Green Synthesis, Structural Characterization and Biological Activity of Diclofenac-Urea Co-Crystal

Abstract

Co-crystals have become an area of research interest for pharmaceutical drug improvements due to their characteristic nature in modifying the physico-chemical properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) with the aid of a co-former. Co-crystals improve the solubility, dissolution rate, melting point, and stability of the API without changing the chemical identity nor diminishing the biological activity or the therapeutic effect of the API. This work reports the green synthetic approach to synthesize Diclofenac-Urea (DUREA) co-crystal using a benign solvent and stirring at room temperature, all in an environmentally friendly manner. The synthesis of DUREA was accomplished by reaction of a 1:1 molar ratio of diclofenac potassium and urea and the product gave a white crystalline compound with an excellent yield (91%). The product (DUREA) was structurally characterized using melting point, UV/VIS, and FT-IR spectrophotometry. The antimicrobial activity of the co-crystal was tested against Salmonella typi and Proteus mirablis.