Liquid chromatographic determination of organic nitrogenous bases in dosage forms: a progress report

A liquid chromatographic (LC) method has been developed as a general procedure for the assay of the salts of organic nitrogenous bases in a variety of dosage forms. The method uses a nitrile-bonded reverse phase column, a methanol-0.003M ammonium acetate (90 + 10) mobile phase, and photometric detection at 254 nm. The sample is dissolved in the mobile phase and an aliquot is injected through a 20 microL injection loop. Average recovery values for duplicate assays were chlorpheniramine maleate injection 97.8%, chlorpheniramine maleate tablets 99.1%, cyclizine hydrochloride tablets 100.0%, doxylamine succinate tablets 103.3%, mesoridazine besylate tablets 100.4%, pentazocine hydrochloride tablets 103.0%, promethazine hydrochloride injection 98.4%, protriptyline hydrochloride tablets 101.2%, pyrilamine maleate tablets 97.8%, pyrimethamine tablets 100.0%, tripelennamine citrate elixir 100.0%, and tripelennamine hydrochloride tablets 97.2%. Results by this method were in good agreement with those obtained by the USP XX method. This study, which is being continued, will be expanded to include additional drugs.