Hplc Determination of N-Acetylcysteine in Pharmaceutical Preparations After Pre-Column Derivatization With ThiolyteRMB Using Fluorescence Detection

Abstract
From the three commercially available bimanes, monobromobimane (Thiolyte MB) can be easily used as a fluorescence label for various biomedically important thiols such as acetylcysteine. The optimum reaction conditions for the chemical derivatization reaction applied to acetylcysteine, the reversed-phase chromatographic system and the precautions to be taken for obtaining reproducible analytical data are outlined. RP-18 HPLC occurs using aqueous acetic acid-acetone mixtures with a fluorescence detector installed at 380 nm and 470 nm as excitation and emission wavelengths, respectively. Penicillamine is used as an internal standard, and cysteine and homocysteine can be determined with the same system. Picogram sensitivities can be reached and the influence of potent reducing agents such as sodium borohydride, tributylphosphine and dithioerythritol is discussed. The suggested method allows a specific and sensitive estimation of the mucolytic acetylcysteine in the presence of its disulfide oxidation products in various pharmaceutical formulations.

This publication has 32 references indexed in Scilit: