Buffer
• A buffer solution is an aqueous solution
consisting of a mixture of a weak acid and
its conjugated base or a a weak base and its
conjugated acid .
• A buffer counteracts the change in pH of a
solution upon the addition of a strong acid, a
strong base, or other agents that tend to alter
the hydrogen ion concentration.
Buffered Isotonic Solutions
• In addition to carrying out pH adjustment,
pharmaceutical solutions that are meant for
application to delicate membranes of the
body should also be adjusted to
approximately the same osmotic pressure as
that of the body fluids.
• Isotonic solutions cause no swelling or
contraction of the tissues with which they
come in contact and produce no discomfort
when instilled in the eye, nasal tract, blood,
or other body tissues.
• Isotonic 0.9% sodium chloride is a familiar
pharmaceutical example of such a preparation.
• a solution containing 0.9 g of NaCl per 100 mL,
a total of 0.9 g of sodium chloride is required for
isotonicity ,Causes freezing point depression of
to -0.52°C.
Methods of Adjusting Tonicity
In this class , Sodium Chloride , dextrose , or some
other substances is added to the solution of drug
to lower the freezing point of the solution to (-
0.52°) and thus make it isotonic with the body
fluids
•This Class include
1.Cryoscopic Method
2.Sodium Chloride dextrose Equivalent Method
Cryoscopic Method
• The freezing point depression s of a number
of drug solutions , determined
experimentally or theoretically , are found in
tables
• The calculations involved in the Cryoscopic
Method are explained best by an example
• How much sodium chloride is required to render
100 mL of a 1% solution of apomorphine
hydrochloride isotonic with blood serum?
Step 1 From table …….1% solution of the drug has a ∆Tf of
• a 1% solution of the drug has a freezing point
lowering of 0.08°C (from freezing point table or
calculated from Liso)
Step 2
• To make this solution isotonic with blood, sufficient
sodium chloride must be added to reduce the freezing
point by an additional 0.44°C (0.52°C - 0.08°C).
Step 3 NaCl required
• In the freezing point table, it is also observed that a
1% solution of sodium chloride has a freezing point
lowering of 0.58°C.
• Thus, 0.76% sodium chloride will lower the
freezing point the required 0.44°C and will
render the solution isotonic.
• The solution is prepared by dissolving
1.0 g of apomorphine hydrochloride and
0.76 g of sodium chloride in sufficient
water to make 100 mL of solution.
Sodium Chloride Equivalent Method
• The sodium chloride equivalent E of a drug is
the amount of sodium chloride that is equivalent
to (i.e., has the same osmotic effect as) 1 g of
the drug.
Step 1 … From table Find E
• E for a number of drugs are listed in
Table or calculated by:
• A solution contains 1.0 g of ephedrine sulfate in
a volume of 100 mL. What quantity of sodium
chloride must be added to make the solution
isotonic? How much dextrose would be required
for this purpose?
Step 2 How much drug equivalent to NaCL
• The quantity of the drug is multiplied by its
sodium chloride equivalent, E, giving the weight
of sodium chloride to which the quantity of drug
is equivalent in osmotic pressure:
• The ephedrine sulfate has contributed a weight of
material osmotically equivalent to 0.23 g of sodium
chloride.
Step 3 Amount of NaCl must be added
• Because a total of 0.9 g of sodium chloride is
required for isotonicity, 0.67 g (0.90 - 0.23 g) of
NaCl must be added.
(0.90 - 0.23 g) of NaCl must be added.
1 g of Drug equivalent
0.9 g of Nacl required
to
for isotonicity
0.23 g of sodium
chloride.
• If one desired to use dextrose instead of sodium
chloride to adjust the tonicity:
• the sodium chloride equivalent of dextrose is 0.16
(0.90 - 0.23 g) of
NaCl must be
added.
