Study of polymorphic transformation of ornidazole drug by differential scanning calorimetry and other complementary techniques.

Differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) curves recorded for ornidazole drug during heating and cooling showed that the drug which melted around 86.1 degrees C undercooled to well below ambient room temperature of 27 degrees C during the cooling cycle. The undercooled melt kept in the freezer at 0 degree C for 10 days duration also remained in the viscous liquid form. This liquid on taking out from the freezer after ten days and ageing at ambient room temperature of 27 degrees C for 12 h transformed into white powder. The DSC pattern recorded for this white powder consisted of two prominent endothermic peaks beginning at 73.2 and 85.9 degrees C, respectively, suggesting that the powder consisted of a mixture of more than one phase. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern recorded for this powder showed it to be a mixture of semi-crystalline phase and the original compound. The semi-crystalline phase melted at 73.2 degrees C prior to the melting of original compound at 85.9 degrees C. This phase on further ageing for 7 days transforms almost completely to its original form. DSC observations were corroborated by XRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques.