Titrimetric micro-determination of therapeutically active phenothiazines using periodate.

Two new simple, accurate and precise titrimetric micro-procedures are described for the analysis of phenothiazines in pure sample, tablets, injections and syrup using periodate as the oxidant. The first method is based on the oxidation of phenothiazines with periodate in acid medium and the iodate formed in the reaction is determined by reacting it with iodide and titrating the liberated iodine with thiosulfate after masking the excess of periodate with molybdate. In the second procedure, the unreacted (excess) periodate is determined iodometrically under basic conditions. The reaction conditions have been optimised and the stoichiometry of the reaction has been evaluated. A linear relationship exists between the amount of the drug and the titration end-point as shown by the values of correlation coefficient, r (0.9991-0.9999). The slope of the linear relationship has been calculated and found to be in the range, 0.1457-0.3120. The methods were applied to the analysis of dosage forms with results comparable to those given by the official methods. Both the methods are indirect visual titration methods, and are simpler than, and superior to, many existing methods for the assay of phenothiazines.