Stability-indicating LC-UV method for the determination of eszopiclone and degradation impurities in tablet dosage form.

A sensitive, stability-indicating reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the determination of eszopiclone and related impurities in tablet dosage form. The chromatographic separation was achieved on an Inertsil C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm), using a mobile phase consisting of 0.05M monobasic sodium phosphate buffer containing 0.8% sodium lauryl sulfate (pH 3.5) and acetonitrile in the ratio of 60:40 (v/v), at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min and temperature of 40°C. Quantification was achieved with photodiode array detection at 303 nm. The described method showed excellent linearity over a range of limits of quantification to 4.8 µg/mL (150% of specification limit; i.e., 3.2 µg/mL). The drug product was subjected to the stress conditions of oxidative, acid, base, thermal and photolytic degradation. Eszopiclone degradation was observed in acid hydrolysis, base hydrolysis and peroxide stress conditions. Eszopiclone was stable in thermal and photolytic degradation conditions. The developed method is simple, selective and accurate for the quantification of impurities and degradation products of eszopiclone in tablet dosage form.