Photodegradation products of levofloxacin in aqueous solution.

The photodegradation of levofloxacin (DR-3355, CAS 100986-85-4), the S-(-)-isomer of ofloxacin, was investigated. Levofloxacin in aqueous solution was exposed to near ultraviolet light (peak wavelength 352 nm) for 16 h at room temperature. Nine degradation products (P-2-P-10) were isolated from the reaction mixture by preparative high performance liquid chromatography. The structures of these compounds were deduced from their NMR, MS, UV and IR spectra and optical rotations. The elucidated structures showed that all of these degradation products were analogues altered at the N-methylpiperazine moiety of levofloxacin.