A Rapid Thin Layer Chromatographic Method for Simultaneous Screening of Albendazole and Ivermectin in Formulations Prescribed for Human or Veterinary Use

An easy and selective thin layer chromatographic method has been developed and experimentally validated for the simultaneous screening of most commonly used anthelmintic drugs i.e. albendazole and ivermectin. Separation of these compounds was attained on silica gel 60 F254 pre-coated thin layer chromatographic plate using an optimized mobile phase of diisopropyl ether:ethyl acetate:glacial acetic acid in the ratio of 7:3:0.1 (v/v), respectively at pH 3.5. The calculated Rf values for albendazole and ivermectin were 0.65 and 0.38, respectively and the LOD was found to be 25 μg/ml and 30 μg/ml for albendazole and ivermectin, respectively. The developed method is selective, sensitive, robust, cost effective, eco-friendly, rapid as well as easy to perform. The developed method was successfully applied for the analysis of albendazole and ivermectin in pharmaceutical preparations marketed as oral suspensions, powder, tablets and injectable of the single or combined dosage forms for human as well as veterinary use. It could also be applied for the simultaneous analysis of both the compounds in other samples.