A Reaction of Aspirin with Ferrous Gluconate.

A color reaction of aspirin with ferrous gluconate was studied by UV-Vis spectrophotometry and HPLC-MS. It was found that the UV-Vis spectra of the two drugs were different before and after they were mixed in water at about 0.3 M (diluted by >20 times for analysis), indicating that a complexation reaction took place. The drug-iron complex dissociated when the reacting solution was diluted by 400 times. The by-products of the reaction identified by HPLC-MS were salicylic acid, acetylated gluconic acid, salicylate-gluconic acid conjugate, and an oxidized product of salicylic acid that was complexed with iron with a molecular weight of 212. This reaction may be used as an important consideration to optimize the dosing regime of the two drugs and to help explain some pharmacological reactions between aspirin and biomolecules.