Simple and clean determination of tetracyclines by flow injection analysis

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Pharmaceutical Analysis

Background:

• Tetracycline (TC) and oxytetracycline (OTC) are crucial veterinary antibiotics.
• Accurate quantification methods are essential for quality control in pharmaceutical production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an environmentally reliable analytical methodology for direct quantification of TC and OTC.
• To validate the method for use in commercial veterinary pharmaceuticals.

Main Methods:

• Continuous flow injection analysis with spectrophotometric detection.
• Utilized a diazo coupling reaction with diazotized sulfanilic acid.
• Optimized analytical conditions using experimental design.

Main Results:

• The method achieved quantification in the range of 1 to 40 μg mL⁻¹.
• Detection and quantification limits were 0.40 and 1.35 μg mL⁻¹, respectively.
• Successfully applied to commercial veterinary pharmaceutical samples, showing agreement with HPLC analysis.

Conclusions:

• The developed flow injection method is suitable for direct quantification of TC and OTC.
• The method provides a reliable tool for real-time quality control in the pharmaceutical industry.
• Facilitates immediate monitoring during the production of veterinary tetracycline formulations.