RESUMO
Background: The radiation sterilization is one of the best methods for sterilizing vulnerable degradation drugs like cefozopran hydrochloride. Results: Chemical stability of radiosterylized cefozopran hydrochloride, was confirmed by spectrophotometric and chromatographic methods. EPR studies showed that radiation has created some radical defects whose concentration was no more than several dozen ppm. The antibacterial activity of cefozopran hydrochloride irradiated with a dose of 25 kGy was unaltered for Gram-positive bacteria but changed for two Gram-negative strains. The radiation sterilized cefozopran hydrochloride was not in vitro cytotoxic against human CCD39Lu normal lung fibroblast cell line. Conclusions: Cefozopran hydrochloride in solid state is not resistant to radiation sterilization and this method cannot be used for sterilization of this compound.