Academic Sciences

International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

ISSN- 0975-1491

Vol 5, Issue 3, 2013

Research Article

COMPARATIVE QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF PARACETAMOL BY RP-HPLC AND UVSPECTROPHOTOMETRY FROM ITS FORMULATED TABLETS
RAJU CHANDRA*, DALEEP VERMA, KESHAV D SHARMA, SUJEET KUMAR, MD. NAUSHAD ALAM, SANJAY SINGH
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Dolphin P.G. Institute of Biomedical and Natural Sciences, Dehradun-248001, Uttarakhand,
India. Email:[email protected]
Received: 08 May 2013, Revised and Accepted: 21 Jun 2013
ABSTRACT
These both methods have been described for the quantitatively determination of paracetamol from the single formulated drug tablets by reverse
phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and UV-Spectrophotometry techniques. These both methods were reported in terms of
linearity, accuracy, precision and limit of detection and limit of quantification. In both methods the linearity were computed from regression
analysis. These both methods showed good linearity over the concentration range of 550 g/mL. The linearity was obtained for paracetamol by
reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) R2=0.995 and by UV-Spectrophotometry R2=0.988. The accuracy was checked
by recovery method. The recovery coefficient variation (CV %) was obtained 2.90 for RP-HPLC and 0.87 for UV-Spectrophotometry. In both cases
coefficient variation was less than 10; therefore proposed methods were successfully applied for the analysis of in its commercial tablets. Any one of
the validated method can be used for the analysis of formulated paracetamol tablets.
Keywords: Paracetamol, RP-HPLC, UV-Spectrophotometry.

INTRODUCTION
Paracetamol, N-(4hydroxy phenyl) acetamide has analgesic and
antipyretic. It is commonly used for the relief of headaches, relief
of fever, and minor aches and pains as well as for the management
of more severe pain, where it allow lower dosage of additional
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug to be used their by
minimizing over all side effect [1-3]. The main mechanism of
action of paracetamol is considered to be the inhibition of
cyclooxygenase (COX) and recent finding suggest that it is highly
selective for cox-z [4]. Numerous methods have been reported for
the analysis of paracetamol and its combination in
pharmaceuticals or in biological fluids. Paracetamol has been
determined in combination with other drugs using U.V
spectrophotometry [5-8] and reverse phase high performance
liquid chromatography [9-15] in pharmaceutical preparation. The
main purpose of this study was developed a cheaply and validated
suitable method for quantitative determination of paracetamol
form its formulated tablets.

at a wavelength 243 nm. The column was maintained at ambient

temperature and injection volume of 20 l was used. The mobile
phase was filtered through 0.45m nylon membrane filter. The
absorbance have been taken with same solvents methanol and water
(65:35) and same wave length 243 nm. The absorbance was
measured with 3 mL capacity quartz cuvette.
Preparation of Stock solution
The stock solution of paracetamol 100 ppm was prepared in mobile
phase methanol and water (65:35). The solutions were filtered
through a 0.45 m nylon membrane. The mobile phase was
degassed with sonication instrument. The mobile phase was
sonicated to five min.
Preparation of sample solution
To preparation of sample solution, twenty tablets were weighed
accurately. These tablets were powdered and mixed well. Taken an
equivalent quantity of the powder was transferred into a small
conical flask and extracted with mobile phase the extract was
filtered into a 100 ml volumetric flask. The volume was maintained
with same solvent.
Method validation study
The describe method was validated according to International
conference on harmonized guidelines [16] with respect to linearity,
specificity, precision, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of
quantification (LOQ).

Fig. 1: It shows structure of paracetamol.

Linearity

Paracetamol reference standard was provided by Intas

Pharmaceutical Ltd. Tablets of, paracetamol 500 mg manufactured
by Paracip Pharmaceutical Ltd. HPLC grade methanol and water
were obtained from Merck India Limited and 0.45m nylon
membrane filter was obtained from Pall life Sciences, Mumbai.

Accurately pipette volumes of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25 and 2.50 ml of
paracetamol stock solution was placed in 5 mL volumetric flasks and
diluted to 5 mL with mobile phase. These different serial dilutions
were filtered through a 0.45m nylon membrane and sonicate. The
each solution of 20 l was injected into the column in thrice and 3
mL each solution was used to absorbance. The calibration curves
were obtained by plotting peak area and absorbance versus
concentration.

Instrumentation

Specificity

The method development was performed with a cyber lab reverse

phase high performance liquid chromatography separating system
and thermo scientific UV-Spectrophotometry. Chromatographic
analysis was performed on C18 column. Separation was achieved
using a mobile phase methanol and water in the ratio of (65:35) at
flow rate 1.0 ml/min. The eluent was monitored with a UV-Detector

To determine the specificity was taken excipients of the tablets in

equivalent to the sample weight. The solution was prepared
similarly to the sample solution. The solution was analyzed as per
the proposed method. There was no interference was observed from
added excipients. Therefore, it is concluded that the both methods
was specific.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Chemicals and reagents

Chandra et al.
Int J Pharm Pharm Sci, Vol 5, Issue 3, 863-865
Accuracy

signal to noise ratios of 3 for LOD and 10 for LOQ respectively.

To determine the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of
quantification (LOQ) serial dilutions of mixed standard solution
of paracetamol was made from the standard stock solution and
prepared in replicates of three. The samples were injected in
HPLC system and measured signal from the samples was
compared with those of blank samples. Same method was also
used for UV-Spectrophotometry.

To determine the accuracy of the both methods, the recovery was

checked at the three theoretical concentrations level 25, 50 and 75
g. The chromatograms were recorded and the percentage recovery
was calculated using the following equation [17]:
% Recovery = [A] 100 / [B]
Where [A] is the net peak area of the drug in sample, [B] is the peak
area of the drug in standard mixture.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

System suitability test

Chromatographic conditions

Repeatability of sample application and measurement of peak area

were carried out using three replicates of same concentration of
standard and sample, respectively.

In this method a mobile phase methanol and water in the ratio of

(65:35) was used. The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min. The separation
was performed at the wave length 243 nm. The ambient
temperature during the analysis was 25 0C. The paracetamol was
depicted a well defined chromatographic separation within a run
time of 8 min. The retention times of paracetamol 4.98 min. 0.08
with standard error.

Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ)

Limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ)
represent the concentration of the analyte that would yield

4 .9 8

236.00
[mAU]

188.40

140.80

93.20

0.80

1.60

2.40

3.20

4.00

4.80

5.60

6.40

6 .7 4

0
3
.7 7
5 .7
5
6 .0 1
6 .1 3
6 .2 6
6 .4 8

3 .7 8

3 .0 5

2 .1 5
5
2 .3 7
2 .4 9
2 .6 1
.7
2
0
.8 3
2 .8
4
2

1 .8 6

1 .3 6

-2.00
0.00

7
.0 1
1 .1
1

0 .0 3
0 .1 8

45.60

7.20

8.00
[min]

Fig. 2: Chromatogram of paracetamol.

System suitability test
System suitability test (SST) parameters were performed during the
development and selection of the method. System suitability test
parameters were checked to ensure that, the system is working
correctly during the analysis. The system suitability test was
performed by injecting the standard mixture in triplicate and the
parameters were calculated as reported by USP [18] and
international conference harmonized guidelines. System suitability
parameters including retention time, tailing factor, resolution factor
and theoretical plates were shown.
Table 1: It shows summary of validation system suitability
parameters
S. No.
1
2
3
4

Parameters
Retention time
Tailing factor
Resolution factor
Theoratical plates

Mean
4.98 min
0.77
2.74
1472.452

Standard error
0.08
0.01
0.10
0.18

Linearity
To determine linearity a calibration graph was obtained by plotting
paracetamol concentration against peak area and absorbance. Both

methods were linear in the range of 5-50 g/ml for paracetamol

concentration with a correlation co-efficient 0.995-0.988.
Limits of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ)
The limit of detection (LOD) is defined as the lowest active
substance concentration which can be determined by the method,
however not calculated precise and accurately [19, 20]. An
estimation of the limits can be achieved by the determination of the
signal/noise ratio of 3:1 (LOD) and 10:1 (LOQ). The limit of
detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values were found
for RP-HPLC method 0.03-0.1 g/mL and for UV-Spectrophotometry
method 0.04-0.11 g/ml, respectively.
Specificity
The specificity of the method was determined by checking the
interference with the components from placebo. No interference was
observed for any of the components like excipients of both drugs.
Accuracy
The accuracy of the method was analyzed by determination of
recovery for three concentrations covering the range of the method.
The amount of paracetamol recovered and calculated. The mean
recovery of paracetamol and was found with less than 10 %
coefficient variation.

864

Chandra et al.
Int J Pharm Pharm Sci, Vol 5, Issue 3, 863-865
Table 2: It shows linearity result, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ)
S. No.
1
2
3
4
5

Parameters/matrix
Correlation range
Regression equation
Regression coefficient (R2)
Limit of detection (g/mL)
Limit of quantification(g/mL)

HPLC
5-50 g/mL
Y=10066x+1006
0.995
0.03 g/mL
0.1 g/mL

UV-Spectrophotometry
5-50 g/mL
Y=0.068x-0.195
0.988
0.04 g/mL
0.11 g/mL

Table 3: A: It shows recovery experiment results for paracetamol by RP-HPLC

S. No.
1
2
3

Added in g
25
50
75

Found
24.13
51.74
74.14

Recovery in %
96.52374
103.4751
98.8409
Mean= 99.61
CV%= 2.90

Table 3: B: It shows recovery experiment results for paracetamol by UV-Spectrophotometry

S. No.
1
2
3

Added in g
25
50
75

CONCLUSION
In this study, described both techniques reverse phase high
performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and UVSpectrophotometry were successfully applied in control laboratories
for their determination in single dosage form. The results of
validation show both reverse phase high performance liquid
chromatography (RP-HPLC) and UV-Spectrophotometry techniques
were simple, linear, precise, accurate and selective. Hence the above
any one method can be recommended for simultaneous
determination of paracetamol from formulated products.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Present study was supported by Dolphin Institute of Biomedical and
Natural Sciences, Dehradun.
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