DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF BIOANALYTICAL HPLC METHOD FOR SIMULTANEOUS ESTIMATION OF CILNIDIPINE AND NEBIVOLOL IN HUMAN PLASMA

Abstract

Objective: To develop and validate a modified isocratic reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) method for determination of cilnidipine and nebivolol in human plasma to be used for pharmacokinetic studies.

Methods: The drug was extracted from plasma samples by direct protein precipitation technique using acetonitrile. Amlodipine was used as internal standard (IS). Samples were analyzed on BDS C₁₈ column (250 x 4.6 mm, 5 µm), applying ortho phosphoric acid (0.1%): Acetonitrile, at a ratio of 45:55 v/v in isocratic mode as a mobile phase at a flow rate of 1 ml/min to attain adequate resolution. Separations were performed at room temperature and monitored at a wavelength of 260 nm after injection of 50μl samples into the HPLC system. The analytical method was validated according to FDA bioanalytical method validation guidance. The method was applied for pharmacokinetic study of cilnidipine and nebivolol tablets-10 mg and 5 mg were administered as a single dose to 6 healthy male rabbits under fasting condition. Twelve blood samples were withdrawn from each rabbit over 24 h periods. From the plasma concentration-time data of each individual, the pharmacokinetic parameters; Cmax, Tmax, AUC0-t and AUC0-∞ were calculated.

Results: A peak area was obtained for cilnidipine and nebivolol at 3.943 and 4.719 min retention time respectively. Linearity was established at a concentration range of 0.20-20 μg/ml (r²=0.999, n=8) for cilnidipine and 0.02-2 μg/ml (r²=0.999, n=8) for nebivolol. The lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) was identifiable and reproducible at 0.2μg/ml for cilnidipine and 0.02 μg/ml for nebivolol. The coefficients of variation (%cv) of the intra-day and inter-day precision of cilnidipine at 600, 1000 and 1600ng/ml levels were found to be 6.90%, 6.19%, 5.22%; and 7.74%, 6.54%, 5.77%, respectively, which are lower than the accepted criteria limits (15-20 %). The mean recovery (%) cilnidipine at 600, 1000, and 1600ng/ml was found to be 101.03%, 99.27% and 104.87%, and for nebivolol 60, 100, and 160 ng/ml was found to be 106.13%, 107.03% and 98.06% respectively. Stability at different conditions and in autosampler was also established. The mean pharmacokinetic parameters; Cmax, Tmax, AUC0-t and AUC0-∞ were 6 ng/ml, 2 hr, 96.76 mg. hr/ml, 63.45 mg. hr/ml for cilnidipine and 5.8ng/ml, 2hr, 74.78 mg. hr/ml, 100.25 mg. hr/ml for nebivolol respectively.

Conclusion: The present analytical method was found to be specific, sensitive, accurate and precise for quantification of cilnidipine and nebivolol in human plasma. It can be successively applied for pharmacokinetics, bioavailability and bioequivalence studies.