EFFECT OF STORAGE CONDITIONS ON VITAMIN C DOSAGE FORMS IN ADEN, YEMEN

Abstract

Vitamin C is an essential antioxidant used in pharmaceutical formulations. However, its stability is affected by environmental factors like temperature, humidity, and light exposure. In Aden, Yemen, frequent power outages and high temperatures exacerbate these stability concerns, making proper storage difficult. This study investigates the impact of different storage conditions on the stability of vitamin C dosage forms, including tablets, sachets, injections, and capsules available in Aden. A comparative experimental study was conducted to evaluate the stability of these dosage forms under continuous air-conditioned storage (20-25°C) and non-continuous air-conditioned (35-40°C). The analysis was performed using redox titration with potassium iodate in the presence of potassium iodide and UV-visible spectrophotometry with potassium permanganate. Redox titration results showed that vitamin C content in all dosage forms ranged from (91.23±2.3 - 102.38± 1.09 %) under continuous air-conditioned storage (20-25 ºC). On the other hand, the samples of studied vitamin C forms stored under non-continuous air-conditioned (about 35-40 ºC) with long periods of power outage during summer ranged (89.76±0 - 98.59±0.72 %). There was significant degradation of vitamin C content under elevated temperatures, with percentage loss ranging from (0.32% to 4.4%). In addition, the content of vitamin C in the selected forms was analyzed by the Spectrophotometric method, and the vitamin C content was determined from the regression equation of the calibration curve (y=0.0229x−0.0453, R2 = 0.9996) and expressed in content percentages, the loss percentages ranged from (0.48 to 6.6%). Furthermore, the incubation of vitamin C at different temperatures (40, 50, 60 ºC) for one week caused decreasing in its content, where the vitamin content lost about (18.64 - 42.71%). These findings emphasize the importance of appropriate storage conditions to maintain the stability and efficacy of vitamin C pharmaceutical products and heat-sensitive medication, especially in regions affected by climate change and frequent power outages. This study recommends further studies exploring the impact of climate change, humidity and packaging materials on heat- sensitive medication.