High performance liquid chromatography method for determination of methyl-5-benzoyl-2-benzimidazole carbamate (mebendazole) and its main degradation product in pharmaceutical dosage forms

Methyl-5-benzoyl-2-benzimidazole carbamate (mebendazole) is a drug used as an anthelmintic. A high performance liquid chromatography method has been developed in this study to determine mebendazole and its degradation product in the pharmaceutical dosage forms (tablets and suspension). The expected major degradation product of mebendazole in the dosage forms has been prepared, and identified as 2-amino-5-benzoylbenzimidazole. The proposed HPLC assay was found to be selective, accurate (% recoveries were in the range of 99.9-100.9) for both, mebendazole and the degradation product, repeatable and reproducible (replicate measurements for short and long term measurements showed % RSD of less than or equal to 1.4). The methodology could be considered as a stability indicating method for mebendazole in pharmaceutical dosage forms. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.