Physico-chemical solid-state characterization of omeprazole sodium: thermal, spectroscopic and crystallinity studies

The physical characterization of active pharmaceutical substances is crucial to the successful development of the final drug product. The different solid forms and variations in the degree of crystallinity can lead to significantly different physical and chemical properties, including color, morphology, stability, dissolution and bioavailability. In the case of omeprazole sodium (OMS), its chemical structures contain a specific number of water molecules (hydrate). The behavior of pharmaceutical hydrates has become the object of increasing attention over the past decade, primarily due to the potential impact of hydrates on the development process and dosage form performance. The present study was designed to characterize and evaluate the crystallinity of omeprazole sodium, dehydrated omeprazole sodium (DOMS) and omeprazole free base (OM) using a variety of techniques including thermal analysis (thermogravimetry/derivative thermogravimetry (TG/DTG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)), diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD). Furthermore, an NMR spectroscopy study was also carried out to clarify the conformation and crystal structure.