Physico-chemical and structural characterization of diacerhein.

The physico-chemical and structural characterization of diacerhein, an anthraquinone with antiinflammatory activity, employed in the symptomatic treatment of inflammatory osteoarthritis, is reported. The combined use of FT-IR, DSC, X-ray powder and single-crystal diffraction has provided a valuable tool to fully characterize the title compound. The X-ray diffraction study has revealed the existence of hydrogen-bond assisted tight packing of the quasi-planar molecules in the solid. The collected results are intended to implement the information required for the compilation of drug master files.