Estimation of theophylline in plasma by thin-layer chromatography

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Accurate quantification of theophylline is crucial for therapeutic drug monitoring.
• Existing methods like HPLC and GC can be time-consuming and complex.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a quantitative thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) procedure for theophylline determination.
• To assess the method's accuracy, specificity, and efficiency compared to existing techniques.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative TLC method was developed using 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine as an internal standard.
• The procedure involved sample extraction followed by TLC analysis.
• Method performance was compared against a reference gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) method.

Main Results:

• The TLC method demonstrated accuracy and specificity, showing no interference from other xanthines or common co-prescribed drugs.
• Results showed acceptable correlation with the established GLC reference method.
• The TLC procedure processed batches of six or more samples significantly faster than serial HPLC or GLC.

Conclusions:

• The evaluated TLC method provides a rapid, accurate, and specific approach for theophylline quantification.
• This method offers a practical and efficient alternative for clinical laboratories, especially for high-throughput sample analysis.