POLYMORPHIC ANALYSIS of TEGAFUR

Tegafur-uracil is a combination of chemotheraputic agents for different types of cancers and is particularly usefull for the treatment of colorectal cancer. Its primary active ingredient, Tegafur, has been used as an anti-metabolite in cancer treatment for fifty years. Although the biological effect of Tegafur has been studied, its properties have not been extensively studied. We have investigated this substance by its recrystallization from solvents of different polarities. The analysis of the recrystalized Tegafur with IR, DSC and XRD techniques proved the existence of different polymorphic forms due to different hydrogen bonding characteristics. The abundance of oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the molecule contributes to the formation of hydrogen bonds. The IR and DSC techniques provided preliminary polymorphic information. The XRD technique gave more detailed information about its solid structures.