Normal- and reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography of seven oral antidiabetic agents

Abstract

The chromatographic behavior of seven oral antidiabetic drugs — chlorpropamide, tolbutamide, glibenclamide, metformin, pioglitazone, rosiglitazone, and repaglinide — has been investigated. Normal-phase chromatography was performed on silica gel and alumina layers with mixtures of chloroform, diethyl ether, and ethyl acetate as mobile phases. For more effective resolution aqueous ammonia or acetic acid was added to the mobile phases. Silica gel enabled better separation than alumina. Reversed-phase chromatography was performed on octadecyl-bonded silica gel (RP-18) with mixtures of acetonitrile or 2-propanol with phosphate buffer as mobile phases. The effect of pH on the separation of the drugs was also examined. For separation of these drugs reversed-phase chromatography was more effective than use of normal-phase mode.