Abstract
High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is one of the most common analytical techniques used in pharmaceutical testing and in many other scientific fields. It is widely used because it can analyze different types of materials and give accurate and reliable results. HPLC is considered an important and trusted method in many laboratories. This narrative review gives a general explanation of HPLC, including its basic principles, simple instruments, and how the technique works with different samples.
In pharmaceutical analysis, HPLC is mainly used in quality control laboratories. It is applied for drug assay, titration tests, impurity analysis, solubility studies, and stability testing. Many studies show that HPLC helps in ensuring the quality and safety of pharmaceutical products. In addition, HPLC is used in pharmacovigilance and toxicology to detect degradation products, identify counterfeit drugs, and find harmful or toxic compounds. These applications are important for protecting patient safety and supporting regulatory requirements.
HPLC is also used in other fields such as environmental analysis, forensic science, and food analysis. In environmental studies, it helps detect pollutants and trace chemicals in water and soil samples. In forensic laboratories, HPLC is used to identify unknown substances in biological or chemical samples. In food analysis, it is applied to detect additives, contaminants, and residues. Although HPLC instruments have developed over time, proper method development, validation, and correct interpretation of results are still necessary to obtain reliable data for routine laboratory work and pharmaceutical regulatory use.