Estimation and characterisation of budesonide tablets impurities

Using thermal forced degradation approach for impurity profiling of budesonide solution-formulated metered dose inhalation with implementation of LC-QTOFMS and HPLC-UV

The impurity profile of budesonide solution-formulated metered dose inhalation using thermal forced degradation approach was studied intensively in this article. The structural identification of 10 budesonide related impurities was conducted by LC-QTOFMS, and the impurity level in the formulations of different excipients and packing materials were compared using HPLC-UV. Based on our results, the impurities were classified into three groups: (Ⅰ) process impurities, including budesonide impurity A, C and F; (Ⅱ) degradation products, including budesonide impurity E, G, D, 17-carboxylate, and 17-ketone; (Ⅲ) not only process impurities but also degradation products, including budesonide impurity I and L. Budesonide impurity D, 17-carboxylate, 17-ketone and impurity L were found to be the major degradation products of budesonide, and the reaction pathways for the generation of these impurities were speculated. The generation of budesonide impurity D, 17-carboxylate and L was found to be an aerobic oxidation process induced by Al₂O₃ on the inner surface of aluminum canisters. Furthermore, an in-depth discussion on the proposed impact of the excipients on budesonide degradation, especially on the Al₂O₃-induced oxidation process, was provided in this article.

A Critical Review of Analytical Methods in Pharmaceutical Matrices for Determination of Corticosteroids

Corticosteroids are a class of hormones released by the adrenal cortex, which includes glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids. Glucocorticoids have an important role in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and calcium and effective anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activity. Due to their intense immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity, glucocorticoids are used in the treatment of various inflammatory, malignant, allergic conditions such as rhinitis, asthma, dermatological, rheumatic, ophthalmic and neurological diseases, as well as after organ transplants. They are the most widely prescribed drugs in the world. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the analytical methods in pharmaceutical matrices for determination of corticosteroids. In this study, the predominance of liquid chromatography methods for the analysis of corticosteroids from pharmaceutical products is evident for both liquid and semisolid dosage forms as well as for solids. The same can be said for topical, oral and parenteral formulations. Methods such as spectrophotometry are also used, but given the advantages of chromatographic methods such as better selectivity and sensitivity, they have become the choice for analysis of these drugs, however, most methods still do not meet the credentials of "green chemistry."