Ivermectin-Based Products in the Context of Green Pharmaceutical Analysis

Ivermectin (IVE), a broad-spectrum antiparasitic, is used in human and animal health. Analytical methods for evaluating IVE in pharmaceutical products are found in the literature and in official compendiums. However, the vast majority of them do not have an eco-friendly approach.

The aim of this review is to present an overview of existing analytical methods for evaluating IVE in pharmaceutical matrixes in the context of green analytical chemistry (GAC) and show possibilities for increasing their greenness.

GAC is a current alternative to promote sustainable development in laboratories and chemical-pharmaceutical industries; therefore, through its principles, such as reducing the use of aggressive solvents, it is possible to make processes more ecological. However, the vast majority of analytical methods available in the literature and official compendiums do not present an eco-friendly approach. Seventy percent of the methods are by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Among the various pharmaceutical matrixes, the most evaluated are tablets (37%). Of all the solvents used in HPLC, ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC), high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS), ultraviolet spectrophotometry (UV) and thin layer chromatography (TLC) methods, the combination of methanol and acetonitrile is the most used, accounting for more than 50% of occurrences.

Analytical methods for evaluating IVE-based products can be leveraged within the scope of GAC, bringing sustainable work opportunities to analytical development laboratories around the world.

This review shows an overview of the analytical methods present in the literature and official compendiums to evaluate pharmaceutical IVE matrixes, in the context of GAC.