AN ACCURATE PROCEDURE FOR THE ANALYSIS OF AZITHROMYCIN IN FERRET FECES USING SOLID-PHASE EXTRACTION AND HPLC

Azithromycin has become one of the most widely prescribed macrolide an tibiotics due to the pharmacokinetic profile and broad spectrum of act ivity. A method for determining the level of azithromycin in ferret fe ces involving drying, methylene chloride extraction, solid phase extra ction (SPE) clean-up, and HPLC analysis was developed. The method was linear from 0.8 to 3.2 mg/mL with a mean recovery of 97% (0.6% RSD for 50 mg spiked simulated feces). The analysis was developed to quantita te approximately 50 mg of azithromycin in approximately 0.6g of dried feces. The HPLC method uses a pH 7.5 phosphate buffered mobile phase w ith a conventional C-18 column and UV detection at 205 nm. The HPLC sy stem is robust and column life is at least 1 month (similar to 200 inj ections).