Development and validation of a spectrophotometric method for the determination of macrolide antibiotics by using 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine.

A simple, novel, sensitive, and specific spectrophotometric method was developed and validated for the determination of azithromycin (AZ), clarithromycin (CLA), and roxithromycin (ROX) in bulk powders and their dosage forms. The proposed method was based on the interaction of any of the cited drugs with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine in the presence of an acid catalyst, followed by treatment with a methanolic solution of potassium hydroxide; an intensely colored chromogen was formed that was measured in dimethylformamide, as the diluting solvent, at 542-545, 523-526, and 539-542 nm for AZ, CLA, and ROX, respectively. All variables affecting the development of the measured chromogens were studied and optimized. Beer's law was obeyed in the concentration ranges of 5-40, 5-35, and 5-35 microg/mL for AZ, CLA, and ROX, respectively, with good correlation coefficients (0.9991-0.9999). The limits of detection for this method ranged from 0.77 to 1.47 microg/mL, and the relative standard deviations were 1.24-1.8%. The proposed method was applied successfully to the determination of the 3 drugs in pure bulk form, tablets, and suspensions without interference from commonly encountered additives. The results compared favorably with those of a previously reported method. The mechanism of the reaction was also studied.