Study on the electrochemical detection of the macrolide antibiotics clarithromycin and roxithromycin in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

The optimal conditions of the amperometric detection of the macrolide antib iotics clarithromycin and roxithromycin were found by cyclic voltammetric s tudies and HPLC-electrochemical detection responses obtained in different t emperatures (25.5-60 degreesC) and different but almost isoelutropic binary , ternary and quaternary mixtures of aqueous buffer (pH 7), methanol, aceto nitrile and isopropanol. These conditions were also proved to be applicable for the quantitative detection of clarithromycin in human plasma using rox ithromycin as an internal standard and vice verse. It was demonstrated that increased attention has to be paid to eluent composition and column temper ature to ensure sensitive and reproducible electrochemical responses as wel l as regularly shaped peaks for both macrolides tested. (C) 2001 Elsevier S cience B.V. All rights reserved.