Electrochemical Behavior of an Anti-Viral Drug Valacyclovir at Carbon Paste Electrode and Its Analytical Application

Valacyclovir (VCH) is an antiviral drug, used in the management of viral infections such as herpes simplex and varicella-zoster in humans. It is rapidly converted to acyclovir which has antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus types 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2) and Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) both in vitro and in vivo. Electrochemical behavior was studied using cyclic voltammetric method, and the analytical application was studied using differential pulse voltammetric technique. The process on the surface of electrode was found to be irreversible and diffusion controlled. The charge transfer coefficient, heterogeneous rate constant, the number of electron transferred and activation parameters were calculated. Possible free radical reaction mechanism taking place on the surface of electrode was proposed. Calibration plot constructed using differential pulse voltammetric technique and applied for quantitative analysis in pharmaceutical and human urine sample. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were calculated and found to be 0.028 and 0.09 M, respectively. The present work describes the electrochemical behavior of an antiviral drug, VCH and its determination in pharmaceutical samples. The method shows the development of a sensor for selective and sensitive determination of VCH.