LAUSR

The spectral properties of etoricoxib (ETR) at pH 2.0, 6.0 and 10.0 in the presence of cyclodextrins (CDs) were investigated. The absorption spectrum of ETR in acidic medium exhibited two bands centered at 236 and 273 nm, while in basic medium it exhibited two bands centered at 236 and 285 nm. No change in the spectrum was observed in the presence of CDs. The fluorescence emission spectra of ETR in acidic and basic media exhibited one band at 380 nm and another one at 484 nm. The emission band at 484 nm was enhanced when ETR was complexed with β-CD and γ-CD at pH 2.0, 6.0 and 10.0, while the band at 380 nm was enhanced selectively when ETR was complexed with α-CD at pH 2.0. Molecular dynamics simulations computations revealed that at pH 2.0, the sulfonyl moiety of H2ETR2+ is preferentially included within the α-CD cavity, which is believed to cause the enhancement of the band at 380 nm. Moreover, at pH 6.0 and 10.0, the enhancement of the band at 484 nm was related to the inclusion of the chloropyridinyl and methylpyridinyl groups of the bipyridine moiety of HETR+ and ETR within β-CD and γ-CD cavities. Benesi–Hildebrand analysis showed that the ETR/β-CD complex adopts a 1:1 stoichiometry with association constant of K11 = 64.8 at pH 2.0, K11 = 105.4 at pH 6.0 and K11 = 520.5 at pH 10.0.