Stability Of Drugs:Photolysis

From Pharmpedia
Stability Of Drugs

Introduction
Physical Stability
Chemical Stability
Microbiological Stability
Mechanisms
Photolysis
Rate Kinetics
Effect Of Temperature/pH
Factors Affecting
Packaging And Stability
Stability Programmes
Author

Students,
we have seen in the introductory note on chemical stability that when molecules
absorb energy and are energized or activated they go to a high energy state and
then release that energy in a chemical reaction and come back to their original
position. When this energy of activation is supplied by light and is absorbed by
the compound the decomposition reaction is called photolytic. The activated
species then returns to ground state by either (a) emitting light of a different
frequency (this is fluorescene or phosphorescene) or (b) decomposition
(Photolysis).

An excellent example for photolysis is the photolysis is the photo degradation of

sodium nitroprusside in aqueous solution. Sodium nitroprusside is administered
by intravenous infusion for the management of acute hypertension. If the solution
is protected from light, it is stable for at least 1 year; if exposed to normal room
light, it has a shelf life of only 4 hours.
The energy associated with the radiation increases as its wavelength decreases,
so that the energy of U.V. is greater than that of visible which is greater than that
of J.R.Look at the following table which I have reproduced from Aulton’s book on
Pharmaceutics.
Relationship between wavelength and associated energy of various forms of light.

Type of radiation Wavelength Energy

U.V. 50 – 400 Kcal mol-1

Visible 400 – 750 287 – 72

72 – 36

i.r. 750 – 10,000 36 - 1

The higher energy range of visible light and U.V. light cause photolysis.
Conventional tungsten filament light bulbs are safe and do not contribute to
photolysis.
Oxidation to a great extent and hydrolysis to some extent are catalysed by light.
Photo– induced reactions are common in steroids; an example is the formation of
2 – benzoyl cholestan – 3 – one following is radiation of

Cholest – 2 en -3 –ol benzoate

Photolysis is prevented by suitable packing in amber coloured bottles, cardboard

outers and in aluminium foil over wraps and blisters.

Jen, T. Cartensen in his book on Drug Stability, Principles and Practices gives
extensive examples of photolysis. In pharmaceutical systems most reported
photolysis reactions have been first order. A good example is the photolysis of
cefatoxime. The wavelength of the irradiating light plays an important part in
photolysis.