Liquid Chromatographic and Spectrophotometric Determination of Diflucortolone Valerate and Isoconazole Nitrate in Creams

A new RP-LC method and two new spectrophotometric methods, principal component regression (PCR) and first derivative spectrophotometry, are proposed for simultaneous determination of diflucortolone valerate (DIF) and isoconazole nitrate (ISO) in cream formulations. An isocratic system consisting of an ACE® C18 column and a mobile phase composed of methanol–water (95+5, v/v) was used for the optimal chromatographic separation. In PCR, the concentration data matrix was prepared by using synthetic mixtures containing these drugs in methanol–water (3+1, v/v). The absorbance data matrix corresponding to the concentration data matrix was obtained by measuring the absorbances at 29 wavelengths in the range of 242–298 nm for DIF and ISO in the zero-order spectra of their combinations. In first derivative spectrophotometry, dA/dλ values were measured at 247.8 nm for DIF and at 240.2 nm for ISO in first derivative spectra of the solution of DIF and ISO in methanol–water (3+1, v/v). The linear ranges were 4.00–48.0 μg/mL for DIF and 50.0–400 μg/mL for ISO in the LC method, and 2.40–40.0 μg/mL for DIF and 60.0–260 μg/mL for ISO in the PCR and first derivative spectrophotometric methods. These methods were validated by analyzing synthetic mixtures. These three methods were successfully applied to two pharmaceutical cream preparations.