Improved column-switching liquid chromatographic method for the determination of the enantiomers of mefloquine.

ABSTRACT

A liquid chromatographic method for the determination of the enantiomers of mefloquine has been improved. The chromatography involved two columns an achiral cyanopropyl stationary phase for the quantification of (+/-)-mefloquine and a chiral naphthyl-urea stationary phase for the determination of the enantiomeric ratio. Compared with the previous method, which needed two detectors, this one used one detector-integrator to which the two columns are connected alternately by an automated column-switching system. The method is suitable for the quantification (0.05 microgram/ml) of mefloquine and the determination of enantiomeric ratios from 500-microliters plasma samples with ultraviolet detection.