Stability studies of tetracycline in methanol solution

The stability of tetracycline in methanol solution was investigated by UV–visible spectroscopy, HPLC and TLC methods. After dissolution in methanol, tetracycline decomposed rapidly under the influence of light and atmospheric oxygen, forming more than fourteen different degradation products. None of the previously reported degradation products, such as the epi- and anhydro-compounds, were detected as the final degradation products. The molecular structures for eight of the compounds were suggested by their product-ion mass spectra. A degradation sequence was proposed for the reactions of tetracycline with methanol. A new HPLC–MS mobile phase was developed, which solved the clogging problem at the interface between the HPLC and MS chamber and enabled a high separation efficiency.