HPLC determination of phenylpropanolamine in pharmaceutical preparations using 4-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde as a derivatizing reagent.

A method is described for the high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) determination of phenylpropanolamine (PPA) based on precolumn derivatization with 4-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (DAB) and elution from phenomenex C-18 column with methanol-water and detection by spectrophotometry at 418 nm. Linear calibration was obtained with 9.4--46.9 microg ml(-1) with a detection limit of 4.7 ng ml(-1). Vitamin B(12) and rifampicin when present together with PPA separated completely and could be determined simultaneously. PPA was determined in pharmaceutical preparations with a relative standard deviation of 0.6--1.6%.