Optimization of mobile phase in the separation of beta-blockers by HPLC

Beta-blockers are generally determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Previous HPLC separations of beta-blockers have often required a mobile phase containing three components; acetonitrile or methanol to control the retention; buffer to control the ionic strength and pH of the mobile phase; ion-pairing reagent to provide adequate retention of beta-blockers or organic amines as masking agent to reduce peak tailing. Due to the complexity of the mobile phases employed, development of these assays can be a laborious process. Additionally, alkyl sulphonates and organic amines dramatically reduces the life-time reduction of silica based C18 columns. The results of this study demonstrated that the addition of tested alkyl sulphonates and organic amines is not essential for an adequate separation of beta-blockers. In this study, we developed a simple HPLC method for the simultaneous separation of model beta-blockers, atenolol, practolol, metoprolol, oxprenolol and propranolol. Atenolol, practolol, metoprolol, oxprenolol and propranolol adequately separated with high peak symmetries using a mobile phase consisted of methanol/acetonitrile/phosphate buffer (10 mM, pH 3.0) (15:15:70, v/v/v). By altering only the fraction of methanol with respect to acetonitrile, method development becomes a more efficient separation. Furthermore, atenolol, practolol, metoprolol, oxprenolol and propranolol can be detected up to 0.25, 5, 10, 50 and 10 ng ml(-1). In this publication, we present the simultaneous separation of beta-blockers having a wide range of polarity. It is proposed that this new mobile phase, consisting only acetonitrile, methanol and phosphate buffer can be used for the analysis of the several beta-blockers presently in doping control analysis as well as others.