Stability of Metronidazole and Its Complexes with Silver(I) Salts under Various Stress Conditions

Metronidazole is a drug widely used in the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections. Due to its possibility of the formation of stable metal complexes, it was decided to broaden its activity spectrum by introducing the silver(I) coordination compounds i.e., [Ag(MTZ)2NO3] and [(Ag(MTZ)2)2]SO4, which have significant antibacterial properties. The paper presents a description of a new qualitative and quantitative analysis of metronidazole in bulk and possible pharmaceutical preparations by thin-layer chromatography with densitometric detection. Optimal separation conditions were selected, and the analytical procedure was validated according to the ICH guidelines. The obtained data indicate that the method is sufficiently sensitive, precise, and accurate. The stability of the metronidazole solutions obtained from tablets, pure metronidazole, and its silver(I) complexes was tested. The research was carried out in various environments, at different temperatures, in H2O2 solution, and during exposure to radiation (UV, sunlight). The greatest degradation was found in the alkaline environment and at higher temperatures. The silver(I) complexes exhibited relatively high stability under analyzed conditions that are higher than standard metronidazole solutions and tablets. The observations were confirmed by the kinetic and thermodynamic analysis. The described studies of new metronidazole silver(I) complexes increase the potential for their application in infections both in humans and animals.