Thin-layer chromatographic separation of cinchona alkaloids

Analysis of the Cinchona alkaloids by high-performance liquid chromatography and other separation techniques

The Cinchona alkaloids, which include the pharmaceuticals quinine and quinidine, continue to have a wide variety of important uses. A number of different chromatographic procedures have been developed for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of these compounds in a variety of sample matrices. Reversed-phase HPLC using ODS columns in combination with acidic mobile phases, and UV detection, is the most widely used method. Nevertheless, precautions need to be taken due to the strong silanophilic interactions which can occur with these analytes and the column surface, which can lead to poor peak shape and resolution. Different selectivity may be achieved in HPLC separations by use of alternative stationary phases, or by varying mobile phase pH. The specificity of detection systems may be improved by use of photodiode array UV detectors, or especially mass spectrometers. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) provides a cheap alternative analytical method, which is especially useful for qualitative analysis. High-performance TLC, gas chromatography, capillary electrophoresis and capillary electrochromatography are all methods which after some development, could prove useful for Cinchona alkaloid separations.

Analysis of Cinchona alkaloids by high-performance liquid chromatography. Application to the analysis of quinidine gluconate and quinidine sulfate and their dosage forms

The application of high-performance liquid chromatography to resolve the individual alkaloids present in marketed Cinchona alkaloids was investigated. Normal-phase and several reversed-phase systems were evaluated. The proposed procedure uses an alkylphenyl column; it adequately resolves quinidine, quinine, dihydroquinidine, dihydroquinine, cinchonine, cinchonidine, dihydrocinchonine and dihydrocinchonidine. Epiquinidine, epiquinine, quininone and quinitoxine are also resolved from quinidine and dihydroquinidine. This high degree of resolution enables the analysis of quinidine and its salts for their usual composition and establishes the absence of any cross-contamination or decomposition. The proposed procedure was applied to currently marketed samples of quinidine salts and their dosage forms. It was also applied to samples that were cross-contaminated or which contained decomposition products.