Polarographic study of certain progestogens and their determination in oral contraceptive tablets by differential pulse polarography

Abstract

A polarographic method has been developed for the assay of four progestogens as the pure drugs and their pharmaceutical dosage forms. The results obtained agreed reasonably well with the analytical data supplied by the manufacturers. The differential pulse mode was employed because it offers increased sensitivity and ease of measurement over conventional d.c. polarography.

The reduction at the dropping-mercury electrode for the four steroids was investigated and was confirmed to be a one electron per mole process for each substance. The peak potential was determined graphically and the diffusion coefficient calculated for each substance.