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The development and validation of a significantly cost effective and simpler anion-exchange high performance liquid chromatorgaphic (HPLC) procedure than the compendial methods for the analysis of captopril in tablet dosage forms using indirect photometric detection is described. A low capacity anion-exchange column was used with potassium phthalate as the mobile phase marker and indirect detection at 280 nm. The chromatographic conditions were optimized using the Box and Behnken factorial experimental design. The method was precise and accurate with percent recovery (±%R.S.D.) of 99.8±0.7% ( n =12) with the spiked concentrations ranging between ±30% of the assay level. Youden and Steiner's robustness test, involving seven chosen variables, showed that the method is robust. Using the developed method, commercially available captopril tablets were assayed and the results were found to be comparable with those obtained by the compendial method.

There has been a growing interest during the past decade in the use of fiber optics dissolution testing. Use of this novel technology is mainly confined to research and development laboratories. It has not yet emerged as a tool for end product release testing despite its ability to generate in situ results and efficiency improvement. One potential reason may be the lack of clear validation guidelines that can be applied for the assessment of suitability of fiber optics. This article describes a comprehensive validation scheme and development of a reliable, robust, reproducible and cost-effective dissolution test using fiber optics technology. The test was successfully applied for characterizing the dissolution behavior of a 40-mg immediate-release tablet dosage form that is under development at Novartis Pharmaceuticals, East Hanover, New Jersey. The method was validated for the following parameters: linearity, precision, accuracy, specificity, and robustness. In particular, robustness was evaluated in terms of probe sampling depth and probe orientation. The in situ fiber optic method was found to be comparable to the existing manual sampling dissolution method. Finally, the fiber optic dissolution test was successfully performed by different operators on different days, to further enhance the validity of the method. The results demonstrate that the fiber optics technology can be successfully validated for end product dissolution/release testing.

A simple and rapid stability-indicating HPLC assay procedure has been developed and validated for metronidazole benzoate. The HPLC conditions were as follows, column: Waters Symmetry C8, 5 microm packing, 4.6 mm x 250 mm; detection: UV at 271 nm; injection volume: 20 microl; mobile phase: acetonitrile-0.1% glacial acetic acid in monobasic potassium phosphate (0.01 M) (40:60, v/v); isocratic elution under ambient temperature at 2.0 ml min(-1). The procedure separated metronidazole benzoate and its potential degradation products, metronidazole and benzoic acid, in an overall analysis time of about 6 min with metronidazole benzoate eluting at about 5 min. The injection repeatability was 0.03%, and the intraday and interday repeatability were 0.4 and 0.7%, respectively. The procedure provided a linear response over the concentration range 0.2-800 microg ml(-1) (r=1.0000) with the limits of detection and quantitation 0.03 and 0.2 microg ml(-1), respectively. The solubilities of metronidazole benzoate in water, 0.01 M hydrochloric acid and 0.05 M phosphate buffer, pH 6.8, determined each in triplicate using the procedure, were 0.2 mg ml(-1) (R.S.D. 7%), 0.4 mg ml(-1) (R.S.D. 2%) and 0.2 mg ml(-1) (R.S.D. 8%), respectively. The results show no detectable hydrolysis of metronidazole benzoate in 0.01 M hydrochloric acid at 37 degrees C or in the mobile phase at ambient temperature in 10 h.

A method using pharmacologically based and visual limit of detection criteria to determine the acceptable residue level for Meclizine Hydrochloride (MH) on pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment surfaces after cleaning is described. A formula was used in order to determine the pharmacologically safe cleaning level for MH. This level was termed as specific residual cleaning Level (SRCL) and calculated to be 50 microg 100 cm(-2). The visual limit of detection (VLOD) was determined by spiking different levels of MH on stainless steel plates and having the plates examined by a group of observers. The lowest level that could be visually detected by the majority of the observers, 62.5 microg 100 cm(-2), was considered as the VLOD for MH. The lower of the SRCL and VLOD values, i.e. 50 microg 100 cm(-2), was therefore chosen as the cleaning acceptance criterion. A sensitive reversed-phase HPLC method was developed and validated for the assay of MH in swabs used to test equipment surfaces. Using this method, the mean recoveries of MH from spiked swabs and '180-Grit' stainless steel plates were 87.0 and 89.5% with relative standard deviations (RSD) of +/- 3.3 and +/- 2.4%, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the assay of actual swab samples collected from the equipment surfaces. The stability of MH on stainless steel plates, on cleaning swabs and in the extraction solution was investigated.

Camphor and m-cresol mixtures are used in antiseptic and anti-itching creams. No compendial method exists for these preparations. This paper reports a capillary gas chromatographic method using FID detection with 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol as internal standard on a 30 m x 0.32 mm Supelcowax -10 column (0.25 micron film) with helium as carrier gas. Ramped temperature programming was applied. The method allows simultaneous quantitation of camphor and m-cresol in the presence of o- and p-cresols, calamine and zinc oxide. Overall percent recoveries (+/- SD, n = 9) of camphor, o-, p- and m-cresol from spiked placebo creams, at a labeled amount of 10 (w/w)% were 96.9 +/- 0.6, 98.2 +/- 0.6, 99.2 +/- 0.5 and 101.0 +/- 0.9%, respectively, and at a labeled amount of 1% were 96.7 +/- 0.6, 97.8 +/- 0.9, 97.8 +/- 0.6, and 100.3 +/- 1.0%, respectively. The recovery studies were carried out at +/- 30% of the labeled amounts. Linear peak area or height ratios were obtained (r0.999) for camphor, o-, p- and m-cresol covering a concentration range of 10-200% of the labeled amount. Linearity (r0.999) was also obtained for m-cresol when the relative concentration of o- and p-cresol was varied from 5 to 100% of the m-cresol concentration. The resolution between the 'critical pair' of p- and m-cresol wasor = 1.1. The limit of quantitation was 23 pg for m-cresol and 9.3 pg for camphor using an injection split of 1:50. The repeatability (%RSD) for all compounds were2% for peak area and1.4% for peak height ratios. System suitability and robustness of the method were established. The method was successively applied to the assay of available commercial products and allows assay of camphor and the three cresol isomers.

A capillary gas chromatographic method is described for the determination of methenamine hippurate residue in swabs collected from manufacturing equipment surfaces. Any residual methenamine hippurate remaining on process equipment after cleaning is removed by swabbing with one wet polyester Absorbond swab (4" x 4") pre-moistened with water followed by a dry Absorbond swab. The residual methenamine hippurate is chromatographed on a 30 x 0.32 mm (i.d.) Supelcowax-10 capillary column of 0.25-micron film thickness. The amount of residual methenamine hippurate is determined by comparing the ratio of methenamine hippurate peak area response to that of p-cresol (internal standard) obtained for the sample to a linear calibration curve obtained for a series of standard solutions. The method is demonstrated to be sufficiently linear, accurate, precise, sensitive and rugged for the determination of low levels of methenamine hippurate on equipment surfaces. Using this method, the mean recovery of methenamine hippurate from spiked Absorbond swab samples contained in high density polyethylene bottles was 105.2%, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of +/- 7.1% (n = 25). The mean recoveries of methenamine hippurate from spiked test plates for '180 Grit' Stainless Steel, Teflon and WARCO White (neoprene and PVC) gasket material were 77.2, 96.1 and 50.6%, with RSDs of +/- 9.4 (n = 25), +/- 4.3 (n = 25) and +/- 36% (n = 20), respectively. Recovery correction factors have been incorporated into the method. The method was successfully applied to the assay of actual equipment cleaning validation swab samples. Stability studies demonstrate that methenamine hippurate is not very stable on the equipment surfaces or in the swabs. It is recommended that the surfaces be swabbed immediately after cleaning and the swabs analyzed within 24 h after sample collection. The results demonstrate that in order to fully validate the cleaning procedures, it is not only necessary to investigate the recovery of the drug from equipment surfaces and swabs but also that the stability of the drug on the surfaces and swabs be determined.