ECOFRIENDLY SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC ESTIMATION OF DICLOFENAC SODIUM IN TABLETS USING N, N-DIMETHYL UREA AS A HYDROTROPIC SOLUBILIZING AGENT

Abstract

A novel, safe and sensitive method of spectrophotometric estimation in ultraviolet region has been developed using 7.5M N,N-dimethylurea (an inexpensive hydrotropic agent) as hydrotropic solubilizing agent for the quantitative determination of diclofenac sodium, a poorly water soluble drug in tablet dosage form. Beer's law was obeyed in the concentration range of 10-60 µg/ml. N,N-dimethylurea does not interfere above 260 nm. There was more than a 11-fold enhancement in aqueous solubility of diclofenac sodium, in 7.5M N,N-dimethylurea solution as compared to the solubility in distilled water. Commonly used tablet excipients and N,N-dimethylurea did not interfere in spectrophotometric estimation. Results of the analysis were validated statistically and by recovery studies. The results of analysis obtained by the proposed method were very comparable with the results of analysis obtained by the Indian Pharmacopoeial method.