Method for simultaneously determining the Rifampin, Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide and Ethambutol in the combined fixed-dose tablets

Abstract

Tablets containing isoniazid, pyrazinamide, ethambutol and rifampicin are used for tuberculosis treatment, and theyare freely distributed by the Brazilian National Health System. The official analytical methods for testing those substances in fixed-dose combined tablet are described in the United States Pharmacopeia and theInternational Pharmacopoeia. None of these official compendiums refers to the methodologies forconducting the simultaneous analysis of these four drugs. This study aimedatdeveloping an analytical methodology to determine simultaneously allof four drugs in tablets for tuberculosis treatment, bymeans ofhigh performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet-visible detector. The developed method used a chromatographic column with octadecylsilane stationary phase (250 mm x 4.6 mm x 5 μm particle size). The mobile phase was aqueous (85 % ammonium formate buffer pH 5, 15 % methanol and 250 mg CuSO4.5H2O), and organic phase (methanol, 0.1 % triethylamine and 0.2 % formic acid). The flow was 1.0 mL/min, at a wavelength of 265 nm or, when the equipment allowed, a wavelength of 265 nm for isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol and 335 nm for rifampicin. The developed methodology showed satisfactory results regarding the precision parameter, with relative standard deviation lower than 2.0 % for the studied drugs.