Kinetic spectrophotometric determination of tramadol hydrochloride in pharmaceutical formulation

Two simple and sensitive kinetic methods for the determination of tramadol hydrochloride are described. The first method is based upon a kinetic investigation of the oxidation reaction of the drug with alkaline potassium permanganate at room temperature for a fixed time at 20 min. The absorbance of the colored manganate ions was measured at 610 nm. The second method is based on the reaction of tramadol hydrochloride with 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan (NBD-Cl) in presence of 0.1 M sodium bicarbonate. The spectrophotometric measurements were recorded by measuring the absorbance at 467 nm, at fixed time at 25 min on thermostated water bath at 90 +/- 1 degreesC. All variables affecting the development of the colour have been investigated and the conditions were optimised. The absorbance concentration plots in both methods were rectilinear over the range 5-25 and 50-250 mug ml(-1), for the first and second methods, respectively. The two methods have been applied successfully to commercial capsule and ampoule dosage form. The results obtained are compared statistically with those given by the reference spectrophotometric method. The determination of tramadol hydrochloride by the fixed concentration and rate constant methods is feasible with the calibration equations obtained, but the fixed time method proves to be more applicable. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.