Near-Infrared Spectroscopy: Applications in the Analysis of Tablets and Solid Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms

Abstract
The popularity of near-infrared (near-IR) spectroscopy is rapidly increasing for many reasons. Availability of inexpensive yet powerful computers and chemometric software for spectral data analysis is fostering the growth of new applications of the technique. The development of rapid-scanning spectrometers offering very high signal-to-noise ratios, an increased understanding and acceptance of the method in a variety of industries, and the need to maintain real-time process control in an era of total quality management are other reasons this method has begun to receive such attention. Near-IR spectroscopy has been used for a wide range of analyses in industries as diverse as biomedicine and petrochemicals. Although the pharmaceutical industry has been relatively slow to embrace this technique, a variety of pharmaceutical applications of near-IR have been identified and investigated. This review will discuss the development of near-IR spectroscopy for the analysis of pharmaceutical dosage forms, specifically solid dosage from matrices, capsules, and tablets. The chemometric techniques used extensively in these analyses will also be discussed briefly.