Liquid chromatographic determination of morantel tartrate in cattle feed

A liquid chromatographic (LC) method is proposed for measuring 0.485-0.970% morantel tartrate in cattle feeds. The drug is leached from feed, diluted, separated from interfering substances on a silica column, and measured in the effluent stream by 313 nm spectrophotometric detection. Two potential degradation products, i.e., cis-isomer of morantel tartrate and N-(3-methylaminopropyl)-trans-3-(3-methyl-2-thienyl)acrylamide, and a related anthelmintic, i.e., pyrantel tartrate, do not interfere. Average recovery of drug from liquid spiked samples and laboratory blends was 98-100% with a maximum coefficient of variation (CV) of 2.3%. Results for pelleted and crumbled commercial scale feeds ranged from 94 to 102% of label claim, with a maximum CV of 1.5%.