Experimental design approach for development of spectrofluorimetric method for determination of favipiravir; a potential therapeutic agent against COVID-19 virus: Application to spiked human plasma

Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc. 2021 Mar 15:249:119241. doi: 10.1016/j.saa.2020.119241. Epub 2020 Nov 28.

Abstract

The present work describes development of rapid, robust, sensitive and green spectrofluorimetric method for determination of favipiravir (FAV). Different factors affecting fluorescence were carefully studied and Box Behnken Design was applied to optimize experimental parameters. The proposed method is based on measuring native fluorescence of FAV in 0.2 M borate buffer (pH 8.0) at 432 nm after excitation at 361 nm. There was a linear relationship between FAV concentration and relative fluorescence intensity over the range 40-280 ng/mL with limit of detection of 9.44 ng/mL and quantitation limit of 28.60 ng/mL. The method was successfully implemented for determination of FAV in its pharmaceutical formulation with mean % recovery of 99.26 ± 0.87. Moreover, the high sensitivity of the method allowed determination of FAV in spiked human plasma over a range of 48-192 ng/mL. The proposed spectrofluorimetric method was proved to be eco-friendly according to analytical eco-scale.

Keywords: COVID-19 virus; Experimental design; Favipiravir; Human plasma; Pharmaceutical analysis.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Amides / analysis
  • Amides / blood*
  • Amides / therapeutic use
  • Antiviral Agents / analysis
  • Antiviral Agents / blood*
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
  • Blood Chemical Analysis / methods
  • Blood Chemical Analysis / statistics & numerical data
  • COVID-19 / blood*
  • COVID-19 Drug Treatment*
  • Humans
  • Limit of Detection
  • Pyrazines / analysis
  • Pyrazines / blood*
  • Pyrazines / therapeutic use
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence / methods*
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence / statistics & numerical data

Substances

  • Amides
  • Antiviral Agents
  • Pyrazines
  • favipiravir