Analytical procedure for the determination of rufloxacin, a new pyridobenzothiazine, in human serum and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the quantification of rufloxacin in human serum and urine has been developed and validated. The compounds, rufloxacin and internal standard, are extracted from buffered serum and urine using dichloromethane. They are then separated on an anion-exchange column using 0.05 M phosphate buffer-acetonitrile (80:20, v/v). The eluate is quantified by measuring the ultraviolet absorbance at 296 nm. The lower limit of detection for the analyte is 0.1 microgram/ml in serum and 0.05 micrograms/ml in urine. The method is linear from 0.3 to 10 micrograms/ml for serum and 0.1 to 10 micrograms/ml for urine. The method has been applied in a pharmacokinetic study in volunteers.