Determination of endotoxin in injectable antibiotic preparations by the chromogenic assay method using a Limulus reagent (Tachypleus hemocyte lysate) and a chromogenic substrate.

The effects of 50 antibiotics on the detection and determination of bacterial endotoxins by the chromogenic method using a Limulus reagent (Tachypleus hemocyte lysate) and a chromogenic substrate of p-nitroaniline derivatives were tested, and the antibiotic concentration for 50% inhibition of the chromogenic reaction in the presence of 0.5 ng of endotoxin (Escherichia coli 0111:B4) per ml was estimated. All the antibiotic preparations were depyrogenized by ultrafiltration treatment before they were subjected to the test. The reaction was conducted in the presence of a high concentration (0.5 M) of Tris buffer to constantly maintain the pH of the reaction mixture, and liberated p-nitroaniline was determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Several aminoglycosides (amikacin, bekanamycin, kanamycin, and streptomycin sulfate), bleomycin hydrochloride, and fosfomycin disodium showed no inhibition of the reaction up to 20 mg/ml. However, other antibiotics, including penicillins, cephalosporins, macrolides, and tetracyclines, inhibited the reaction concentration dependently. Polymyxin B sulfate was the most potent inhibitor, with less than 8 micrograms/ml for 50% inhibition. It was concluded that the chromogenic method can be applied to the detection and determination of endotoxin in most of the antibiotic preparations. An application of this method to carbenicillin disodium preparations was exemplified.