Effects of borates on the stability of chemical and pharmaceutical compounds

ABSTRACT

Borate ions are found to have an important role in analytical and kinetic studies both for the purpose of maintaining pH and as a catalyst in the chemical degradation of a number of drugs such as atropine, benzylpenicillin, carbenicillin, cefotaxime, cephradine, hydrocortisone, indomethacin, oxytetracycline, phenylbutazone, minocycline, 5A-flurouracil, methacoline, octastatin etc. They have also been reported to exert a stabilizing effect on certain drugs including chloramphenicol, epinephrine, riboflavin, I i-methyldopa, ethyl glucuronide, ribose and glucose. Borate buffer is widely used in ophthalmic formulations for the maintenance of pH and adjustment. Boric acid is involved in the catalysis of a number of reactions of biological importance including the L-arabinose isomerase catalyzed isomerization of D-galactose to D-tagatose in the presence of boric acid