Simultaneous analysis of nine active components in Gegen Qinlian preparations by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection

HPLC with diode array detection (HPLC/DAD) was employed to determine the quantities of puerarin, daidzin, daidzein, berberine, palmatine, coptisine, baicalin, baicalein, and glycyrrhizin in Gegen Qinlian preparations of three different pharmaceutical forms including decoction, dispensing granule and pill. The calibration curves for the nine bioactive components were linear in the given concentration ranges. The precision of the method was in the range of 0.2 - 5.0% (RSD), and the recoveries of this method were between 96.5 and 104.1%. The proposed method was applicable to analyze Gegen Qinlian preparations.     

On-line diode array UV-visible spectrometry in screening for drugs and drug metabolites by high-performance liquid chromatography

The direct coupling of a multi-channel diode array UV-visible spectrophotometer to a powerful reversed-phase HPLC separation system is considered, especially for use in qualitative analysis, e.g., screening/identification of drugs and drug metabolites. The approach is illustrated by the screening for metabolites of butoprozine and ticlopidine directly in human and rat bile.     

Simultaneous determination of water- and fat-soluble vitamins in pharmaceutical preparations by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection

Water- and fat-soluble vitamins were separated on a MetaChem Polaris C18-A (150 mm×4.6 mm, 3 μm particle size) in a single run using combined isocratic and linear gradient elution with a mobile phase consisting of 0.010% trifluoroacetic acid of pH 3.9 (solvent A) and methanol (solvent B) at the flow rate 0.7 ml min⁻¹. A linear gradient profile (A:B) started at 95:5 and was constant in the first 4 min, then linearly decreased up to 2:98 during the next 6 min, then it was constant in the next 20 min and finally linearly increased up to 95:5 ratio of water phase in the last 5 min of the separation. The most suitable detection wavelength for simultaneous vitamin determination was 280 nm. The method was applied for the solid sample of pharmaceutical preparation (B-Komplex), fortified powdered drinks (multi-vitamin) and food samples. The results were in good agreement with the declared values.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of steroid hormones

In the present work, a practical, rapid, reliable and isocratic reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method is described for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of estriol, estradiol-17 beta, estrone, testosterone, and progesterone. Chromatographic separation is complete in 16 min using a mobile phase of 50% acetonitrile (v/v) in water. The order of elution is estriol, testosterone, estradiol-17 beta, estrone, and progesterone; retention times are 2.5, 5.5, 5.6, 6.9, 16.3 min, respectively. Absorbance maxima of individual steroids is the limiting factor in quantitative determination. The recommended wavelengths for UV monitoring are E3 214, E2 280, T 254, E1 214, and P4 254 nm.     

Thin-layer chromatographic scanner, spectrophotometric and high-performance liquid chromatographic methods for the determination of colchicine

One high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) and two thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) methods are proposed for the determination of colchicine in crude drugs and pharmaceutical preparations. The TLC scanner method is based on measurement of the absorbance of the separated colchicine spot; alternatively, after scraping the spot from the plate and elution the absorbance can be measured spectrophotometrically. The HPLC assay was carried out isocratically on a reversed-phase column using MeOH-H2O (60 + 40). The recoveries were 99.2 +/- 1.23, 99.1 +/- 1.12 and 99.1 +/- 2.01% for the TLC scanner, spectrophotometric and HPLC methods, respectively. The methods were shown to be sensitive and specific and can be used as an alternative to the pharmacopoeial methods having been applied to the determination of colchicine in corms of Merendera persica and in three pharmaceutical preparations.     

Electrochemical treatment of textile dyes and their analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection

Several textile dyes were individually exposed to electrochemical treatment. Chromaticity variation and the formation of degradation products were followed using a UV spectrophotometer and HPLC with diode array detection. Dyes studied belong to the azo (color index, C.I. 15,510), methine (C.I. 48,013), indigo (C.I. 73,040), natural (C.I. 75,760) and arylmethane (C.I. 42,000) classes. Aliquots of the solutions treated at constant potential were analyzed and compared with control dye solutions. The final electrolysis solutions obtained by using different electrode materials: Pt, Ti and diamond presented different chromatograms. It was found that the novel (in this application) diamond electrode is efficient in studying the degradation of various dyes. Possible fragmentation and molecule moiety rearrangement are proposed as a result of the electrochemical treatment.     

Simultaneous determination of piracetam and vincamine by spectrophotometric and high-performance liquid chromatographic methods

A mixture of piracetam and vincamine was determined by 3 different methods. The first was the determination of piracetam and vincamine using the ratio-spectra first-derivative (DD1) spectrophotometric technique at 209 and 293 nm in concentration ranges of 10-45 and 2-14 microg/mL with mean recoveries of 99.22 +/- 0.72 and 99.67 +/- 0.79%, respectively. The second method was based on the resolution of the 2 components by bivariate calibration depending on a mathematic algorithm that provides simplicity and rapidity. The method depended on quantitative evaluation of the absorbencies at 210 and 225 nm in concentration ranges of 5-45 and 2-14 microg/mL, with mean recoveries of 100.33 +/- 0.54 and 100.44 +/- 0.98% for piracetam and vincamine, respectively. The third method was reversed-phase liquid chromatography using 0.05 M potassium dihydrogen phosphate-methanol (50 + 50, v/v) as the mobile phase, with the pH adjusted to 3.5 with phosphoric acid. The eluent was monitored at 215 nm in concentration ranges of 5-100 and 2-200 microg/mL, with mean recoveries of 99.62 +/- 0.67 and 99.32 +/- 0.85% for piracetam and vincamine, respectively. The suggested procedures were checked using laboratory-prepared mixtures and were successfully applied for the analysis of their pharmaceutical preparation. The methods retained their accuracy and precision when applying the standard addition technique. The results obtained by applying the proposed methods were statistically analyzed and compared with those obtained by the manufacturer's method.     

On-line high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry-chemiluminescence assay of radical scavengers in Epimedium

An on-line analysis method for the simultaneous detection and identification of radical scavenging compounds in plant extracts was developed by combining HPLC with hydrogen dioxide radical scavenging and HPLC-DAD-MS-CL system. The structural identification and activity characteristics of various constituents could be rapidly achieved by the on-line assay of UV, MS and CL in one run. In 4 species of Epimedium studied 32 compounds, including phenolic acids, 8-isopentenyl-flavonoid glycosides and flavonoid glycosides containing a ortho-hydroxyl group, were identified by comparison with authentic standards and published mass data. Among these compounds, phenolic acids and flavonoid glycosides containing an ortho-hydroxyl group could obviously inhibit CL, which suggested their strong radical scavenging activity. These four species each exhibited different active properties, which might correlate to their respective quality. The results indicated that the on-line HPLC-DAD-MS-CL system would be a potential method to rapidly and sensitively screen radical scavengers in herbal medicines, and could display an integrated fingerprint based on different detectors.     

Rapid, high-resolution high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of antibiotics

A HPLC column devised for high separation speed combined with highly practical operating features has been found useful for separating antibiotics. Important characteristics involve compromises in packing particle size, column configuration and support-stationary phase combinations. We determined that these columns are useful for rapid, high-resolution separations with unmodified state-of-the-art HPLC equipment without the extra-column band-broadening effects typical of so-called “fast” HPLC columns. The proposed columns feature efficient sterically-protected monofunctional silane stationary phases that provide good separation reproducibility and high column stability. The combination of these unique bonded silanes and a highly purified, less-acidic silica support give superior peak shapes for antibiotic compounds. The proposed column configuration can halve separation times and double peak heights without loss in resolution, compared to widely used analytical columns. Increased mobile phase flow-rates permit even faster separations of antibiotics with only modest loss in resolution and peak heights for trace analyses in biological systems.     

Determination of eprosartan mesylate and hydrochlorothiazide in tablets by derivative spectrophotometric and high-performance liquid chromatographic methods

Two new simple and selective assay methods have been presented for the analysis of eprosartan mesylate (EPR) and hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) in pharmaceutical formulations. The first method is based on first-derivative ultraviolet spectrophotometry with zero-crossing measurements at 246 and 279 nm for EPR and HCT, respectively. The assay was linear over the concentration ranges 3.0-14.0 μg/mL for EPR and 1.0-12.0 μg/mL for HCT. The quantification limits for EPR and HCT were found to be 1.148 and 0.581 μg/mL, respectively, while the detection limits were 0.344 μg/mL for EPR and 0.175 μg/mL for HCT. The second method involved isocratic reversed-phase liquid chromatography using a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile-10 mM phosphoric acid (pH 2.5) (40:60, v/v). Olmesartan was used as internal standard and the substances were detected at 272 nm. The linearity ranges were found to be 0.5-30 and 0.3-15.0 μg/mL for EPR and HCT, respectively. The limits of detection were found to be 0.121 μg/mL for EPR and 0.045 μg/mL for HCT. The limits of quantification were found to be 0.405 and 0.148 μg/mL for EPR and HCT, respectively. The proposed methods were successfully applied to the determination of commercially available tablets with a high percentage of recovery and good accuracy and precision.     

On-line solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of nortriptyline and amitriptyline in serum.

An isocratic reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method with on-line solid-phase extraction for the simultaneous determination of amitriptyline and nortriptyline in serum has been developed. A 250-microliters serum sample is injected directly onto a commercially available CN cartridge and, after a washing step, the retained solutes are backflushed onto a bonded-phase CN column using a column-switching technique and a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile (26%) and 0.05 M phosphate buffer with diethylamine. Serum is diluted with 0.1 M sodium lauryl sulphate and centrifuged before the injection. Detection at 210 nm ensures sufficient sensitivity. The recovery is almost quantitative and the relative standard deviation ranges from 2.8 to 8.0% for concentrations of 200-40 ng/ml. Being rapid and simple, the method is convenient for routine use.     

Simultaneous determination of hyoscine butylbromide and ketoprofen in pharmaceutical preparations by spectrophotometric and liquid chromatographic methods

A binary mixture of hyoscine butylbromide and ketoprofen was determined by 4 different methods. The first involved determination of hyoscine butylbromide and ketoprofen using the ratio-spectra first-derivative spectrophotometric technique at 211 and 234 nm over the concentration ranges of 2-14 and 5-45 microg/mL with mean accuracies 99.84 +/-0.92 and 99.98+/- 0.64%, respectively. The second method utilized second-derivative spectrophotometry over the concentration ranges of 2-14 and 5-35 microg/mL with mean accuracies 99.32+/- 1.06 and 99.55+/-1.15%, respectively. The third method was based on the resolution of the 2 components by bivariate calibration depending on a simple and rapid mathematical algorithm and quantitative evaluation of the absorbances at 206 and 254 nm over concentration ranges of 2-16 and 5-35 microg/mL; mean accuracies of 100.21+/-1.30 and 100.19 +/-1.07% were obtained for hyoscine butylbromide and ketoprofen, respectively. The fourth method was reversed-phase liquid chromatography using 0.05 M ammonium dihydrogen phosphate-acetonitrile-methanol (20 + 30 + 6, v/v) as the mobile phase with ultraviolet detection at 220 nm over concentration ranges of 1-90 and 5-70 microg/mL; mean accuracies were 99.92+/-1.02 and 99.61+/- 0.98%, respectively. The suggested procedures were checked using laboratory-prepared mixtures and were successfully applied for the analysis of pharmaceutical preparations. The methods retained their accuracy and precision when the standard addition technique was applied. The results obtained by applying the proposed methods were statistically analyzed and compared with those obtained by the manufacturer's method.     

Development and validation of column high-performance liquid chromatographic and ultraviolet spectrophotometric methods for citalopram in tablets

Column high-performance liquid chromatographic (LC) and UV spectrophotometric methods for the quantitative determination of citalopram, a potent and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, in tablets were developed. The parameters linearity, precision, accuracy, specificity, robustness, limit of detection, and limit of quantitation were studied according to International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. Chromatography was carried out by the reversed-phase technique on an ACE C18 column with a mobile phase composed of 0.30% triethylamine solution-acetonitrile (55 + 45, v/v) adjusted to pH 6.6 with 10% ortho-phosphoric acid at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min and 25 degrees C. The UV spectrophotometric method was performed at 239 nm. The linearity of the LC method was in the range of 10.00-70.00 microg/mL, and 2.50-17.50 microg/mL for the UV spectrophotometric method. The interday and intraday assay precision was < 1.5% (relative standard deviation) for the LC and UV spectrophotometric methods. The recoveries were in the range 100.70-101.35% for the LC method and 98.48-98.65% for the UV spectrophotometric method. Statistical analysis by Student's t-test showed no significant difference between the results obtained by the 2 methods. The proposed methods are highly sensitive, precise, and accurate and can be used for the reliable quantitation of citalopram in tablets.     

Determination of anthraquinones in Rhamnus purshiana using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detector and simple ultraviolet spectroscopic analysis

A new method based on Ultraviolet spectrophotometry was developed and compared with that based on high-performance liquid chromatography for the determination and quantification of anthraquinones in the extracts of Rhamnus purshiana bark. A validated quantitative analysis of cascaroside A, cascaroside B, emodin, and aloe-emodin in these herbal products has been previously performed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array detector. In the high-performance liquid chromatography analysis, all the anthraquinones showed satisfactory regression (r² > 0.98) within the test ranges, and the recovery was in the range of 94–117%. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.008–0.010 and 0.029–0.035 μg/mL, respectively. Hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis showed differences in the anthraquinones determined from herbal samples. Subsequently, a simple and low-cost ultraviolet spectrophotometric methodology for the quantitative analysis of the same compounds in the extracts was applied, and all the contents were determined. A paired t-test confirmed that there were no significant differences between the two methods. Our results revealed that the developed method is simple and provides the ability to discriminate and control the quality of anthraquinones in herbal products.     

Ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of aspartame and related products

A simple and accurate quantitative determination of aspartame (L-alpha-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester), a new artificial sweetener, is described. The method, which is based on ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography, allows the determination of aspartame in finished bulk and dosage forms, and the detection of a few related products at levels down to 0.1%.