Raman Spectroscopy for Coating Analysis of Atorvastatin Calcium

Abstract

Raman spectroscopy is a powerful analytical technique with many advantages including minimal sample preparation, non-invasive methods, quick analysis time, and easy usage. Raman spectroscopy caters to numerous pharmaceutical applications, including the identification and study of components within a sample, which is particularly useful for tablet coating analysis. The primary aim of this study was to analyze five compounds containing varying amounts of atorvastatin calcium in additional to several different excipients. Atorvastatin calcium is a member of the statin drug class and is often used for lowering blood cholesterol and for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Conventional Raman spectra were acquired from the five formulations as well as from standard compounds of atorvastatin calcium and the excipients contained within the samples. Qualitative analysis of these scattering spectra showed consistency throughout. The spectrum of each of the five formulations demonstrated a qualitative combination of the spectra from the sample’s individual components. This suggests that Raman spectroscopy is an effective technique for component identification in samples containing atorvastatin calcium and shows promise as a fast and simple analytical tool in the pharmaceutical industry.