Color Matching Estimation ofIron Concentrationsin Branded Iron Supplements Marketed in Nigeria

Abstract

Additional consideration is that most research to datehas focused on the effects of <i>anemia</i>but few works has been done to investigate whether iron supplement foods and drugs has the accurate specification as claimed by manufacturers. In this instrumental analytical study, two methods (viz: Colorimetry and Spectrophotometry) were utilized to investigate the level of Fe contents in branded capsules and their respective tonics marketed in pharmaceutical stores within Aliero metropolis, Nigeria. The comparative test analysis of iron content in five branded Tonics and their Capsules using two different methods revealed that none of the capsules have the same amount of label iron contents with their corresponding tonic equivalents. Capsule A<SUB>1</SUB>, A<SUB>2</SUB>, A<SUB>3</SUB>, A<SUB>4 </SUB>and A<SUB>5</SUB> showed a difference of 0.465mg/L, 0.26mg/L, 1.472mg/L, 0.897mg/L and 1.114mg/L, with their respective Tonics using Spectrophotometric method, while in Colorimetric method, capsule A<SUB>1</SUB>, A<SUB>2</SUB>, A<SUB>3</SUB>, A<SUB>4 </SUB>and A<SUB>5</SUB> showed a difference of 3.65mg/L, 3.15mg/L, 0.77mg/L, 4.14mg/L and 4.64mg/L with their corresponding Tonics. The correlation coefficient value (R<SUP>2</SUP>) was high and positive for both Spectrophotometric and colorimetric standards. The values were 0.998 and 0.964 respectively. On the same fashion, the sensitivity of Analytical methods was observed by difference to favour Spectrophotometric than it does for the colorimetric method.