Pilocarpic acid

Pilocarpic acid is a tropane alkaloid derivative characterized by a bicyclic nitrogen-containing heterocycle fused to a pyrrolidine ring, substituted with a hydroxyl group at C-6 and a carboxylic acid moiety at C-1. Its sodium salt (CAS 92598-79-3_Na) arises as a degradation byproduct of pilocarpine via oxidative cleavage of the C-8 methoxy group, yielding a polar, zwitterionic species with enhanced aqueous solubility. This impurity exhibits distinct chromatographic behavior due to its ionized carboxylate functionality, serving as an HPLC reference standard for quantifying process-related degradation in pilocarpine formulations.