SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC DETERMINATION OF PARACETAMOL DRUG USING 8-HYDROXYQUINOLINE

A rapid and simple spectrophotometric method is reported here for the determination of paracetamol in a commercially available tablet formulation. The method is based on the diazotization of hydrolyzed paracetamol with 8-hydroxyquinoline as a coupler to form stable azo dyes color solution. The concentration of drug paracetamol was investigated by spectrophotometrically. The azo dyes formed with 8-hydroxyquinoline as coupling agents follow the Lambert-Beer's law in the range of 2 to 10 mu gmL(-1) of paracetamol. Sandells sensitivity and molar absorptivity observed for azo dye coupled with 8-hydroxyquinoline was found 7.9 mu g mL(-1)cm and 1.9 x10(4) Lmol(-1)cm(-1) respectively. The percentage recovery of the drug was found in the range of 97.4 to 100.2 % the coupling agent 8-hydroxyquinoline. The data obtained using 8-hydroxyquinoline as a coupler were compared with the data obtained with 2-naphthol as a coupler suggests that dye formed with 8-hydroxyquinoline is more stable than the 2-naphthol. The method reported here may be used to determine the trace amount of paracetamol in any clinical samples with accuracy and precision.