Three useful bromimetric methods for the determination of salbutamol sulfate.

Three different methods developed for the determination of salbutamol sulfate (SBS), in pure drug form and in dosage forms, are discussed. The methods are based on the oxidation–bromination reaction of the drug by bromine generated in-situ by the interaction of bromate with bromide in acid medium. In titrimetry the drug is titrated directly with bromate in the presence of a large excess of bromide and in sulfuric acid medium using methyl red as indicator. Spectrophotometry is based on addition of a measured excess of bromate–bromide mixture to the sample solution in sulfuric acid medium followed by the estimation of surplus bromine by reacting it with a definite amount of methyl orange dye and measuring the absorbance at 510 nm. The amount of bromate reacting corresponds to the sample content. The kinetic method depends on the linear relationship between the concentration of the drug and time for oxidation and bromination as indicated by the bleaching of the methyl orange acid colour by the bromine generated in situ. Titrimetry is applicable in the 2–20 mg range. In spectrophotometry, Beer's law is obeyed in the 0.5–5.0 μg mL-1 range whereas concentrations in the 5.0–25.0 μg mL-1 range can be determined by the kinetic method. The effect of common excipients and additives in tablets is discussed. The procedures have been successfully applied to dosage forms; the results agree well with those obtained by use of a reference method. The methods can be used to determine SBS at mg or μg levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]