Separation and quantitation of methenamine in urine by ion-pair extraction

An ion-pair extraction technique is described for separating methenamine, a urinary tract antibacterial agent, from formaldehyde in human urine samples. Separation conditions are developed from extraction constants for the methenamine-bromocresol green ion-pair. The technique involves adsorption of the ion-pair onto a silica cartridge and elution with methylene chloride:1-pentanol (95:5). Methenamine is freed from the ion-pair by the addition of excess tetrabutylammonium iodide and converted to formaldehyde (determined spectrophotometrically) by reaction with ammonia and acetylacetone. Linear standard plots were obtained from urine containing methenamine which was diluted to 10-160 micrograms/mL. The lower limit of detection was 6 micrograms/mL of methenamine. Absolute recovery from urine was greater than or equal to 94.5%. The precision (CV) of detection of methenamine in the presence of formaldehyde was less than 2%, and less than or equal to 4.5% for the detection of formaldehyde in the presence of methenamine. No interferences were noted. The applicability of the method was demonstrated by analysis of human urine levels of both methenamine and formaldehyde following oral administration of a methenamine salt to a volunteer.