1996 Volume 44 Issue 5 Pages 1061-1064
The solubility of paracetamol was studied at 25°C in mixtures of amphiprotic and aprotic solvents of varying polarity (ethyl acetate-ethanol, ethanol-water, dioxane-water). A plot of the solubility mole fraction of the drug versus the solubility parameter of the solvent mixtures reached a peak in dioxane-water, and two solubility maxima within the polarity range provided by the ethanol-water and ethanol-ethyl acetate mixtures. This "chameleonic effect" can be quantitatively described in terms of cavity formation, nonspecific and specific interactions, represented by the Hildebrand solubility parameter and the acidic and basic solubility parameters of the solvent mixtures. The model predicts two solubility maxima, as found experimentally. The behavior of paracetamol in dioxane-water mixtures is similar to that of other drugs, showing a single maximum, although a small peak and a valley are also observed near the solubility parameter region where the maximum in ethanol-water appears. An increase in the temperature of fusion of the solid phase by about eight degrees was observed after equilibration of the powder with ethanol, ethyl acetate and dioxane. No changes in the solid phase were observed in water and aqueous mixtures below 50% water. The same change in the solid phase was also found in ethanol-ethyl acetate mixtures; it was independent of the nature and cosolvent ratio and had little effect on the relative variation of solubility with solvent composition. The solid phase contributes as a constant to the total solubility.
