Voltammetric study of nimesulide and its differential pulse polarographic determination in pharmaceuticals

Nimesulide, N-(4-nitro-2-phenoxyphenyl)methanesulfonamide is an antiinflamatory analgesic agent that is both reducible at the mercury electrode and oxidizable at the glassy carbon electrode. Nimesulide in hydroalcoholic solution, presents cathodic response in a wide range of pH (2-12), both, by differential pulse and tast polarography techniques. The obtained results show only one main well-defined peak or wave in all the pH range studied. This peak (or wave) corresponds to the nitro group reduction in position 4. The voltammetric oxidation shows one well-resolved signal in all the pH range studied. This anodic signal could be attributed to the methylsulfonamide group oxidation. For analytical purposes, a very well resolved diffusion controlled differential pulse polarographic peak obtained at pH 7 was selected. This peak was used to develop a new method for the determination of nimesulide in pharmaceutical dosage forms. The recovery study (104.8% with a RSD of 1.3%) shows that the method is sufficiently accurate and precise to be applied in the individual tablet assay of commercial samples.