“Validated Analytical Methods for Vancomycin Hydrochloride: A Review of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography & UV-Vis Spectrophotometric Techniques”

Vancomycin hydrochloride, a glycopeptide antibiotic used mainly for serious Gram-positive infections, needs careful therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) due to its low therapeutic window and long-term causes of nephrotoxicity, ototoxicity, and bacterial resistance. This review article summarizes the proven analytical methods for vancomycin hydrochloride determination, mainly focusing on high-performance liquid chromatography and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. UV-Vis spectrophotometry uses specific wavelength detection (238-282 nm) following protein precipitation by methanol or acetonitrile, providing a simple, affordable, and quick-to-perform method, making it useful for routine clinical and quality control analysis. The described methods demonstrated high linearity (R²>0.999), accuracy (>99%), & recovery (~97–101%), although sensitivity to particulate matter and environmental interference remain constraints. HPLC employing C18 columns with phosphate buffer-organic solvent mobile phases obtains high specificity, precision, and low detection limits across matrices like plasma, serum, and pharmaceutical substances. Pre-treatment usually involves protein precipitation, and some methods also use internal standards such as erythromycin or zidovudine for increased reliability. The HPLC technique uses detection detectors such as UV, photodiode arrays, and fluorescence with optimal retention times (~6.2 min) and validated analytical parameters that satisfy regulatory criteria. While HPLC remains the gold standard for vancomycin hydrochloride quantitation, its higher operational expenses, longer processing times, and need for technical expertise can limit the routine analysis. This article concludes that UV Vis spectrophotometry is useful for rapid, economical screening, whereas HPLC is preferred for confirmatory, high-precision TDM in critical care and research analysis.