Liquid chromatographic determination of colchicine in pharmaceuticals: collaborative study

A liquid chromatographic (LC) method for the determination of colchicine in pharmaceutical dosage forms and the bulk drug was evaluated in an interlaboratory study which included 13 participating laboratories. The method involves extraction (or dissolution) of the active ingredient with methanol-water (1 + 1), followed by filtration of the extract and reverse phase LC using an octylsilane bonded phase column and UV detection at 254 nm. The mobile phase consists of a methanol-phosphate buffer mixture (pH = 5.5). Three commercial tablet formulations (0.5-0.6 mg colchicine/tablet), 1 synthetic injectable preparation (0.510 mg colchicine/mL), and 1 bulk drug sample were assayed in duplicate by the proposed method. The reproducibility and repeatability standard deviations based on nonpooled results for each sample ranged from 0.0062 mg/mL to 0.0147 mg/tablet and from 0.0037 mg/mL to 0.0127 mg/tablet, respectively; the corresponding coefficients of variation ranged from 1.21 to 2.54% and from 0.73 to 2.19%, respectively. The mean recovery from the synthetic injectable formulation was 100.0%. The method has been adopted official first action.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of prednisolone in tablets and bulk drugs: interlaboratory study

A normal phase liquid chromatographic (LC) method for the determination of prednisolone in tablets and bulk drugs was studied by 7 analysts. An LC system, consisting of a methanol-water-ethylene dichloride-acetic acid mobile phase and a silica column, was used to analyze bulk drugs, individual tablets, and composite samples. Analysts were supplied with 16 samples, including simulated formulations, composites of commercial tablets, intact tablets, and bulk drug substances. Results agreed with those obtained by the author. The coefficients of variation of the analysts' results ranged from 1.34% for bulk drugs to 2.14% for tablet composites. The LC method is suggested as an alternative to the official AOAC and USP XX blue tetrazolium colorimetric methods.     

High pressure liquid chromatographic determination of oxazepam dosage forms: collaborative study

A reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatographic method for the determination of oxazepam in tablets and capsules was collaboratively studied by 9 laboratories. Collaborators were supplied with 6 samples that included synthetic and commercial formulations. Tablet and capsule composites are diluted with methanol and filtered. Oxazepam is determined at 254 nm by using a C18 column. Mean recoveries of oxazepam from synthetic tablet and capsule formulations were 97.2 and 99.0%, respectively. Mean coefficients of variation for tablets and capsules ranged from 1.85 to 2.86%. The method has been adopted official first action.     

Reverse phase liquid chromatographic assay for calcium pantothenate in multivitamin preparations and raw materials

A reverse phase liquid chromatographic (LC) method has been developed for the assay of calcium pantothenate in commercial multivitamin tablet formulations and raw materials. The assay was validated according to the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association Quality Control HPLC Committee guidelines. The chromatographic system includes a C-18 column and a mobile phase consisting of 0.25M sodium phosphate buffer, pH 2.5, and acetonitrile (97 + 3 v/v). The column effluent is monitored by UV detection at 205 nm. The sample preparation involves only extraction in water followed by filtration. The method is stability-indicating with a detection limit of approximately 50 ng/mL of the calcium pantothenate in the samples. The system is linear from at least 0.02 to 0.10 mg/mL. The mean recovery of spiked placebos ranged from 98.7 to 99.8%. The within-day precision of the assay on finished products (N = 6) ranged from 0.3 to 2.0% CV. A system suitability criterion for resolution is based on the separation between calcium pantothenate and 2 closely eluting compounds, saccharin and a saccharin degradation product, 2-sulfamoylbenzoic acid.     

Validation of liquid chromatographic method for assay of calcitriol and alfacalcidol in capsule formulations

The validation of a liquid chromatographic procedure suitable for the determination of calcitriol and alfacalcidol in their respective formulations labeled to contain at least 0.25 micrograms drug per unit is described. The capsule content is diluted and chromatographed in 15-20 min on silica columns (5 micron) with a mobile phase of hexane-tetrahydrofuran-methylene dichloride-isopropanol (72 + 12 + 12 + 4, v/v) with detection at 254 nm. The calibration curve is linear. Recoveries of "spikes" averaged 101% with a standard deviation of 2%. Precision was better than 1.5%.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of penicillin V potassium in tablets: collaborative study

A liquid chromatographic method for the determination of penicillin V potassium in tablets was collaboratively studied by 7 laboratories. The method uses an octadecyl silane reverse-phase column, a mobile phase of acetonitrile-methanol-0.01 M potassium phosphate monobasic (21 + 4 + 75 v/v/v), photometric detection at 225 nm, and sulfadimethoxine as an internal standard. Each collaborator received 6 samples: powdered composites of 2 commercial tablet preparations and 1 synthetic tablet powder mixture, each with blind duplicates. The mean repeatability and reproducibility relative standard deviations for commercial samples were, respectively, 1.10 and 1.46% (250 mg dosage), and 0.84 and 2.82% (500 mg dosage). The average standard recovery from the synthetic formulation was 99.1%, with repeatability and reproducibility relative standard deviations of 1.30 and 3.66%, respectively. The method has been adopted official first action.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of coumarin anticoagulants in tablets: collaborative study

A liquid chromatographic method for the determination of coumarin anticoagulants in tablets was collaboratively studied by 7 laboratories. The method uses an octadecylsilane-bonded microparticulate column, tetrahydrofuran-methanol-water-acetic acid mobile phase, and photometric detection at 311 nm. Each collaborator received samples of warfarin sodium, phenprocoumon, and dicumarol as a synthetic composite and as commercial individual and composited tablets. Pooled average assay values for synthetic and commercial tablet samples of warfarin sodium were 101.6 and 99.5%, respectively, with a combined reproducibility SD of 2.38% (CV = 2.37%) and combined repeatability SD of 1.49% (CV = 1.49%). Pooled average (SD) assay values for dicumarol and phenprocoumon commercial samples were 98.0 (2.27) and 101.3% (4.00), respectively. The content uniformity determinations of 2 mg warfarin sodium and 25 mg dicumarol tablets indicated average tablet contents (range) of 99.5% (91.0-116.0) and 98.0% (89.8-108.8), respectively. The method has been approved interim official first action.     

Determination of diclofenac sodium and related compounds in raw materials and formulations

A liquid chromatographic method has been developed for determination of drug and related compounds in diclofenac sodium raw material, slow-release, and enteric coated tablets. The method specifies a 5 microns octadecylsilane bonded phase column, a mobile phase of tetrahydrofuran-acetonitrile-buffer, pH 5 (1 + 4 + 8.3), and detection at 229 nm. The method resolves 10 known related compounds with limits of quantitation of 0.2% or less. Seventeen drug raw material samples were evaluated. Total impurity levels ranged from 0.1 to 0.9%. The method has also been used for determination of drug content in raw materials and formulations. Mean assay levels in drug raw materials ranged between 98.3% and 101.8%.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of sulfasalazine in tablets and bulk powder

A liquid chromatographic method has been developed that determines the amount of sulfasalazine in tablets and bulk powder in the presence of residual synthesis by-products and excipients. The method was tested on crude product containing large amounts of impurities. A C-18 reverse phase column with water-acetonitrile-acetic acid mobile phase was found to effectively separate the drug on the column. Six different commercial samples of 500 mg tablets were assayed. The results varied from 92.6 to 101.8% of the declared amount. Spectrophotometric determinations, which do not discriminate between the drug and impurities, gave 95.4-101.8% of declared. One commercial sample of bulk powder was assayed.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of six sympathomimetic drugs in dosage forms

A simple and rapid stability-indicating liquid chromatographic method is described for quantitative determination of 6 sympathomimetic drugs in various liquid and solid formulations. Analyses were carried out on a C18 reverse phase column using 0.01M 1-octanesulfonic acid, sodium salt in 0.2% acetic acid-methanol (70 + 30) as the mobile phase with photometric detection at 220 nm. Coefficients of variation for 5 consecutive injections of a mixed standards solution ranged from 0.62% for metaraminol to 1.40% for epinephrine. Standard recoveries ranged from 98.8% for metaraminol to 100.8% for epinephrine. The method was linear between 0.2 and 10 micrograms of drug injected and was used successfully to analyze 17 commercial products in a variety of dosage forms.     

Normal phase liquid chromatographic determination of sulfamethoxazole in tablets: collaborative study

A stability-indicating liquid chromatographic method is presented for determining sulfamethoxazole in tablets. The method uses a 10 micron silica column, an isooctane-methylene chloride-2-propanol-acetonitrile-glacial acetic acid (70 + 25 + 5 + 5 + 0.5) mobile phase, and photometric detection at 254 nm. Seven laboratories collaboratively studied this method on powdered composite samples prepared from commercial 500 and 1000 mg tablets and on an authentic tablet mixture containing 83.32% added sulfamethoxazole. Mean assay results for the 500 and 1000 mg tablets were 102.2 and 97.9% of declared, respectively (n = 4). The mean recovery value for the synthetic sample was 99.4% (n = 4). The pooled reproducibility standard deviation (SD) (coefficient of variation (CV)) and pooled repeatability SD (CV) were +/- 1.01 (1.01%) and +/- 0.96 (0.96%), respectively. These results were in good agreement with those obtained by the Associate Referee for the titration method of USP XX. The proposed method can also be used for monitoring the presence of sulfanilamide in sulfamethoxazole by increasing the proportions of both acetonitrile and 2-propanol in the mobile phase. The method has been adopted official first action.     

Simultaneous liquid chromatographic determination of water-soluble vitamins, caffeine, and preservative in oral liquid tonics

A rapid, simple, and reliable liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of nicotinamide (niacinamide), thiamine, riboflavin, riboflavin sodium phosphate, pyridoxine, caffeine, and sodium benzoate in commercial oral liquid tonics. The 7 components are separated on a reverse phase C18 column using a mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.01M potassium dihydrogen phosphate-triethylamine (8 + 91.5 + 0.5 v/v/v) containing 5mM sodium octanesulfonate and adjusted to pH 2.8 with phosphoric acid. Components are detected at 254 nm with attenuation 0.02 AUFS. Acetanilide is used as an internal standard. In addition to the 7 components mentioned, nicotinic acid (niacin), cyanocobalamin, and folic acid are also separated under the same conditions. Sample preparation involves only addition to internal standard solution and dilution with mobile phase and then filtration. Recoveries of the 7 components and cyanocobalamin from spiked preparations ranged from 97 to 104% with coefficients of variation of 0.9-4.2%.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of coumarin anticoagulants in tablets

A simple and rapid liquid chromatographic method is described for the qualitative and quantitative determination of 5 coumarin anticoagulants in tablet composites and individual tablets. Analyses are carried out on a C18 reverse phase column using tetrahydrofuran-methanol-water-acetic acid (35 + 10 + 65 + 0.1) as mobile phase and photometric detection at 311 nm. The coefficients of variation for 10 consecutive injections of a mixed standards solution ranged from 0.28% for ethyl biscoumacetate to 0.78% for acenocoumarol. Standard recoveries were as follows: acenocoumarol, 99.3%; dicumarol, 99.6%; phenprocoumon, 101.6%; and warfarin sodium, 99.0%. The method was linear between 2 and 8 micrograms of drug injected. Assay results agreed favorably with those of the USP XX methods for dicumarol, phenprocoumon, and warfarin, and the NF XIV method for acenocoumarol. In addition, close correspondence was found with the results previously reported for the same drugs by a semiautomated spectrophotometric method. The content uniformity testing of individual 50 mg dicumarol tablets and 5 mg warfarin sodium tablets by the proposed method gave average (SD) values of 100.32% (0.64) and 101.00% (0.14), respectively, whereas these values were 101.60% (1.81) and 101.80% (0.18), respectively, by the method of USP XX.     

Liquid chromatographic determination and identification tests for dexamethasone in bulk drugs and elixirs: collaborative study

A normal phase liquid chromatographic method for the determination of dexamethasone in bulk drugs and elixirs was collaboratively studied by 6 laboratories. The method uses a silica column, water-modified acetic acid-methanol-methylene chloride mobile phase, cortisone internal standard, and photometric detection at 254 nm. Collaborators were supplied blind duplicate samples of 3 bulk drugs, 2 commercial elixirs, and 1 authentic elixir. Dexamethasone elixir dosage level is 0.5 mg/5 mL. Mean recovery of dexamethasone from the authentic elixir formulated to contain 0.471 mg/5 mL was 94.5%. (Authentic elixirs were found to stabilize about 6% below the theoretical concentration.) Mean recovery for the bulk drugs was between 97.1 and 100.1%. Mean coefficients of variation for bulk drug and elixir samples were less than 0.8% and 3.6%, respectively. Identification tests for dexamethasone by thin-layer chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, and relative LC retention times, as well as the gas chromatographic determination of alcohol in the elixirs were also collaboratively studied. Mean recovery of alcohol from the synthetic elixir was 98.6%. The mean coefficient of variation for alcohol for all samples analyzed was less than 1.4%. The LC method for dexamethasone in drug substance and elixirs, the identification tests, and the GC method for alcohol in dexamethasone elixirs have been adopted official first action.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of medroxyprogesterone acetate in tablets

A reverse-phase liquid chromatographic method is described for the assay of medroxyprogesterone acetate in tablets. An octadecylsilane (C18) column with a mobile phase of methanol-0.01M dibasic ammonium phosphate (80 + 20 v/v, pH 7.2 +/- 0.1) and photometric detection at 254 nm separates medroxyprogesterone acetate from excipients. Detector responses were linear to concentrations of medroxyprogesterone acetate over the range 50-150 micrograms/mL (r = 0.999). Mean recovery of medroxyprogesterone acetate added to tablet excipients was 100.8%. Mean assay results were 101.3% (n = 3). The assay results are comparable to those obtained by the compendial liquid chromatographic method.     

Resolution and analysis of enantiomers of amphetamines by liquid chromatography on a chiral stationary phase: collaborative study

A rapid, accurate method for separating and determining the enantiomeric composition of amphetamine bulk drug and commercial preparations was developed and subjected to collaborative study. Amide derivatives of the amphetamine enantiomers are formed by using achiral 2-naphthoyl chloride. The resulting enantiomeric amides are then chromatographed on a commercially available chiral stationary phase with hexane-isopropyl alcohol-acetonitrile (97 + 3 + 0.5) mobile phase, with detection at 254 nm. Seven collaborators received bulk drug and commercial samples of amphetamine. The collaborators and authors determined the mean percent l- and d-amphetamine from 2 injections of each sample. The method can detect the presence of as little as 0.5% of the l-enantiomer in d-amphetamine, with reproducibility between laboratories of +/- 71.3%. The method has been adopted official first action for determination of the enantiomeric composition of amphetamine bulk drug and preparations.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of methocarbamol in injection and tablet dosage forms: collaborative study

A reverse phase liquid chromatographic method was developed for determining methocarbamol in injection and tablet dosage forms. The injections require dilution only; the tablets require a filtration step before introduction into the chromatograph. Response for methocarbamol was linear over the range 0-18 micrograms, using an ultraviolet detector at 274 nm. Recoveries by the author ranged from 96.1 to 101.9% for authentic injection formulations and 98.0 to 101.0% for authentic tablet formulations. A collaborative study of the method by 6 laboratories resulted in standard deviations of 1.70 and 2.22 for injection and tablet dosage forms, respectively. The method has been adopted official first action.     

High pressure liquid chromatographic determination of antihistamine-adrenergic combination products: collaborative study

A reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatographic method in which ion-pairing is used for the determination of combinations of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride with triprolidine hydrochloride or chlorpheniramine maleate in syrups and tablets was collaboratively studied by 8 laboratories. Collaborators were supplied with 12 samples including synthetic and commercial syrup formulations and commercial tablet composites. Mean recoveries of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride and triprolidine hydrochloride from synthetic syrup formulations were 100.5 and 99.6%, respectively. Mean recoveries of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride and chlorpheniramine maleate from synthetic syrups were 98.8 and 100.5%, respectively. Mean coefficients of variation for syrups and tablets ranged from 1.68 to 3.07% for pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, from 2.92 to 3.85% for triprolidine hydrochloride, and from 1.34 to 2.15% for chlorpheniramine maleate. The method has been adopted official first action.     

Simultaneous determination of ochratoxin A and cyclopiazonic,mycophenolic, and tenuazonic acids in cornflakes by solid-phase microextraction coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography

A solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method, coupled to liquid chromatography with diode array UV detection (LC-UV/DAD), for the simultaneous determination of cyclopiazonic acid, mycophenolic acid, tenuazonic acid, and ochratoxin A is described. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a propylamino-bonded silica gel stationary phase using acetonitrile/methanol/ammonium acetate buffer mixture (78:2:20, v/v/v) as mobile phase. SPME adsorption and desorption conditions were optimized using a silica fiber coated with a 60 microm thick polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene film. Estimated limits of detection and limits of quantitation ranged from 3 to 12 ng/mL and from 7 to 29 ng/mL, respectively. The method has been applied to cornflake samples. Samples were subjected to a preliminary short sonication in MeOH/2% KHCO(3) (70:30, v/v); the mixture was evaporated to near dryness and reconstituted in 1.5 mL of 5 mM phosphate buffer (pH 3) for SPME followed by LC-UV/DAD. The overall procedure had recoveries (evaluated on samples spiked at 200 ng/g level) ranging from 74 +/- 4 to 103 +/- 9%. Samples naturally contaminated with cyclopiazonic and tenuazonic acids were found; estimated concentrations were 72 +/- 9 and 25 +/- 6 ng/g, respectively.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of quinine, hydroquinine, saccharin, and sodium benzoate in quinine beverages

A liquid chromatographic (LC) method is described for the determination of quinine, hydroquinine, sodium saccharin, and sodium benzoate in soft drinks. The method involves simple sample preparation, direct injection onto an octadecylsilane column, and elution with a methanol-acetonitrile-water-acetic acid (20 + 10 + 70 + 1) mobile phase. Eluted constituents are measured spectrophotometrically at 254 nm. The relationship between peak height and concentration was linear between 20 and 120 micrograms/mL for quinine. A relative standard deviation of 0.82% was obtained for commercial samples spiked with quinine, and the average recovery was 100.3%. The proposed procedure is accurate and rapid and can also detect hydroquinine (a natural contaminant of quinine), sodium saccharin, and sodium benzoate. Linear responses ranged from 0.45 to 20 micrograms/mL for hydroquinine, from 54.8 to 219 micrograms/mL for sodium saccharin, and from 10.1 to 145.1 micrograms/mL for sodium benzoate. The reproducibility of the LC method was evaluated with standard solutions of hydroquinine, sodium saccharin, and sodium benzoate, which produced relative standard deviations of 0.42, 0.46, and 1.13%, respectively. The average recoveries for sodium saccharin and sodium benzoate from spiked samples were 99.4 and 100.2%, respectively.