Spectrofluorimetric analysis of cefuroxime in pharmaceutical dosage forms

A fluorimetric method has been developed for the quantitative analysis of cefuroxime, based upon the formation of a fluorescent derivative formed by alkaline hydrolysis with 1.0 M sodium hydroxide and heating at 100 degrees C for 60 min. The fluorescent product gave excitation and emission maxima at 380 and 436 nm, respectively. The method was performed in aqueous solution adjusted to pH 10.5 by addition of phosphate buffer solution. The calibration curve was found to be linear in the range of concentrations 0.050-1.70 micrograms ml-1. The lower limit of detection was 1.0 x 10(-2) micrograms ml-1. The method was applied to authentic pharmaceutical preparations containing cefuroxime sodium or cefuroxime axetil, the 1-(acetyloxy) ethyl ester of the drug, and was found to be satisfactory. Cefuroxime sodium was also determined in physiological solutions used to prepare intravenous infusions of this antibiotic.