Chromatographic analysis of phenethylamine-antihistamine combinations using C8, C18 or cyano columns and micellar sodium dodecyl sulfate-pentanol mixtures.

The chromatographic behaviour of binary and ternary mixtures of several phenethylamines (phenylephrine, phenylpropanolamine, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and methoxyphenamine) and antihistamines (pheniramine, carbinoxamine, doxylamine, chlorpheniramine, dexchlorpheniramine, dexbrompheniramine, diphenhydramine, tripolidine, azatadine and phenyltoloxamine), found in cough-cold pharmaceutical preparations, was studied using C8, C18 and cyano columns, micellar mobile phases of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and pentanol and UV detection. Using a C8 column and mobile phases of 0.05 mol l-1 SDS-6% v/v pentanol or 0.15 mol l-1 SDS-2% v/v pentanol at pH 7, more than 30 different phenethylamine-antihistamine combinations can be resolved in < 15 min. Intra- and inter-day repeatabilities and reproducibilities evaluated at three different drug concentrations (0.5, 5 and 25 micrograms ml-1, n = 10) were below 1.6, 2.5 and 2.4%, respectively. The drug amounts found in 18 formulations agreed with those declared by the manufacturers within the tolerance limits, and with those obtained using a mobile phase of 55% v/v methanol at pH 7. No interference was observed from other accompanying drugs such as acetylsalicylic acid, ascorbic acid, betamethasone, bromhexine, caffeine, codeine, dextromethorphan, paracetamol, prednisolone, salicylamide and tartrazine. The proposed procedure has the advantage over the conventional aqueous-organic procedure of using a small amount of organic solvent, which is highly retained in the SDS solution. The efficiencies are also greater. On the other hand, in the micellar system, the retentions of phenethylamines and antihistamines are similar, although the compounds can be easily resolved. In contrast, using the methanol-water mobile phase, the phenethylamines are weakly retained, whereas the antihistamines usually show a high retention.

Determination of active ingredients in cough-cold preparations by micellar liquid chromatography.

The chromatographic behaviour of some active ingredients in cough-cold pharmaceutical preparations, the antihistamine chlorpheniramine (or the dextro enantiomer dexchlorpheniramine), and the phenethylamines phenylephrine, phenylpropanolamine and pseudoephedrine, has been studied using a C(18) column, micellar mobile phases of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and pentanol, and with UV detection. All possible combinations of chlorpheniramine/phenethylamine were resolved and determined using a mobile phase of 0.15 M SDS-6% (v/v) pentanol at pH 7, with analysis time below 7 min. Repeatabilities and within laboratory precisions were evaluated at four different drug concentrations in the range 0.5-25 mug ml(-1) (n=5), resulting RSDs below 1.6%. The drug amounts found in the analysis of 14 commercialised preparations agreed with those declared by the manufacturers within the tolerance limits, and with those obtained using an aqueous 60% (v/v) methanol reference mobile phase. No interference was observed from other accompanying drugs such as acetylsalicylic acid, ascorbic acid, betamethasone, caffeine, codeine phosphate, diphenhydramine, lactose, paracetamol, and prednisolone. The studied combinations required a rather high amount of methanol in conventional RPLC to be eluted from the column. In contrast, the proposed procedure used a much lower amount of organic solvent (pentanol), which is highly retained in the SDS solution, being also less toxic than methanol.

Quantitation of antihistamines in pharmaceutical preparations by liquid chromatography with a micellar mobile phase of sodium dodecyl sulfate and pentanol.

A reversed-phase liquid chromatographic procedure with a micellar mobile phase of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), containing a small amount of pentanol, was developed for the control of 7 antihistamines of diverse action in pharmaceutical preparations (tablets, capsules, powders, solutions, and syrups): azatadine, carbinoxamine, cyclizine, cyproheptadine, diphenhydramine, doxylamine, and tripelennamine. The retention times of the drugs were <9 min with a mobile phase of 0.15M SDS-6% (v/v) pentanol. The recoveries with respect to the declared compositions were in the range of 93-110%, and the intra- and interday repeatabilities and interday reproducibility were <1.2%. The results were similar to those obtained with a conventional 60 + 40 (v/v) methanol-water mixture, with the advantage of reduced toxicity, flammability, environmental impact, and cost of the micellar-pentanol solutions. The lower risk of evaporation of the organic solvent dissolved in the micellar solutions also increased the stability of the mobile phase.

Spectrophotometric determination of carbamate pesticides with diazotized trimethylaniline in a micellar medium of sodium dodecyl sulfate.

The spectrophotometric determination of the carbamate pesticides carbaryl, bendiocarb, carbofuran, methiocarb, promecarb and propoxur is proposed. The pesticides are hydrolyzed in alkaline medium to 1-naphthol or phenolates, which are coupled with diazotized trimethylaniline (TMA) in a sodium dodecyl sulfate micellar medium to form the azo dyes. The micellar medium increased the solubility of TMA and enhanced the sensitivity. The performance of TMA was compared with that of sulfanilic acid, which is the conventional reagent used in these determinations. Although the absorbance of the azo dyes of sulfanilic acid was also enhanced in the micellar solution, the sensitivity was still greater with TMA. Further, at the pH required for the coupling reaction (9.5), the absorbance of the blank was negligible with TMA but large with sulfanilic acid. Using TMA, the limits of detection were in the range 0.2-2 micrograms cm-3. The procedure was applied to the determination of carbaryl in spiked tap, river and pond water samples and to the evaluation of various carbamates in commercial pesticide formulations.

Enhanced spectrophotometric determination of nicotinic acid in a sodium dodecyl sulphate micellar medium.

The spectrophotometric determination of pyridine and pyridine derivatives by means of the König reaction was studied in micellar media of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), N-cetylpyridinium chloride and Triton X-100. The sensitivity was largely increased in SDS micellar medium. The attack of the pyridine ring with cyanogen bromide to produce a glutaconic aldehyde was not affected by the presence of SDS, but the yield of the coupling reaction with an arylamine to produce a polymethine dye was largely increased. In the SDS micellar medium, aniline was superior to other coupling reagents. The limits of detection (LODs) were 6 x 10(-7), 1 x 10(-6) and 5 x 10(-7)M for pyridine, pyrrol-ylmethylpyridine and nicotinic acid, respectively, and the reproducibility for 2 x 10(-5)M solutions was ca. 2%. In the absence of SDS, the LODs were 3 x 10(-6), 3 x 10(-6) and 9 x 10(-6)M, respectively, and the reproducibility was ca. 3.5%. Application was made to the determination of nicotinic acid in pharmaceuticals.