同位素稀释质谱法测定蜂蜜中4种硝基呋喃代谢物

研究了蜂蜜中4种硝基呋喃代谢物:呋喃唑酮代谢物(AOZ)、呋喃它酮代谢物(AMOZ)、呋喃妥因代谢物(AHO)、呋喃西林代谢物(SEM)的同位素稀释HPLC-MS/MS分析方法,以邻硝基苯甲醛作为衍生化试剂,AOZ-d4、AMOZ-d5、AHD-13G3、SEM·HCl-(13C,15 N2)作内标,并将超声波衍生化法应用到实际样品的分析测试当中,以乙腈-0.1%甲酸为流动相,采用梯度洗脱,15 min可将4种代谢物完全分离,再以MS/MS进行定性和定量分析.加标回收率为82%～112%;定量限(LOQ)为0.05～1 μg/kg;检出限(LOD)为0.01～0.25 μg/kg.该方法满足欧盟(EU)对进出口蜂蜜中硝基呋喃代谢物的检测要求.     

液相色谱-串联质谱法检测水产品中残留的硝基呋喃类药物的代谢物

建立了液相色谱-串联质谱(LC-MS/MS)法用于同时测定水产品中硝基呋喃类药物的代谢物3-氨基-2-唑烷基酮(AOZ)、5-甲基吗啉-3-氨基-2-唑烷基酮(AMOZ)、氨基脲(SEM)、1-氨基-2-内酰脲(AHD)和3,5-二硝基水杨酸肼(DNSH)。样品经盐酸水解、2-硝基苯甲醛衍生、乙酸乙酯提取净化。氮吹至干后,用1 mL乙腈-0.1%甲酸水(20:80, v/v)定容。经Aquasil C18色谱柱分离,用液相色谱-三重四极杆串联质谱以多反应监测模式(MRM)进行检测分析,内标法定量。结果表明,该方法的线性范围为0.5～10 μg/kg, 5种代谢物的线性相关系数均不小于0.9976,定量限为0.5 μg/kg。在0.5、1.0、2.0和4.0 μg/kg的添加水平下,加标回收率为81.3%～100.5%, RSD为3.4%～10.0%。本法可作为水产品中5种硝基呋喃类药物的代谢物残留量同时分析的有效手段。     

Determination of total nitrofuran metabolites in shrimp muscle using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry in the atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mode

The method of MacMahon and Lohne for analysis of nitrofuran metabolites in shrimp was optimized to streamline the extraction processes and the LC analysis. This revised method includes 16 h of mild acid hydrolysis/derivatization followed by ethyl acetate extraction and analysis by LC/MS/MS in the atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mode. This revised method was validated in shrimp for concentrations of 0.25 to 2.0 ng/g. The LOQ was 0.25 ng/g for all metabolites. The LOD was 0.052 nglg for 1-aminohydantoin (AHD), 0.206 ng/g for 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone (AOZ), 0.108 ng/g for semicarbazide (SC), and 0.062 ng/g for 3-amino-5-morpholinomethyl-2-oxazolidinone (AMOZ). The spike recoveries with RSD into negative matrix at 1 ng/g were 100.2% (3.2%) for AHD, 102.5% (1.0%) for AOZ, 103.7% (2.3%) for SC, and 104.0% (3.3%) for AMOZ. The spike recoveries at 1 ng/g into unknown samples (n=108) containing varied levels of nitrofuran metabolites were 112.6% (25.7%) for AHD, 108.1% (12.1%) for AOZ, 103.0% (12.0%) for SC, and 100.3% (6.9%) for AMOZ. Interday precision with samples containing incurred AOZ concentrations of 0.92 to 17.8 ppb performed over a year was 10.4% RSD. The method is accurate and precise for determining nitrofuran concentrations in the edible tissue of shrimp.     

A New Derivatizing Agent for Determining Nitrofuran Metabolites in Chicken Eggs by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Journal of Analytical Chemistry - 5-Nitro-2-furaldehyde is proposed as a new derivatizing agent for determining four nitrofuran metabolites: 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone,...     

Production and characterisation of polyclonal antibodies to a derivative of 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone, a metabolite of the nitrofuran furazolidone

Polyclonal antibodies were produced to detect 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone (AOZ), a stable metabolite of the nitrofuran antibiotic furazolidone, following derivatisation with o-nitrobenzaldehyde. A carboxyphenyl derivative of AOZ was prepared, purified and conjugated to immunogenic carrier protein. Six antisera were produced from the immunisation of seven rabbits using various immunogen doses and time-scales. IC₅₀ values, as determined by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) suggested that reducing immunogen dose from 0.3 to 0.05 mg, while lengthening rest periods between booster immunisations from 2 to 8 weeks, increased the sensitivity of the antibodies to 3-{[(2-nitrophenyl)methylene]amino}-2-oxazolidinone (NPAOZ) from 3.8 to 0.3 μg l⁻¹. An IC₅₀ of 0.065 μg l⁻¹ (AOZ in the form of NPAOZ) was achieved with antiserum R670 by altering ELISA conditions. This antibody was highly specific for NPAOZ and did not cross-react with various nitrofuran metabolites, their nitrophenyl derivatives or a range of veterinary drugs. Antibody R670 is suitable for incorporation into an immunoassay for AOZ with sufficient sensitivity to satisfy current criteria for monitoring of veterinary drug residues. This is the first publication of an antibody for detection of a nitrofuran metabolite.     

Development of an impedimetric immunosensor for the determination of 3-amino-2-oxazolidone residue in food samples

The use of furazolidone in food animals has been banned in European Union (EU) because of its carcinogenicity and mutagenicity on human health, but its continued misuse is widespread. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a simple, reliable, and rapid method for the detection of its marker residue, 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone (AOZ), in food products. In this regard, a sensitive and reliable electrochemical method was presented to detect AOZ based on a novel label-free electrochemical impedimetric immunosensor to address this need. The immobilization of monoclonal antibody against AOZ (denoted as AOZ-McAb) on the gold electrode was carried out through a stable acyl amino ester intermediate generated by 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and N-hydrosuccinimide (NHS), which could condense antibodies on the self-assembled monolayer (SAM). The detection of AOZ was performed by measuring the relative change in charge transfer resistance before and after AOZ and AOZ-McAb immunoreaction by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Under the optimized conditions, the relative change in charge transfer resistance was proportional to the logarithmic value of AOZ concentrations in the range of 20.0 to 1.0 × 10⁴ ng mL⁻¹ (r = 0.9987). Moreover, the proposed immunosensor has a high selectivity to AOZ alone with no significant response to the metabolites of other nitrofuran antibiotics, such as 3-amino-5-morpholinomethyl-2-oxazolidinone (AMOZ), semicarbazide (SEM), and 1-aminohydantoin hydrochloride (AHD). This protocol has been applied to detect AOZ in food samples with satisfactory results.     

Quantitative determination of four nitrofuran metabolites in meat by isotope dilution liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation-tandem mass spectrometry

A confirmatory method based on isotope dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) has been developed for the low-level determination of residues of four nitrofuran veterinary drugs in meat, e.g., furazolidone, furaltadone, nitrofurantoin, and nitrofurazone. The procedure entails an acid-catalysed release of protein-bound metabolites, followed by their in situ conversion into the 2-nitrobenzaldehyde (NBA) imine-type derivatives. Liquid-liquid extraction and clean-up on a polymeric solid phase extraction cartridge are then performed before LC-MS/MS analysis by positive electrospray ionisation (ESI) applying multiple reaction monitoring of three transition reactions for each compound. Reliable quantitation is obtained by using one deuterated analogue per analyte (d4-NBA derivative) as internal standard (IS). Validation of the method in chicken meat was conducted following the European Union (EU) criteria for the analysis of veterinary drug residues in foods. The decision limits (CCalpha) were 0.11-0.21 microg/kg, and the detection capabilities (CCbeta) 0.19-0.36 microg/kg, thus below the minimum required performance limit (MRPL) set at 1 microg/kg by the EU. The method is robust and suitable for routine quality control operations, and more than 200 sample injections were performed without excessive pollution of the mass spectrometer or loss of LC column performance.     

高效液相色谱-串联质谱联用测定蜂王浆中的四种硝基呋喃类药物的代谢物

报道了高效液相色谱-串联质谱联用测定蜂王浆中呋喃唑酮、呋喃西林、呋喃妥因和呋喃它酮4种硝基呋喃类药物的代谢物残留的方法。以三氯乙酸作为蜂王浆的蛋白质沉淀剂,同时提供衍生化反应所需的酸性环境;使用4种同位素内标,补偿了衍生化效率、衍生后样品溶液的pH值及光照对定量结果所产生的影响,极大地提高了定量的准确性。实验结果表明,呋喃它酮代谢物的检测下限可以达到0.03 μg/kg,其他3种硝基呋喃类药物的代谢物的检测下限可以达到0.05 μg/kg（S/N大于5）;呋喃它酮代谢物的定量下限可以达到0.20 μg/kg,其他3种硝基呋喃类药物的代谢物的定量下限可以达到0.25 μg/kg（S/N大于10）;线性范围为0.4~20 ng/mL,添加回收率为97.7%~104.8%(内标校正),相对标准偏差（RSD）为2.7%~9.7%。     

Determination of nitrofurans in animal feeds by liquid chromatography-UV photodiode array detection and liquid chromatography-ionspray tandem mass spectrometry

Within the EU, the use of nitrofurans is prohibited in food production animals. For this reason detection of these compounds in feedingstuffs, at whatever limit, constitutes an offence under EU legislation. This detection generally involves the use of analytical methods with limits of quantification lowers than 1 mg kg(-1). These procedures are unsuitable for the detection and confirmation of trace amounts of nitrofurans in feedingstuffs due to contamination. It is well known that very low concentrations of these compounds can be the source of residues of nitrofuran metabolites in meat and other edible products obtained from animals consuming the contaminated feed. The present multi-compound method was capable of measuring very low concentrations of nitrofurantoin (NFT), nitrofurazone (NFZ), furazolidone (FZD) and furaltadone (FTD) in animal feed using nifuroxazide (NXZ) as internal standard. Following ethyl acetate extraction at mild alkaline conditions and purification on NH2 column, the nitrofurans are determined using liquid chromatography with photodiode-array detection (LC-DAD). It was observed a CCalpha ranged from 50 to 100 microg kg(-1). The liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) procedure was used to confirm the identity of the suspected presence of any of the nitrofuran compounds.     

Determination of the furaltadone metabolite 5-methylmorpholino-3-amino-2-oxazolidinone (AMOZ) using liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry during the nitrofuran crisis in Portugal

The use of nitrofuran veterinary drugs as antibacterial compounds in food-producing animals has been banned in the EU since 1995. As nitrofurans are extensive and rapidly metabolized, control of their illegal use in animal production must be done in edible tissues by LC-MS/MS analysis in order to determine persistent tissue-bound metabolites. The introduction during 2002 of the multi-residue detection of nitrofuran tissue-bound metabolites by LC-MS/MS for nitrofuran control in Portuguese Residues Monitoring Plan, revealed the presence of 5-morpholinomethyl-3-amino-2-oxozolidinone (AMOZ), the bound residue of furaltadone, in a large number of samples, namely in meat poultry samples. From the 226 analysed samples in the last 4 months of 2002, 78 were non-compliant due to the presence of AMOZ (61 broilers, 11 turkeys, 5 quails and 1 pig). In this context, the aim of this paper is to describe the analytical data obtained on meat samples collected from various animal species under official Portuguese control for nitrofuran drug residues during the so-called “Portuguese nitrofuran crisis”. Presented at the AOAC Europe Workshop, November 2006, Limassol, Cyprus.     

5-甲基吗啡-3-氨基-2-唑烷基酮标准物质的研制

研制了呋喃它酮的代谢产物5-甲基吗啡-3-氨基-2-唑烷基酮(AMOZ)的标准物质.采用红外光谱和液相色谱-质谱法对AMOZ进行了定性鉴定,建立并优化了用于AMOZ主成分定值的高效液相色谱-二极管阵列检测器法(HPLC-DAD)、气相色谱-氢火焰离子化检测器法(GC-FID)和差示扫描量热法(DSC).将卡尔费休法和热...     

Nitrofuran antibiotic residues in pork: The FoodBRAND retail survey

Use of nitrofuran drugs in food-producing animals has been prohibited within the EU because they may represent a public health risk. Monitoring compliance with the ban has focused on the detection of protein-bound nitrofuran metabolites which, in contrast to the parent compounds, are stable and persist in animal tissues. As part of the “FoodBRAND” project, an extensive survey of pork was undertaken across 15 European countries. Samples (n = 1500) purchased at retail outlets were analysed for the nitrofuran metabolites AOZ, AMOZ, AHD and SEM using LC–MS/MS determination of nitrobenzaldehyde derivatives. Limits of quantification for the method were 0.1 μg/kg (AOZ, AMOZ), 0.2 μg/kg (SEM) and 0.5 μg/kg (AHD). Of the 1500 samples tested, measurable residues of nitrofuran metabolites were confirmed in 12 samples (0.8% incidence overall) of which 10 samples were purchased in Portugal (AOZ, 0.3 μg/kg; AMOZ, 0.2–0.6 μg/kg) and one sample each in Italy (AMOZ, 1.0 μg/kg) and Greece (AOZ, 3.0 μg/kg).     

Determination of nifursol metabolites in poultry muscle and liver tissue. Development and validation of a confirmatory method

A method is described for the identification and quantitative determination of 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid hydrazide (DSH), the marker residue of nifursol metabolites in poultry (turkey, broiler) muscle and liver tissue. The method is based on the acid-catalysed hydrolysis of tissue-bound metabolites to free DSH and in situ derivatisation with 2-nitrobenzaldehyde to the corresponding nitrophenyl derivative NPDSH. A structural analogue of DSH, 4-hydroxy-3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid hydrazide (HBH) was synthesised to serve as an internal standard. The analytes were isolated from the matrix by liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate. Determination was performed by LC-MS/MS with negative electrospray ionisation. The [M - H](+) ions of NPDSH and NPHBH at m/z 374 were fragmented by collision induced dissociation (CID) producing transition ions at m/z 182, 183 and 226. The transition ions at m/z 182 and 226 were selected for monitoring of NPDSH while the transition ion at m/z 183 was selected for NPHBH. The method has been validated according to the EU criteria of Commission Decision 2002/657/EC at 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 microg kg(-1) in muscle and liver tissue. A decision limit (CC(alpha)) was obtained of 0.04 and 0.025 microg kg(-1) in muscle and liver, respectively. Similarly a detection capability (CC(beta)) was obtained of 0.10 and 0.05 microg kg(-1) in muscle and liver, respectively. The introduction of HBH as an internal standard did not lead to a significant improvement of the quantitative performance of the method. In fact for liver better performance characteristics were obtained when the IS was not taken into account. Nevertheless, as a qualitative marker for recovery, HBH could still be very useful in the analysis of unknown samples.     

Negative ion chemical ionization GC/MS-MS analysis of dialkylphosphate metabolites of organophosphate pesticides in urine of non-occupationally exposed subjects

Low level exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides can be determined by the measurement of dialkylphosphate (DAP) metabolites in urine. An analytical method is presented here which can measure the metabolites dimethyl phosphate (DMP), diethyl phosphate (DEP), dimethyl thiophosphate (DMTP), dimethyl dithiophosphate (DMDTP), diethyl thiophosphate (DETP), and diethyl dithiophosphate (DEDTP) at low levels. This was achieved by lyophilization of the urine, derivatization with pentafluorobenzyl bromide (PFBBr) and quantification by negative ion chemical ionization GC/MS-MS. The detection limits for the metabolites were 0.5 microg L(-1) DMP, 0.1 microg L(-1) DEP, 0.1 microg L(-1) DMTP, 0.04 microg L(-1) DMDTP, 0.04 microg L(-1) DETP and 0.02 microg L(-1) DEDTP. The RSD for the analytical method was 4-14% for the six metabolites. The method was used to monitor a group of non-occupationally exposed individuals in Sydney, Australia. The metabolites DMP, DEP, DMTP, DMDTP, DETP and DEDTP occurred in 73, 77, 96, 48, 100 and 2% of the samples with median values of 13, 3, 12, <1, 1 and 1 microg L(-1) respectively. The method is simple to use, sensitive and suitable for routine analysis of non-occupational exposure levels. These detection limits are between one and two orders of magnitude lower than those previously reported in the literature.     

A multielement masking method using magnesium hydroxide coprecipitation for the selective determination of lead in water samples by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry.

We present a new multielement masking method using magnesium hydroxide coprecipitation for the selective determination of Pb by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV). The recovery of Pb in the masking method was over 95%, while interfering ions (Cd(2+), Co(2+), Cu(2+), Fe(3+), Mn(2+), and Ni(2+)) could be removed at 100% from the analytical sample. A linear regression was obtained in the Pb concentration from 10 to 1000 microg kg(-1) in the existence of 100 microg kg(-1) of the interfering ions. When this method was applied to the determination of Pb in a natural water-standard reference material (NIST 1640), the determined value for Pb in this work (25.4 +/- 4.1 microg kg(-1)) almost agreed with the certified value (27.89 +/- 0.14 microg kg(-1)).     

Measurement uncertainty arising from trueness of the analysis of two endocrine disruptors and their metabolites in environmental samples. Part I: ultrasonic extraction from diverse sediment matrices

The validation of preconcentration strategies for the simultaneous determination of two endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and their metabolites present in the aquatic environment including natural waters and freshwater sediments as well as the estimation of uncertainty arising from trueness using fully nested experimental designs are presented in a series of two papers. In this work, we present Part I of our ongoing study, the validation of an analytical method based on ultrasonic extraction of the target analytes from various freshwater sediments and the estimation of the method measurement uncertainty. The selected endocrine disruptors included two widely used herbicides, diuron (1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3,3-dimethylurea) and linuron (3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1-methoxy-1-methylurea) and their common degradation products namely, 3,4-dichloroaniline (3,4-DCA), 1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl) urea (DCPU) and 1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-methylurea (DCPMU). A high-performance liquid chromatography system coupled to UV-diode array detector (HPLC/UV-DAD) was used for the target analytes quantification. A fully nested experimental design was applied to study the measurement uncertainty arising from trueness by estimating proportional bias (in terms of recovery). The overall recoveries, that is, those determined by the nested experiments were in the range of 59.5-85.1%, except 3,4-DCA for which a low overall recovery of 29.0% was observed. The analytical method was shown to be linear over the studied range of concentrations (5-100 microg/kg), exhibiting satisfactory repeatability and reaching limits of detection usually in the 0.6-4.6 microg/kg range on dry sediment basis. The method used permitted the determination of the target EDCs and their metabolites in sediment samples collected from selected study stations in the region of Epirus (N.W. Greece) at the concentration levels demanded by current legislation.     

Analysis of fumonisins B(1), B(2) and B(3) in corn-based baby food by pressurized liquid extraction and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

A sensitive and reliable method using pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and liquid chromatography (LC)/electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry with a triple quadrupole (QqQ) analyzer has been developed for the analysis of fumonisin B(1) (FB(1)), fumonisin B(2) (FB(2)) and fumonisin B(3) (FB(3)) in corn-based baby foods. Influence of several extraction parameters that affect PLE efficiency such as temperature, pressure, solvent extraction, number of cycles and dispersant/clean-up agents were studied. The selected PLE operating method was: 3g of sample was packed into 11 ml stainless-steel cell and fumonisins were extracted with methanol at 40 degrees C, 34 atm in one cycle of 5 min at 60% flush. The analytes were ionized in ESI operating with positive ion mode and identified by selecting two monitoring transitions, permitting quantification and confirmation in a single injection. Recoveries ranged from 68% to 83% at fortification levels of 200 microg kg(-1) with relative standard deviation (RSD) from 4% to 12%. The limits of quantification were from 2 microg kg(-1) for FB(1) and FB(2), and 5 microg kg(-1) for FB(3), which are below the maximum residue level established by the European Union legislation in infant formulas. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of twenty seven samples of baby food products collected from different markets, and one positive sample with a content of 15.9 microg kg(-1) for FB(1), 9.2 microg kg(-1)for FB(2) and 5.8 microg kg(-1) for FB(3) was obtained. Given the simplicity and potential of the proposed procedure, its application for safety control is recommended.     

Design and efficient synthesis of novel haptens and complete antigens for the AOZ, a toxic metabolite of furazolidone

A good strategy was brought forward for designing efficient haptens and complete antigens for 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone (AOZ). Haptens designed newly were achieved facilely in good yield by using LiCI-N(Et)_3 as new catalysis system,the structure of which was elucidated by spectroscopy analysis,such as NMR and MS.Novel antigens for AOZ were prepared successfully by convenient active ester method.The ratios of haptens 3 and 4 to carrier proteins were proven respectively as 41:1(5a),39:1(6a),11:1(5b) and 9:1(6b) by trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid(TNBS) method.The results of indirect competitive ELISA (ic-ELISA) of antiserums indicated that the haptens with a short unsaturated side chain can evoke specific immune response effectively.     

固相萃取-高效液相色谱法同时测定传统禽肉制品中的9种杂环胺类化合物

建立了固相萃取-高效液相色谱同时测定传统禽肉制品中9种杂环胺类化合物(HAAs)(包括2-氨基-3-甲基咪唑并［4,5-f］喹啉、2-氨基-3,4-二甲基咪唑并［4,5-f］喹啉、2-氨基-3,8-二甲基咪唑并［4,5-f］喹喔啉、2-氨基-3,4,8-三甲基咪唑并［4,5-f］喹喔啉、2-氨基-1-甲基-6-苯基-咪唑并［4,5-b］吡啶、3-氨基-1-甲基-5H-吡啶并［4,3-b］吲哚、3-氨基-1,4-二甲基-5H-吡啶并［4,3-b］吲哚、9H-吡啶并［4,3-b］吲哚、1-甲基-9H-吡啶并［4,3-b］吲哚)含量的分析方法。经过条件优化,肉样选用乙酸乙酯进行提取,提取液经丙基磺酸(PRS)和C18固相萃取小柱净化,采用TSK-gel ODS-80TM色谱柱,以乙腈和0.05 mol/L醋酸-醋酸铵缓冲液(pH 3.4)为流动相进行梯度洗脱分离,紫外-荧光检测器串联方式对目标化合物进行检测。通过波长扫描,确定紫外检测波长为263 nm,荧光激发波长/发射波长随时间切换程序为: 0～21 min, 300 nm/440 nm; 21～23.8 min, 315 nm/410 nm; 23.8～35 min, 265 nm/410 nm。在上述条件下,9种HAAs在35 min内实现基线分离。3个加标水平的平均回收率为60.47%～90.55%(n=6),相对标准偏差(RSD)为0.49%～9.74%(n=6),检出限(以信噪比为3计)为0.1～3.6 μg/kg。该方法简便快速、结果准确、灵敏度高,可作为测定传统禽肉制品中多种杂环胺类化合物的有效方法。     

Determination of the active metabolites of sibutramine in rat serum using column-switching HPLC

A simple and direct analysis using column-switching HPLC method was developed and validated for the quantification of active metabolites of sibutramine, N-mono-desmethyl metabolite (metabolite 1, M1) and N-di-desmethyl metabolite (metabolite 2, M2) in the serum of rats administered sibutramine HCl (5.0 mg/kg, p.o.). Rat serum was directly injected onto the precolumn without sample prepreparation step following dilution with mobile phase A, i. e., methanol-ACN-20 mM ammonium phosphate buffer (pH 6.0 with phosphoric acid) (8.3:4.5:87.2 by volume). After the endogenous serum components were eluted to waste, the system was switched and the analytes were eluted to the trap column. Active metabolites M1 and M2 were then back-flushed to the analytical column for separation with mobile phase B, i. e., methanol-ACN-20 mM ammonium phosphate buffer (pH 6.0 with phosphoric acid) (35.8:19.2:45 by volume) and detected at 223 nm. The calibration curves of active metabolites M1 and M2 were linear in the range of 0.1-1.0 microg/mL and 0.15-1.8 microg/mL. This method was fully validated and shown to be specific, accurate (10.4-10.7% error), and precise (1.97-8.79% CV). This simple and rapid analytical method using column-switching appears to be useful for the pharmacokinetic study of active metabolites (M1 and M2) of sibutramine.