Chromatographic Determination of Cyclopentolate Hydrochloride and Phenylephrine Hydrochloride in the Presence of Their Potential Degradation Products.

Two sensitive, selective, and precise stability-indicating methods have been developed for the simultaneous determination of the active pharmaceutical ingredients cyclopentolate hydrochloride (CLO) and phenylephrine hydrochloride (PHE) in their pure forms and in the presence of their degradation products. The methods were applied for the determination of CLO and PHE in a pharmaceutical formulation. Method A was based on isocratic elution HPLC determination. Separation was achieved using a Waters Spherisorb ODS2 C18 analytical column (5 μm particle size) and a mobile phase of 0.1% heptane-1-sulphonic acid sodium salt in methanol-water (80 + 20, v/v). The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min and detection was performed at 210 nm. Method B was an HPTLC- densitometric method using HPTLC silica gel 60 F254 plates and an optimized mobile phase of ethyl acetate-methanol-ammonia (8 + 2 + 0.1, v/v/v). The separated spots were densitometrically scanned at 210 nm. Polynomial equations were used for regression. The developed methods are suitable for the determination of CLO and PHE in their binary mixture and in the presence of their corresponding degradation products. The two methods were validated in compliance with International Conference on Harmonization guidelines and successfully applied for the determination of CLO and PHE as synthetically prepared in laboratory mixtures and in the presence of their possible degradation products. CLO alkaline degradation products were stated as potential impurities in British Pharmacopoeia. The degradation products were separated and identified by mass spectra. Postulation of a PHE oxidative degradation pathway was suggested. The obtained results were statistically analyzed and compared with those obtained by applying the official methods for both drugs.