Computer-assisted optimization of the gas chromatographic separation of equine estrogens.

The pharmaceutically important conjugated estrogens of the type excreted by pregnant mares were baseline-resolved by gas chromatography (GC) on a SE-30 fused-silica open tubular column after acid hydrolysis and conversion to their tert.-butyldimethylsilyl derivatives. The temperature-programmed conditions were optimized with the aid of DryLab GC software with excellent agreement between the predicted and experimental results. The composition of conjugated estrogens in Premarin tablets is described as an application of the method.