A Rapid and Inexpensive Thin Layer Chromatographic Method for Quantitative Analysis of Bleomycin Complex

Abstract

A densitometric and a spectrophotometric method for rapid but accurate determination of different components of bleomycin injections has been described. The bleomycin components were separated by reversed phase thin layer chromatography on silanized silicagel plates using a mixture of aqueous ammonium nitrate (2.5%) : methanol :: 7 : 3 (v/v) as mobile phase. Assay was done at the absorption maxima of the components (291 nm) by in situ densitometry or by spectroscopy after extracting the drugs from the adsorbent with the mobile phase. Results obtained by both the methods agreed well with each other and with those obtained by an official HPLC method. The densitometric method described was highly suitable for routine quality control of bleomycines as a large number of samples could be analysed within a short time (68 samples/analyst/day).