Determination of the optimum solvent system for extraction of minoxidil from a tablet dosage form

Several pharmaceutical solvent systems commonly employed by the pharmacist during the extemporaneous dispensing of minoxidil topical solution using Loniten tablets were evaluated. These included ethanol, propylene glycol, water and a commercially available liquid, Vehicle/N. A total of twenty-five (10 mg) Loniten tablets were pulverized in a wedgewood mortar for five minutes. The tablet powder was then dissolved in the experimental solvent system and stirred thoroughly for ten minutes. The liquid dispersion was filtered using the vacuum filter method and the powder residue was then washed twice to obtain a fixed volume of the filtrate. The concentration of minoxidil in each solvent system was determined spectrophotometrically at the wavelength range of 280 to 282 nm depending upon the solvent. The amount of minoxidil extracted in each sample was calculated using the previously constructed standard curve in the respective solvent system. From the data obtained, it was concluded that Vehicle/N is the optimum solvent for such use, and the drug recovery was about 99%. Whereas, the mixture of methanol/propylene glycol/water at a volume ratio of 6:2:2 was observed to be the second best with a drug recovery of 97%. The addition of sodium lauryl sulfate had no effect in enhancing the solubility of drug when used in a solvent with poor recovery profile of drug. Also, the presence of excipients of the tablet dosage form did not interfere with the extraction process of minoxidil.