Amperometric biosensor based on monoamine oxidase (MAO) immobilized in sol-gel film for benzydamine determination in pharmaceuticals.

The development and application of a flow-through amperometric biosensor for benzydamine determination in anti-inflammatory drugs is described. The biosensor was obtained by physical entrapment of monoamine oxidase in a sol-gel film applied on platinum or carbon paste conducting support. The sol-gel membranes were prepared using an optimum concentration of 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane, 2-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyl-trimethoxy silane, double distilled water saturated with polyethylene glycol 6000 and HCl. The developed biosensors were incorporated in a single channel flow injection system to enable the determination of benzydamine in the concentration range of 0.05-2.5 mmol l(-1) (with platinum based electrode) or within 0.1-2.5 mmol l(-1) (carbon paste based electrode). The operational stability of the bioanalytical system developed was about 3 months permitting approximately 4700 substrate measurements. The flow injection system developed enables a sampling rate of 20-25 samples h(-1) and relative S.D. of results less than 4%. The analytical usefulness of the proposed procedure was evaluated through analysis of commercial pharmaceutical products containing benzydamine, available on the Portuguese market. The results obtained did not differ significantly from the values resulting from analysis of the same products by the method described in the BP Pharmacopoeia.