GLC and HPLC Determination of Diazepam and its Degradation Products in Pharmaceutical formulations

Abstract

Stability-indicating high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) and gas-liquid chromatographic (GLC) assays for diazepam in pharmaceutical formulations are described. In HPLC method, the material is extracted with 5 % aqueous methanol and chromatographed on a dimethyloctyl stationary phase using methanol-water-acetic acid (80: 20: 1) and propyl paraben internal standard. The system separated diazepam from the main degradation products, desmethyl diazepam (a synthetic precursor of diazepam) and the excipients present in ampoules and syrups. The GLC method included the extraction of diazepam and 2-methylamino-5-chiorobenzo-phenone (MACB) from aqueous acidic solution into chloro form leaving the other degradation products in the aqueous phase. The chloroform extract is evaporated to dryness, dissolved in chloroform containing diethylhexyl phtha-late as internal standard and chromatographed on an OV-17 stationary phase using flame ionisation detector. The results are compared with the BP method described for each formulation.