Determination of antitubercular drugs in urine and pharmaceuticals by LC using a gradient flow combined with programmed diode array photometric detection.

The simultaneous determination of the antitubercular drugs rifampicin, pyrazinamide, isoniazid and the acetylisoniazid metabolite has been accomplished by LC, using a C-18 analytical column. The assayed drugs are usually administered together in the treatment of tuberculosis. Creatinine was also included in the chromatographic determination, in order to establish the curve of excretion of the drugs in urine. The chromatographic method uses a gradient flow in three steps, in conjunction with a programmed diode array photometric detection. In a 0.02 M potassium dihydrogen phosphate pH 7.0 buffer, a 5% (v/v) content of methanol for 1 min, a 8% (v/v) content of methanol for 3.4 min, and a 75% (v/v) content of methanol for 4 min were used. At 4.5 min, the wavelength value of detection was changed from 254 to 475 nm. Creatinine, acetylisoniazid, isoniazid and pyrazinamide were eluted in the first 4.5 min and rifampicin before 8 min. The method has been satisfactorily applied to the determination of the drugs in urine samples and in pharmaceuticals. The proposed LC method is simple, and a short time, less than 8 min is necessary for compounds elution.