A simple, precise, sensitive, rapid, specific and economical spectrophotometric method was developed to determine methyldopa (MTD) content in bulk and pharmaceutical dosage formulations. The proposed method was based on the formation of a colored product from the nitrosation reaction of MTD with sodium nitrite in an acid medium. The resultant nitroso derivative species reacts further with sodium hydroxide and is converted it into a more stable compound. This yellow nitrosation product exhibited an absorption maximum at 430 nm. Beer's Law was obeyed in a concentration range of 6.37 to 82.81 μg mL-1 MTD with an excellent coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.9998). No interference was observed from common excipients in formulations. The results showed the... |