Development of an Antiviral Drug - Acyclovir in both Pure and Pharmaceutical
Forms Using a Rapid Spectrophotometric Method
Chand Pasha1*, Noor Fathima Anjum2, Krasimira Stancheva3, Noor
Maheen Taj4 and Mohammed Sufiyan Pasha5
1Department of General Studies (Chemistry), YELI, Yanbu Industrial College, Royal
Commission for Jubail and Yanbu (RCJY), P. O. Box - 30436, Yanbu – 21477, King-
dom of Saudi Arabia
2Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Farooqia College of Pharmacy, Mysore,
India
3Department of Chemistry, Burgas State University “Prof. Dr. Assen Zlatarov”, 8010,
Bourgas, Bulgaria
4Department of Pharmacy Practice, Farooqia College of Pharmacy, Mysore, India
5M.B.B.S Student, Siddaganga Medical College and Research Institute, Tumkur,
India
*Corresponding Author: Chand Pasha, Department of General Studies (Chemistry),
YELI, Yanbu Industrial College, Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu (RCJY), P. O.
Box - 30436, Yanbu – 21477, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Received:
February 24, 2026 Published: March 31, 2026
Abstract
A rapid spectrophotometric method has been described for determining acyclovir in pharmaceutical dosage forms by
diazotization and coupling reaction. In this method, coupling agents such as m-dihydroxybenzene or 2-nitro-1-naphthol reacts with
diazonium compound of acyclovir to produce colored azo products with maximum absorption at 462 nm and 468 nm. The calibration
graph was discovered to be linear from 2.0 - 18.8 μgmL-1 or 3.8 – 24.2 μgmL-1 when diazonium compound of acyclovir coupled with
m-dihydroxybenzene or 2-nitro-1-naphthol. The molar absorptivity and Sandell’s sensitivity of acyclovir with m-dihydroxybenzene
or acyclovir with 2-nitro-1-naphthol azo dyes were 5.399×104 L mol-1cm-1 or 3.600×104 Lmol-1cm-1 and 6.249×10-3 μgcm-2 or 9.375×10-
3 μgcm-2 respectively. The results demonstrate that the reaction yielded a stable product and that the suggested approach is accurate,
precise, and reasonably priced. The method works well in determining acyclovir in pharmaceutical samples.
Keywords: Spectrophotometry; Diazotization; Acyclovir; m-Dihydroxybenzene; 2-Nitro-1-naphthol
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