Review on bioanalytical and analytical method development of Antiepileptic racetams

Abstract

Racetams are a class of medications defined by the presence of 2-pyrrolidone nucleus and are derivatives of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which acts as a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. Levetiracetam (second generation anti epileptic drug) and brivaracetam (third generation anti epileptic drug) are promising examples of prescribed antiepileptic racetams that act on SV2A. Brivaracetam is a newer antiseizure medication than levetiracetam. It has a more selective action on the synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A binding site, and it seems to provide a more favorable neuropsychiatric profile. Bioanalytical methods are widely used for quantitative estimation of drugs and their metabolites in biological matrices. Various analytical methods such as spectrophotometry, HPLC, GC, TLC, qNMR and UPLC have been used in laboratories for the quantitative analysis of antiepileptic racetams in biological samples throughout all phases of clinical research and quality control. The article incorporates various reported methods developed to help analyst in choosing crucial parameters for new method development of antiepileptic racetams and its derivatives and also enumerates metabolites, impurities reported so far.