Analysis of Tolfenamic Acid using a Simple, Rapid, and Stability-indicating Validated HPLC Method

Tolfenamic acid (TA) belongs to the fenamates class of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Insufficient information is available regarding the availability of a reliable and validated stability-indicating method for the assay of TA.

A relatively simple, rapid, accurate, precise, economical, robust, and stabilityindicating RP-HPLC method has been developed to determine TA in pure and tablet dosage forms.

The method was validated according to the ICH guideline, and parameters like linearity, range, selectivity, accuracy, precision, robustness, specificity, and solution stability were determined. TLC and FTIR spectrometry were used to ascertain the purity of TA. The specificity was determined with known impurities and after performing forced degradation, while the robustness was established by Plackett-Burman's experimental design. The mobile phase used for the analysis was acetonitrile and water (90:10, v/v) at pH 2.5. The detection of the active drug was made at 280 nm using a C18 column (tR = 4.3 min.). The method's applicability was also checked for the yellow polymorphic form of TA.

The results indicated that the method is highly accurate (99.39-100.80%), precise (<1.5% RSD), robust (<2% RSD), and statistically comparable to the British Pharmacopoeia method with better sensitivity and specificity.

It was observed that the stress degradation studies do not affect the method's accuracy and specificity. Hence the proposed method can be used to assay TA and its tablet dosage form.