Analytical study on irradiated methylxanthine derivatives

Abstract

The effect of ionising radiation on the physico-chemical properties of three derivatives of xanthine: caffeine, theophylline and theobromine, has been studied. The above-drugs in the solid phase have been irradiated with E-beam of the energy 9.96 MeV with the doses varied from 25 to 400 kGy. The effects of the irradiation have been examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results have shown that the methylxanthine derivatives studied are resistant to ionising irradiation in the doses usually used for sterilisation (<50 kGy), which means that they are relatively radiochemically stable and can be sterilised by irradiation. © 2012 The Author(s).