Desmethyl Rifampicin

Desmethyl Rifampicin is a rifamycin-derived impurity arising from demethylation of the methyl group at the C-17 position of Rifampicin. It retains the naphthoquinone core, enediyne chromophore, and cyclohexadecyl side chain but lacks the terminal methyl substitution critical for macrocyclic lactam formation. This structural modification reduces its antibiotic activity while preserving chromatographic similarity to the parent compound. It functions as an HPLC reference standard for quantifying process-related impurities in Rifampicin formulations.