Isolation and identification of the hydrolytic degradation products of ranitidine hydrochloride

Abstract
Hydrolytic degradative studies on ranitidine hydrochloride (1) have shown that two different pathways are operative under strongly acid and strongly alkaline conditions. At intermediate pH values both pathways are operative whilst at very low pH values ranitidine hydrochloride is resistant to hydrolytic cleavage. This resistance to hydrolysis may be ascribed to C-protonation of the enediamine.