A new bioassay for terbinafine

Analytical methods for determination of terbinafine hydrochloride in pharmaceuticals and biological materials

Terbinafine is a new powerful antifungal agent indicated for both oral and topical treatment of mycosessince. It is highly effective in the treatment of determatomycoses. The chemical and pharmaceutical analysis of the drug requires effective analytical methods for quality control and pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic studies. Ever since it was introduced as an effective antifungal agent, many methods have been developed and validated for its assay in pharmaceuticals and biological materials. This article reviews the various methods reported during the last 25 years.

Simultaneous determination of terbinafine HCL and triamcinolone acetonide by UV derivative spectrophotometry and spectrodensitometry

A binary mixture of terbinafine hydrochloride and triamcinolone acetonide was determined by three different methods. The first one concerned with determination of both drugs using first derivative (D(1)) spectrophotometric technique at 297 and 274 nm over concentration ranges of 5-30 and 4-24 microg ml(-1), with mean percentage accuracies 99.90+/-0.67 and 100.25+/-0.49, respectively. The second method depends on ratio-spectra 1st derivative (RSD(1)) spectrophotometry at 298 and 248 nm over the same concentration ranges with mean percentage accuracies 100.22+/-0.51 and 99.93+/-0.56, respectively. The spectrodensitometric analysis provides a rapid and precise method for the separation and quantitation of both terbinafine hydrochloride and triamcinolone acetonide. The method depends on the quantitative densitometric evaluation of thin layer chromatogram of terbinafine hydrochloride and triamcinolone acetonide at 283 and 238 nm over concentration ranges of 5-25 and 2.5-22.5 microg spot(-1), with mean percentage accuracies 100.66+/-0.51 and 100.27+/-0.73, respectively. The suggested procedures were checked using laboratory prepared mixtures and were successfully applied for the analysis of their pharmaceutical preparations. The three methods retained their accuracy and precision when applying the standard addition technique. The results obtained by applying the proposed methods were statistically analysed and compared with those obtained by a reported method.

Microbiological assay for terbinafine hydrochloride in tablets and creams

The optimization of a microbiological assay, applying the cylinder-plate method, for the determination of the antifungal terbinafine hydrochloride is described. Using a strain of Aspergillus flavus ATCC 15546 as the test organism, terbinafine hydrochloride at concentrations ranging from 0.125 to 0.5 microg ml(-1) could be measured in tablets and creams. A prospective validation of the method showed that the method was linear (r=0. 9999), precise (intra-day: CV=0.48%-tablets and 0.43%-creams; inter-day: CV=0.98%-tablets and 0.64%-creams) and accurate (it measured the added quantities). The method shows results that confirm its precision, not differing significantly the others methods described in the literature. We conclude that the microbiological assay is satisfactory for quantitation of in vitro antifungal activity of terbinafine.

Terbinafine. A review of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties, and therapeutic potential in superficial mycoses

Terbinafine is an orally and topically active allylamine antifungal agent with a primarily fungicidal action in vitro. Its spectrum of in vitro activity includes a broad range of dermatophyte, filamentous, dimorphic and dematiaceous fungi, and some yeast species. In clinical trials, mycological and overall efficacy rates of around 90 and 80%, respectively, have been achieved in cutaneous dermatophyte infections (tinea corporis/cruris and tinea pedis) with terbinafine, administered either orally (250 or 500 mg/day) or topically (a 1% cream applied twice daily). Similar rates of cure have been obtained with oral terbinafine in dermatophyte nail infections after relatively short treatment periods ranging from 3 to 12 months. Topical terbinafine has been effective in approximately 80% of patients with cutaneous candidiasis or pityriasis versicolor. Few comparative data have been published, but generally oral terbinafine appeared to be at least as effective as oral griseofulvin or ketoconazole in tinea corporis/cruris and more effective than griseofulvin in tinea pedis. Both oral and topical terbinafine have been very well tolerated in clinical trials to date, with only minor adverse effects reported. Although further research is required to establish the efficacy of terbinafine in comparison with other available therapies, as well as to fully clarify its tolerability profile, the early results obtained with terbinafine in superficial fungal infections are very encouraging. Terbinafine appears likely to become a first-line therapy for dermatophyte infections, particularly those affecting the nails.

Inactivity of terbinafine in a rat model of pulmonary aspergillosis

In a model of bronchopulmonary aspergillosis terbinafine did not improve survival of experimental animals in doses up to 80 mg/kg/day despite adequate lung concentrations. Pretreatment and aerosolization of the compound were also ineffective. Terbinafine was markedly less active in vitro when serum was used instead of Yeast-Nitrogen-Glucose-broth. It is concluded that a lack of bioavailability in the presence of serum may explain the lack of activity of terbinafine in experimental aspergillosis.