CONTINUOUS-FLOW CHEMILUMINOMETRIC DETERMINATION OF TETRACYCLINES IN PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATIONS AND HONEY BY OXIDATION WITH N-BROMOSUCCINIMIDE

A continuous flow chemiluminometric method for determining 0.050-3.00 mug CM-3 of tetracycline, 0.50-5.00 mug CM-3 of oxytetracycline, 0.50- 7.00 mug CM-3 of doxycycline and chlorotetracycline and 0.30-3.00 mug CM-3 of demeclocycline in pharmaceutical preparations and honey is des cribed. The method is based on the chemiluminescence produced by the a ction of N-bromosuccinimide on tetracyclines in alkaline solution. The emission intensity is greatly enhanced by the presence of ammonia. Th e procedure is automated and solutions can be analysed at a rate of 13 0 h-1 with a relative error of about 2%. During evaluation of possible interferences of the method, recoveries from solutions with common ex cipients and other concomitant compounds were in the ranges 97.8-104.0 and 96.6-109.4%, respectively. Recoveries of various tetracyclines fr om commercial formulations and honey samples were in the ranges 95.2-1 03.7 and 89.2-106.6%, respectively. The results obtained for the assay of commercial pharmaceutical preparations compared well with those ob tained by an official method and demonstrated accuracy and precision ( less-than-or-equal-to 5%).