Limit of mercaptopurine
Prepare solutions in dimethylformamide containing,respectively,10mg of Azathioprine Sodium for Injection per mL,10mg of
USP Azathioprine RSper mL,and 100µg of
USP Mercaptopurine RSper mL.Apply 15µLof the
USP Mercaptopurine RSsolution and 5-µLportions of the other two solutions at points about 2cm from the bottom edge of a thin-layer chromatographic plate (see
Chromatography á621ñ)coated with a 250-µm layer of microcrystalline cellulose.Allow the spots to dry,and develop the chromatogram in a suitable chamber,using butyl alcohol,previously saturated with 5Nammonium hydroxide,as the solvent,until the solvent front has moved about 15cm from the point of application.Remove the plate,air-dry,and locate the spots by viewing under short-and long-wavelength UVlight:any spot in the chromatogram from azathioprine,other than the principal spot,is not more intense than the spot in the chromatogram obtained with
USP Mercaptopurine RS(3.0%).
Assay
Standard preparation
Transfer 25mg of
USP Azathioprine RS,accurately weighed,to a 50-mLvolumetric flask,dissolve in 2.5mLof 0.1Nsodium hydroxide,dilute with water to volume,and mix.Pipet 10.0mLof this solution into a 50-mLvolumetric flask,dilute with 0.1Nsulfuric acid to volume,and mix.
Assay preparation
Transfer the contents of 1vial of Azathioprine Sodium for Injection with the aid of water to a 100-mLvolumetric flask,dilute with water to volume,and mix.Pipet 10mLof this solution into another 100-mLvolumetric flask,dilute with 0.1Nsulfuric acid to volume,and mix.
Procedure
Transfer 20mLeach of the
Standard preparationand the
Assay preparation,separately,to polarographic cells,and deaerate for 10minutes with nitrogen that previously has been saturated with 0.1Nsulfuric acid.Blanket the solution with saturated nitrogen,insert the dropping mercury electrode of a suitable polarograph,and record the polarogram from
-0.60volt to
-1.00volt,using a saturated calomel electrode as the reference electrode.Determine the height of the diffusion current as the difference between the residual current and diffusion current plateau.Calculate the quantity,in mg,of azathioprine (C
9H
7N
7O
2S)in the volume of solution from the vial used for the
Assay preparationtaken by the formula:
0.1C(id)U/(id)S,
in which
Cis the concentration,in µg per mL,of
USP Azathioprine RSin the
Standard preparation;and (
id)
Uand (
id)
Sare the diffusion currents of the
Assay preparationand the
Standard preparation,respectively.