High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled Diode Array Detector (HPLC-DAD) method development and validation for the quantification of triclosan in toothpaste

Triclosan is used in many healthcare products as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial and disinfectant agent; however, it is currently considered an emerging pollutant. The present study aimed to develop an analytical method using liquid chromatography coupled to a Diode Array Detector for triclosan determination in toothpaste. Method development involved the optimization of separation and sample preparation. For chromatographic separation optimization, different Reverse Phase columns and elution systems were tested. After different experiments, chromatographic separation was optimized employing the following conditions: a Symmetry C18 column at 30 degrees C, 0.6 mL/min flow-rate, running time of about 3 minutes, and wavelength detection at 225 nm. To optimize toothpaste sample preparation, a response surface methodology using a Box-Behnken fractional factorial design was chosen. The sample preparation consisted of extracting 0.2 g of the sample by sonication for 7 minutes using 2 mL of methanol. According to the International Conference on Harmonization and European Commission Decision 200/657/EC guidelines, the developed method was validated. The developed analytical method was found fast, economic, linear, sensitive, precise, and robust and allowed to quantify triclosan in different healthcare products.