HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHIC METHOD for the simultaneous assay of reserpine, clopamide, and dihydroergocristine mesylate in tablets

RESERPINE (RP), a Rauwolfia alkaloid, has been used extensively in the treatment of hypertension and mental disorders due to its remarkable physiological properties. Its combination with clopamide (CP), a diuretic of the thiazide type that increases water and sodium excretion, increases the antihypertensive effects. Dihy-droergocristine mesylate (DM), a component of co-dergocrine mesylate, inhibits the hypertensive responses to stress. A combination of RP, CP, and DM was used for the treatment of hypertension with different severity and was recommended as a favorable combination for the treatment of hypertension in the elderly and in individuals with concomitant cerebral sclerosis3 The pharmaceutical combination of these three components is available in tablets containing 0.1 mg of RP, 5.0 mg of CP, and 0.5 mg of DM. Various methods have been reported for measuring RP, CP, or DM in pharmaceutical preparations4-13 r in biological samples.14-16 However, no HPLC analytical method has been reported for the simultaneous determination of RP, CP, and DM in pharmaceutical preparations containing these three components. This paper describes a reversed-phase HPLC method for the simultaneous quantitation of RP, CP, and DM in tablet formulations.