Liquid chromatographic determination of atropine in nerve gas antidotes and other dosage forms

A simple and specific liquid chromatographic method was developed for the determination of atropine in nerve gas antidotes and several other dosage forms. The method is also used simultaneously to quantitate phenol, an antimicrobial agent present in nerve gas antidotes, and to monitor the level of tropic acid, a principal degradation product of atropine. The system uses a Spherisorb CN column and a mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.05M sodium phosphate monobasic (10 + 90), pH 4.0. The detection wavelength is 220 nm. The method was validated by testing for accuracy, linearity, reproducibility and precision. In addition, the proposed method was applied to 8 commercial preparations of atropine, including injectables, ophthalmic solutions, and ointments, and was found to be satisfactory and free from interferences from preservatives, such as benzyl alcohol, methylparaben, benzalkonium chloride and chlorobutanol, that are present in these formulations.