Stability-indicating methods for quantitative determination of spironolactone using high-pressure liquid chromatography and blue tetrazolium reaction

Stability-indicating methods for the quantitative determination of spironolactone were developed. The methods are based on high-pressure liquid chromatography and a reaction with blue tetrazolium. Both methods are accurate, precise, and sensitive and gave excellent results with commercial tablets, including those containing hydrochlorothiazide in addition to spironolactone, The blue tetrazolium method cannot be used in the presence of high concentrations of either polyethylene glycols or water. Spironolactone decomposition in water or polyethylene glycol appears to follow pseudo-first-order kinetics. The decomposition constant at 65 degrees was 0.0253/day in water versus 0.115/day in polyethylene glycol ointment base USP.