Background:
A new approach describing the validation and development of an easy, new
spectrophotometric and kinetic method for identification of para-aminobenzoic acid in dietary supplement
has been performed. In this study, para-aminobenzoic acid was derived in a pH-controlled
environment, as a new organic compound 4(4-Benzophenylazo)pyrogallol, by incorporating diazotized
para-aminobenzoic acid with pyrogallol.
Objective:
The determination of para-aminobenzoic acid was conducted by the fixed time and initial
rate techniques. These approaches were based on the reaction of the compound containing paraaminobenzoic
acid, 4(4-Benzophenylazo)pyrogallol, with Ag(I) to form colored product with a maximum
absorbance at 468nm. Both of these techniques were adopted for constructing the calibration
curves and examined for their suitability for the quantitation of para-aminobenzoic acid in dietary
supplement.
Methods:
The determination process was established, using initial rate and fixed time kinetic spectrophotometric
methods.
Results:
4(4-Benzophenylazo)pyrogallol was characterized using proton-nuclear magnetic resonance,
Fourier-transform infrared, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric thermal
methods, gas chromatography–mass techniques, and solvatochromic behavior in solvents with different
polarities was also examined.
Conclusion:
For the first time, para-aminobenzoic acid was well determined by incorporating it as an
organic solid compound, 4(4-Benzophenylazo)pyrogallol, through coupling pyrogallol with diazotized
para-aminobenzoic acid in regulated pH medium, ranging between 5.0 to 6.0. The existence of
common excipients in the dietary supplement did not produce any significant interference. F- and ttest
data analysis were used for statistical comparison of the suggested techniques with that of reference
method, demonstrating excellent agreement with no significant difference in the associated precision
and accuracy.