A novel RP-HPLC method for the detection and quantification of clarithromycin or spiramycin in bulk drug samples and dosage forms

Abstract

Objective: This study was aimed at developing an HPLC method that would be suitable and sufficiently robust to analyze clarithromycin or spiramycin from bulk materials, amorphous solid dispersions as well as when included into solid dosage forms. Methods: A C8 column (250 x 4.6 mm, 5 µm) was used as stationary phase, the mobile phase consisted of 0.1 M dipotassium hydrogen orthophosphate buffer (pH 6.0) and acetonitrile in a 50:50 (% v/v) ratio. The flow rate was set to 0.5 ml/min. UV detection of 210 nm was used for clarithromycin and 232 nm for spiramycin. Ambient column and sample tray temperatures were used. Results: The method proved to be suitable for the detection of both macrolide antibiotics in bulk samples, as part of amorphous solid dispersions as well as in dosage forms. The isocratic elution was rapid. The method was validated in terms of system suitability, limits of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), accuracy, precision, linearity, and specificity. This method showed linearity across the concentration range of 4.0–5000.0 µg/ml for both antibiotics. Conclusion: The developed method showed to be a simple and sufficiently sensitive method for the detection and quantification of either clarithromycin or spiramycin from samples that might contain even very small quantities of the antibiotics