Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of halogenated 8-hydroxyquinoline compounds in pharmaceuticals and bulk drugs.

A reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed for determining iodochlorhydroxyquin, 5,7-dichloro-8-hydroxyquinoline, and 5,7-diiodo-8-hydroxyquinoline in creams, ointments, shampoos, tablets, and bulk drugs. A column packed with 10-micron phenyl-silica and a mobile phase of 0.001 M NiCl2 in acetonitrile-methanol-water (30:20:50) was used to separate the nickel complexes of the three drugs, with detection at 273 nm. Analysis of creams, ointments, shampoos, and tablets gave results close to the label declarations. Recovery of standard material added to samples was greater than or equal to 98%. Linearity of response was shown over a range of 30-150% of label claim for standards of the three drug substances. Multiple analyses of iodochlorhydroxyquin and diiodohydroxyquinoline bulk drugs showed purities of 99.96 and 98.77% with CV of 1.17 and 0.73%, respectively. The HPLC method offers an alternative to current USP procedures, which lack stability-indicating and specificity characteristics.