Dacarbazine.

Dacarbazine is a cell cycle nonspecific antineoplastic alkylating agent used in the treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma. This chapter contains the descriptions of the drug: nomenclature, formulae, chemical structure, elemental composition, and appearance. The uses and applications of dacarbazine and the methods that were used for its preparation are reported. The methods which were used for the physical characterization of the drug are ionization constant, solubility, X-ray powder diffraction pattern, crystal structure, melting point, and differential scanning calorimetry. The profile contains the spectra of the drug: ultraviolet spectrum, vibrational spectrum, nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, and mass spectrum. The compendial methods of analysis for dacarbazine include the United States Pharmacopeia methods, British Pharmacopeia methods, and International Pharmacopeia methods. Other reported methods that are used for the analysis of the drug are high-performance liquid chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and polarography. Metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and stability studies on dacarbazine are also included. Reviews of some analytical methods and physicochemical properties of the drug as well as the most important enzymes that are involved in the prodrug activation are provided. Sixty-four references are listed at the end of this monograph.