In the present paper the physicochemical incompatibility of sertraline with dextrose was evaluated in oral liquid formulations. Different physicochemical methods such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry were applied to assess sertraline - dextrose incompatibility. Non-Isothermally stressed physical mixtures were used to study the solid–state kinetic parameters. Different thermal models such as Friedman, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO) and Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS) were used to calculate the activation energy of drug-excipient interaction.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the kinetic parameters using a fast and sensitive DSC method.
Overall, the incompatibility of sertraline as an amine containing drug with dextrose as a reducing carbohydrate was successfully evaluated. DSC based kinetic analysis can provide rapid and easy evaluation of different drug-excipient mixtures incompatibilities. Special considerations should be made regarding the Maillard incompatibility reaction in the formulation design of liquid formulations containing dextrose or natural herbal extracts as sweeteners.