SENSITIVE DETERMINATION OF NITROFURANTOIN IN HUMAN PLASMA AND URINE BY HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY

A highly sensitive and selective HPLC method was developed and validat ed for the determination of nitrofurantoin in human plasma and urine. The method involves the liquid-liquid extraction of drug and internal standard from plasma with ethyl acetate followed by evaporation and re constitution in mobile phase. Urine samples were simply diluted with p urified water. UV detection was done at 370 nm. The limit of quantific ation for nitrofurantoin in plasma was 0.010 mu g/ml. In urine nitrofu rantoin could be quantified down to 0.380 mu g/ml. Linearity was prove n over the whole calibration range in plasma (2.48-0.0100 mu g/ml) as well as in urine (187 mu g/ml-0.380 mu g/ml). The method was validated according to Good Laboratory Practice guidelines and its suitability was demonstrated by analysis of samples from a pharmacokinetic study.