Electrochemical behavior and differential pulse voltammetric determination of budesonide in suspension ampoules

Background and Aims: Budesonide (BUD) is a broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic glucocorticosteroid agent. It is used in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis. The aim of the study was to investigate the electrochemical properties of BUD for the first time and to develop a sensitive, easy, and selective new differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) method for its determination in drug formulation. Methods: The electrochemical behavior of BUD was investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) with a carbon paste electrode (CPE) in various electrolyte and buffer solutions with pH ranging from 2 to 9. An irreversible, well-defined reduction current peak of about -859 mV was obtained. A DPV method was developed and validated for the determination of BUD in suspension ampoules using a CPE electrode in a 0.1 M HCl electrolyte solution containing 13% KCl and 8% methanol. Results: The cathodic peak was found to be adsorption-controlled. The calibration curve was linear between 1.65- 35.35 mu g/ml. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values were found to be 0.52 mu g/mL and 1.57 mu g/mL, respectively. The developed method offered an effective capability for the determination of BUD in suspension ampoules, with a recovery rate of 98.47%. Conclusion: The DPV method developed in this study could be used for routine quantitative analysis of BUD in pharmaceutical preparations due to its fast, accurate, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly nature.