Analysis of ciprofloxacin by a simple high-performance liquid chromatography method

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Pharmacokinetics
• Pharmaceutical Analysis

Background:

• Ciprofloxacin is a widely used fluoroquinolone antibiotic.
• Accurate quantification of ciprofloxacin in biological matrices and pharmaceutical formulations is crucial for therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacokinetic studies.
• Existing analytical methods may lack sensitivity, require complex sample preparation, or are time-consuming.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a simple, sensitive, and rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the quantitative analysis of ciprofloxacin.
• To determine the linearity, accuracy, precision, and recovery of the developed HPLC method for ciprofloxacin in pharmaceutical samples and human plasma.
• To apply the validated method in a pharmacokinetic study.

Main Methods:

• Reversed-phase HPLC using an RP-C18 column.
• Isocratic mobile phase: acetonitrile-2% acetic acid aqueous solution (16:84, v/v).
• UV detection at 280 nm with umbelliferone as the internal standard.
• Flow rate: 1.0 mL/min.
• Limit of detection (LOD): 0.25 µM.

Main Results:

• Linearity (r > 0.9999) was achieved over wide concentration ranges (0.51–130 µM for pharmaceuticals, 0.51–64.8 µM for plasma).
• Intra- and inter-day precision (relative standard deviation) were <3.39%, and accuracy (relative error) were <5.71%.
• Recovery rates exceeded 93.8% for both sample types.
• The method demonstrated high sensitivity with a low LOD of 0.25 µM.
• Successful application in a pharmacokinetic study of ciprofloxacin administration.

Conclusions:

• The developed HPLC method is simple, sensitive, and accurate for quantifying ciprofloxacin.
• This method is suitable for both pharmaceutical analysis and pharmacokinetic studies involving human plasma.
• The method's efficiency and reliability make it a valuable tool for clinical and research applications.