Baseline Correction for HPLC Chromatograms by Using Free Open-Source Software

Chromatograms with overlapping peaks and a baseline rise or upset constitute a great challenge for analysts. Such a case regarding the analysis of bupropion hydrochloride and its 5 impurities in a tablet formulation was used as a model. A baseline correction technique for liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection is described by using Rstudio. The asymmetry least squares (ALS) algorithm was used as implemented in the “baseline” package, with parameters lambda and p set to 4 and 0.05, respectively. Peak deconvolution and subsequent integration and area quantification were accomplished through Fytik software. Chromatographic data from the validation procedure were utilized to demonstrate the feasibility of the suggested method and whether this correction affects the outcome of the validation study. Finally, a robustness study was carried out in order to shed light on the factors that have a more significant influence on the baseline correction, showing the reliability of this procedure through random changes in its parameters.