A sensitive stability indicating HPTLC method was developed and validated for quantitative determination of Ribavirin in capsule. Chromatographic separation was performed on precoated silica gel 60F254 HPTLC plates using Chloroform: Methanol: Water (6.0:3.5:.0.5 v/v/v) as a mobile phase. A TLC scanner set at 254 nm was used for direct evaluation of the chromatograms in reflectance/absorbance mode. Ribavirin and degradant were satisfactorily resolved with Rf values of 0.52 ± 0.05, 0.20 ± 0.05 respectively. Calibration curve was linear in the concentration range of 100-600 ng/band. The high correlation coefficient (r2>0.9994) values indicated clear correlations between the investigated compound concentrations. Method was validated according to ICH guidelines. The repeatability and intermediate precision, expressed by the RSD, were less than 2.0 %. The accuracy and validity of the method were further determined by performing recovery studies via a standard addition method. The accuracy of the method expressed as percent recovery was satisfactory (99.86 %). The drug was subjected to the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH)-prescribed oxidative, hydrolytic, thermal stress and photolytic conditions. The drug showed instability in alkaline while it remained stable in acid, heat and UV radiation conditions. The proposed HPTLC method was utilized to investigate of alkaline degradation of Ribavirin. The performance of the method was validated according to the present ICH guidelines for accuracy, precision, specificity, and limit of detection, limit of quantification, linearity, ruggedness and robustness.
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