Development and validation of simple, rapid and sensitive LC-PDA ultraviolet method for quantification of Nebivolol in rat plasma and its application to pharmacokinetic studies

A simple, sensitive and rapid high-performance liquid chromatography method with ultraviolet (UV) detector was developed and validated for the analysis of Nebivolol (NBL) in rat plasma. The plasma sample, spiked with raloxifene hydrochloride as an internal standard (IS), was subjected to single step protein precipitation method prior to analysis. Chromatographic separation was achieved on the Agilent C8 (150 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column and monitored at a wavelength of 280 nm. Elution was carried out, in an isocratic mode, using a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and potassium di-hydrogen orthophosphate buffer (pH 3.5 ± 0.1) in the ratio of 37:63 v/v. Retention times of IS and NBL were 5.1 ± 0.10 min and 8.01 ± 0.12 min, respectively. No interference was observed from plasma components in the analysis of NBL and IS. Calibration curve was linear over the range of 125–3000 ng/mL (r2 = 0.999). NBL was found to be stable under various processing and storage conditions. The developed method was applied in the quantification of NBL in plasma samples, determining various pharmacokinetic parameters from intravenous bolus and oral administration of the drug in Wistar rats. NBL was found to follow two compartmental open models in Wistar rats.