Raloxifene HCl (RLX) was found to strongly adsorb onto surface of the mercury electrode in a monolayer surface coverage of 5.724 × 10-10 mol cm-2. Two precise, rapid and extraction-free linear sweep and square wave adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (LS-AdCSV and SW-AdCSV, respectively) methods are described for trace quantitation of RLX in bulk form, commercial formulation and human serum. Limits of quantification (LOQ) of 2.0 × 10-9 and 5.0 × 10-11 mol L-1 RLX in bulk form and 4.0 × 10-9 and 1.0 × 10-10 mol L-1 RLX in spiked human serum were achieved by the described LS-AdCSV and SW-AdCSV methods, respectively. Insignificant interferences from some common excipients, metal ions and co-administrated drugs were obtained. LOQ achieved by the methods are low as well as they offer good possibilities for determination of drug in low-dosage pharmaceutical preparations. However, the SW-AdCSV method described is sensitive enough to assay the drug also in human serum.
raloxifene HCl; determination; stripping voltammetry
