Preparation and evaluation of 99mTc-cefuroxime, a potential infection specific imaging agent: A reliable thin layer chromatographic system to delineate impurities from the 99mTc-antibiotic

Technetium-99m labelled cefuroxime, a second-generation cephalosporin antibiotic and potential bacteria specific infection imaging agent was evaluated. A good radiochemical purity (95%) of the labelled product was obtained after filtering the reaction mixture through a 0.22 μm filter. Scintigraphy study of the purified product showed uptake in infectious lesions 45 min after injection and abscess-to-muscle ratios were found to be 1.80, 1.85 and 1.88 at 45 min, 1.5 hr and 3 hr, respectively. A versatile and reliable chromatographic technique to assess the radiochemical purity of 99mTc-cefuroxime has also been described. - Highlights: ► Preparation of 99mTc-cefuroxime in presence of Sn-tartrate as reducing agent. ► Physiochemical and biological evaluation of 99mTc-cefuroxime. ► A versatile and reliable chromatographic technique to assess the radiochemical purity of 99mTc-cefuroxime.