Analysis of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Using a Highly Pure, High Surface Area C18 HPLC Column

Importance of the Topic

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used to treat pain, inflammation and fever. Reliable and rapid chromatographic methods are essential for quality control and pharmacokinetic studies, ensuring dosage accuracy and patient safety.

Objectives and Study Overview

This study evaluates the performance of the Thermo Scientific Syncronis C18 HPLC column for the separation of seven common NSAIDs in a fast, reproducible method suitable for routine analysis.

Methodology and Instrumentation

Sample preparation involved dissolving individual drugs at 1 mg/mL and diluting to working concentrations ranging from 15 to 100 µg/mL. Chromatographic separation was achieved under the following conditions:

• Column phase Syncronis C18, 3 µm, 100 × 3.0 mm
• Mobile phase A 0.1% formic acid in water, B 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile
• Gradient from 50% to 75% B over 5 minutes, flow rate 0.6 mL/min
• Column temperature 30 °C, injection volume 10 µL, detection at 260 nm
• Run time 7 minutes, system pressure approximately 207 bar

Consumables included HPLC grade solvents and autosampler vials from Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Main Results and Discussion

The method achieved baseline separation of all seven NSAIDs with retention times between 1.3 and 4.9 minutes. Peak asymmetry values were close to unity and resolution factors exceeded USP criteria for adjacent peaks. Six consecutive injections showed retention time RSD values below 0.12%, demonstrating excellent method robustness and reproducibility.

Benefits and Practical Applications

This HPLC approach offers:

• Fast analysis suited to high-throughput laboratories
• High resolution and sharp peak shapes
• Minimal secondary interactions through optimized stationary phase chemistry
• Reproducible performance across multiple runs

Future Trends and Opportunities

Advances in ultra-high pressure systems and coupling with mass spectrometry could further reduce analysis time and enhance sensitivity. Expanding the method to additional drug classes or biological matrices may support broader pharmaceutical applications and therapeutic monitoring.

Conclusion

The Syncronis C18 column provides a robust, reproducible and rapid solution for routine NSAID analysis, fulfilling key requirements for analytical laboratories in research and quality control settings.

Reference

1. Medicinenet.com
2. Wikipedia NSAIDs