Colorimetric determination of cyclophosphamide and ifosphamide

A simple colorimetric method for the determination of cyclophosphamide and ifosphamide in pure and in dosage forms is suggested. It depends on the reaction of the secondary amino group in both, with nitrous acid, thus forming a nitroso derivative which can be measured at 325 nm for cyclophosphamide and 335 nm for ifosphamide. Beer's law is obeyed with concentrations from 20 to 90 micrograms ml-1 for cyclophosphamide and from 5 to 100 micrograms ml-1 for ifosphadmie, with repeatability of 99.83 +/- 0.256% and 99.72 +/- 0.649%, respectively. Application to different pharmaceutical preparations has shown no significant difference when compared with the B.P. 1988 method.