Packaging and storage
Preserve in tight,light-resistant containers.Store at 25

,excursions permitted between 15

and 30

.
Chromatographic purity
Standard solutionand Standard dilutions
Dissolve a suitable quantity of
USP Metoprolol Tartrate RS,accurately weighed,in chloroform,and dilute quantitatively and stepwise with chloroform to obtain solutions having known concentrations of 1.0,0.5,0.2,and 0.1mg per mL,respectively.
Test solution
Dissolve a quantity of Metoprolol Tartrate in chloroform to obtain a solution containing 100mg per mL.
Chromatographic chamber
Line a suitable chamber (see
Chromatography á621ñ)with absorbent paper,and pour into the chamber 250mLof a mixture of chloroform,methanol,and ammonium hydroxide (80:15:2).Saturate the chamber for 1.5hours before using.
Detecting reagent
Prepare separate solutions of potassium iodide (1in 100)and soluble starch (prepared by triturating 3g in 10mLof cold water and adding the mixture to 90mLof boiling water with constant stirring).Just prior to use,mix 10mLof each solution with 3mLof alcohol.
Procedure
Apply separately 5-µLportions of the
Test solutionand each of the
Standard dilutionsto a suitable thin-layer chromatographic plate (see
Chromatography á621ñ)coated with a 0.25-mm layer of chromatographic silica gel mixture.Place the plate in the
Chromatographic chamber,seal the chamber,and allow the chromatogram to develop until the solvent front has moved about three-fourths of the length of the plate.Remove the plate,and dry in a current of warm air until the odor of ammonia is no longer perceptible (about 45minutes).Place a beaker containing 0.5g of potassium permanganate in a chamber.Add 5mLof 6Nhydrochloric acid to the beaker,and allow to equilibrate for 5minutes.Place the plate in the chamber for 5minutes.Remove the plate from the chamber,allow to stand in a current of cool air for 1hour,and spray with
Detecting reagent.If spots other than the principal spot are observed in the lane of the
Test solution,estimate the concentration of each by comparison with the
Standard dilutions:the spots from the 1.0,0.5,0.2,and 0.1mg per mL
Standard dilutionscorrespond to 1.0%,0.5%,0.2%,and 0.1%of impurities,respectively;and the sum of any observed impurities in the
Test solutionis not greater than 1.0%.
Assay
Dissolve about 280mg of Metoprolol Tartrate,accurately weighed,in 20mLof glacial acetic acid,and titrate with 0.1Nperchloric acid VS,determining the endpoint potentiometrically,using a glass electrode and a calomel electrode containing glacial acetic acid saturated with lithium chloride (see
Titrimetry á541ñ).Perform a blank determination,and make any necessary correction.Each mLof 0.1Nperchloric acid is equivalent to 34.24mg of (C
15H
25NO
3)
2·C
4H
6O
6.