Determination of clarithromycin in human serum by high-performance liquid chromatography after pre-column derivatization with 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate: application to a bioequivalence study

A sensitive liquid chromatographic method for the analysis of clarithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic, in human serum using pre-column derivatization with 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate (FMOC-Cl) is described. The method involved liquid-liquid extraction of the drug and an internal standard (amantadine) followed by pre-column derivatization of the analytes with FMOC-Cl. A mixture of 0.05 M phosphate buffer containing triethylamine (2 mL L(-1); pH 3.8) and methanol (17:83, v/v) was used as mobile phase and chromatographic separation was achieved on a Shimpack CLC-ODS column. The eluate was monitored by a fluorescence detector with respective excitation and emission wavelengths of 265 and 315 nm. The analytical method was linear over the concentration range of 0.025-10 microg mL(-1) of clarithromycin in human serum with a limit of quantification of 0.025 microg mL(-1). The assay is sensitive enough to measure drug levels obtained in human single dose studies. In the present method, sensitivity and run time of analysis have been improved, and successfully applied in a bioequivalence study of three different clarithromycin preparations in 12 healthy volunteers.