-consuming.
• Development of rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective analytical techniques is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a miniaturized electrochemical graphite-based sensor for colchicine determination.
• To investigate the electrochemical behavior of colchicine and the influence of biomolecules.
• To optimize and apply the sensor for quantitative analysis of colchicine in pharmaceutical formulations.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a miniaturized electrochemical sensor using graphite.
• Cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry for electrochemical behavior investigation.
• Optimization of anodic differential pulse voltammetry parameters using response surface modeling.
• Validation according to ICH guidelines for linearity, accuracy, LOD, LOQ, and fidelity.

Main Results:

• The sensor demonstrated an irreversible reduction and oxidation mechanism for colchicine.
• Electrochemical mediators did not significantly improve electron transfer.
• Biomolecules showed varying influences on colchicine's electrochemical behavior.
• The validated method achieved high linearity (R(2)=0.9966) in the range of 85-1200 ng mL(-1) with an LOD of 41 ng mL(-1).
• Successful determination of colchicine in tablets without excipient interference.

Conclusions:

• A miniaturized electrochemical graphite sensor provides a sensitive and accurate method for colchicine analysis.
• The developed method is comparable in sensitivity to HPLC and micellar electrokinetic chromatography.
• This sensor offers a viable alternative for routine quality control of colchicine in pharmaceutical products.