Reverse phase liquid chromatographic assay for calcium pantothenate in multivitamin preparations and raw materials

A reverse phase liquid chromatographic (LC) method has been developed for the assay of calcium pantothenate in commercial multivitamin tablet formulations and raw materials. The assay was validated according to the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association Quality Control HPLC Committee guidelines. The chromatographic system includes a C-18 column and a mobile phase consisting of 0.25M sodium phosphate buffer, pH 2.5, and acetonitrile (97 + 3 v/v). The column effluent is monitored by UV detection at 205 nm. The sample preparation involves only extraction in water followed by filtration. The method is stability-indicating with a detection limit of approximately 50 ng/mL of the calcium pantothenate in the samples. The system is linear from at least 0.02 to 0.10 mg/mL. The mean recovery of spiked placebos ranged from 98.7 to 99.8%. The within-day precision of the assay on finished products (N = 6) ranged from 0.3 to 2.0% CV. A system suitability criterion for resolution is based on the separation between calcium pantothenate and 2 closely eluting compounds, saccharin and a saccharin degradation product, 2-sulfamoylbenzoic acid.