Enantioselective determination of acylamino acid fungicides in vegetables and fruits by chiral liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry

An efficient and sensitive enantioselective method for simultaneous determination of three acylamino acid fungicides in vegetables and fruits was presented by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The three fungicides (benalaxyl, furalaxyl, and metalaxyl) residues in samples were extracted with acetonitrile containing 1% acetic acid and an aliquot was cleaned up with Si-(CH(2) )(3) -NH-(CH(2) )(2) -NH(2) and C(18) sorbent. Complete enantioseparation of three acylamino acid fungicides enantiomers was obtained under reversed-phase conditions on a cellulose tris (4-chloro-3-methylphenylcarbamate) column at 25°C using acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid solution (45:55, v/v) as a mobile phase. The elution orders of the eluted enantiomers were determined by a circular dichroism (CD) detector. The linearity, matrix effect, recovery, and precision were evaluated. Good linearity was obtained over the concentration range of 0.5-250 μg/L for each enantiomer in the standard solution and sample matrix calibration curves. There was no significant matrix effect for three fungicides determination based on the method. The inter-day mean recoveries, intra-day repeatability, and inter-day reproducibility varied from 81.3 to 95.7%, 2.2 to 9.4%, and 2.3 to 9.6%, respectively. The method provided high selectivity and sensitivity, and limits of quantification for enantiomers of three fungicides in vegetables and fruits were both 1 μg/kg.     

Enantioselective determination of triazole fungicide tebuconazole in vegetables,fruits, soil and water by chiral liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

A novel and sensitive method was developed for the determination of tebuconazole enantioselectively using reversed‐phase LC‐MS/MS. The separation and determination were performed using on an amylose‐based chiral stationary phase, a Lux 3u Amylose‐2 column (150 mm×2.0 mm), under isocratic conditions at 0.3 mL/min flow rate. A series of chiral stationary phases were investigated and the effect of mobile phase composition on the enantioseparation was discussed. Parameters including the matrix effect, linearity, precision, accuracy and stability were evaluated. Under optimal conditions, the overall mean recoveries for two enantiomers from the soil, tomato, cucumber, pear and apple samples were 79.3–101.1% with 2.8–11.5% intra‐day relative standard deviations (RSDs) and 4.1–8.6% inter‐day RSDs at 5, 25 and 50 μg/kg levels; the mean enantiomer recoveries from the water samples were 89.6–101.9% with 3.3–10.2% intra‐day RSDs and 5.1–7.7% inter‐day RSDs at 0.25, 0.5 and 2.5 μg/kg levels. The limits of detection (LODs) for all enantiomers in tomato, cucumber, pear, apple, soil and water were less than 0.6 μg/kg, whereas the limit of quantification (LOQ) did not exceed 2.0 μg/kg. The results indicate that this proposed method is convenient and reliable for the enantioselective determination of tebuconazole enantiomers in foods and environment samples.     

基于手性固定相的超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法检测小麦及其加工制品中的腈菌唑对映体

建立了手性超高效液相色谱-串联质谱检测小麦及其加工制品中腈菌唑对映体残留的分析方法.样品经乙腈提取,N-丙基乙二胺(PSA)和C18净化,手性色谱柱Lux Cellulose-1(150 mm×2.0 mm,3μm)分离,质谱电喷雾正离子扫描(ESI+),多反应监测(MRM)模式进行检测.为准确定量,考察了小麦籽粒及其...     

Enantioselective determination of carboxyl acid amide fungicide mandipropamid in vegetables and fruits by chiral LC coupled with MS/MS

An efficient enantioselective method for the determination of mandipropamid in vegetables and fruits was presented by LC coupled with MS/MS. The mandipropamid residues in samples (potato, pepper, grape, and watermelon) were extracted with acetonitrile containing 1% acetic acid. An aliquot was cleaned up with primary and secondary amine and C₁₈ sorbent. Complete enantioseparation of mandipropamid enantiomers in <4 min was obtained on a Lux Cellulose‐2 column at 25°C using methanol with 0.1% formic acid/0.1% aqueous formic acid solution (85:15, v/v) as mobile phase. Good linearity was obtained over the concentration range of 0.5–250 μg/L for each enantiomer in the standard solution and sample matrix calibration curves. Quantification was achieved using matrix‐matched standard calibration curves. The interday mean recoveries, intraday repeatability, and inter‐day reproducibility varied from 76.4 to 97.1%, 3.4 to 9.4%, and 3.5 to 11.4%, respectively. The limits of quantification for mandipropamid enantiomers in vegetables and fruits were both 1 μg/kg. Moreover, the absolute configuration of mandipropamid enantiomers was determined by the combination of experimental and predicted electronic circular dichroism spectra, and the first eluted enantiomer was confirmed as (R)‐mandipropamid on five chiral columns.     

Simultaneous enantioselective determination of fenbuconazole and its main metabolites in soil and water by chiral liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

A novel and sensitive method was developed for the simultaneous determination of fenbuconazole and its main metabolites enantioselectively using chiral liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The separation and determination were performed using reversed-phase chromatography on a cellulose chiral stationary phase, a Chiralcel OD-RH (150 mm×4.6 mm) column, under isocratic conditions at 0.5 mL/min flow rate. The effects of three cellulose-based columns and three amylose-based columns on the separation were also investigated. The elution orders of the eluting enantiomers were identified by an optical rotation detector. The QuEChERS (acronym for Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) method and solid-phase extraction (SPE) were used for the extraction and clean-up of the soil and water samples, respectively. Parameters including the matrix effect, linearity, precision, accuracy and stability were evaluated. Under optimal conditions, the mean recoveries for all enantiomers from the soil samples were 82.5-104.1% with 2.7-9.5% intra-day relative standard deviations (RSD) and 5.7-11.2% inter-day RSD at 5, 25 and 50 μg/kg levels; the mean enantiomer recoveries from the water samples were 81.8-104.6% with 2.6-11.4% intra-day RSD and 5.3-10.4% inter-day RSD at 0.25, 0.5 and 2.5 μg/L levels. Coefficients of determination R2≥0.9991 were achieved for each enantiomer in the soil and water matrix calibration curves within the range of 1.0-125 μg/L. The limits of detection (LOD) for all enantiomers in the soil and water were less than 0.8 μg/kg, whereas the limit of quantification (LOQ) did not exceed 2.5 μg/kg. The results of the method validation confirm that this proposed method is convenient and reliable for the enantioselective determination of the enantiomers of fenbuconazole and its main metabolites in soil and water.     

Development of a validated UPLC–MS/MS method for determination of humantenmine in rat plasma and its application in pharmacokinetics and bioavailability studies

Humantenmine (HMT), the most toxic compound isolated from Gelsemium elegans Benth , is a well‐known active herbal compound. A rapid and sensitive ultra‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) method was developed and validated to estimate the absolute oral bioavailability of HMT in rats. Quantification was performed by multiple reaction monitoring using electrospray ionization operated in positive ion mode with transitions of m/z 327.14 → m/z 296.19 for HMT and m/z 323.20 → m/z 236.23 for gelsemine (internal standard, IS). The linear range of the calibration curve was 1–256 nmol/L, with a lower limit of quantification at 1 nmol/L. The accuracy of HMT ranged from 89.39 to 107.5%, and the precision was within 12.24% (RSD). Excellent recovery and negligible matrix effect were observed. HMT remained stable during storage, preparation and analytical procedures. The pharmacokinetics of HMT in rats showed that HMT reached the concentration peak at 12.50 ± 2.74 min with a peak concentration of 28.49 ± 6.65 nmol/L, and the corresponding area under the concentration–time curve (AUC_0–t ) was 1142.42 ± 202.92 nmol/L min after 200 μg/kg HMT was orally administered to rats. The AUC_0–t of HMT given at 20 μg/kg by tail vein administration was 1518.46 ± 192.24 nmol/L min. The calculated absolute bioavailability of HMT was 7.66%.     

Ion-molecule reactions of dimethyl ether cations with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer

The reaction chemistry between dimethyl ether (DME) cations and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was elucidated by isolating three different types of DME ions using a quadrupole ion trap and reacting them individually with neutral PAH molecules eluting from a gas chromatographic column. The results obtained show that the CH(2)OCH(3)(+) ion (m/z 45) reacts via adduct formation followed by elimination of CH(3)OH, the (CH(3))(2)OH(+) (m/z 47) ion serves as proton donor and the (CH(3))(3)O(+) ion (m/z 61) does not yield any reaction products. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of triacetone triperoxide (TATP) and TATP synthetic intermediates by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

The explosive triacetone triperoxide (TATP) has been analyzed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) on a linear quadrupole instrument, giving a 62.5 ng limit of detection in full scan positive ion mode. In the ESI interface with no applied fragmentor voltage the m/z 245 [TATP + Na](+) ion was observed along with m/z 215 [TATP + Na - C(2)H(6)](+) and 81 [(CH(3))(2)CO + Na](+). When TATP was ionized by ESI with an applied fragmentor voltage of 75 V, ions at m/z 141 [C(4)H(6)O(4) + Na](+) and 172 [C(5)H(9)O(5) + Na](+) were also observed. When the precipitates formed in the synthesis of TATP were analyzed before the reaction was complete, a new series of ions was observed in which the ions were separated by 74 m/z units, with ions occurring at m/z 205, 279, 353, 427, 501, 575, 649 and 723. The series of evenly spaced ions is accounted for as oligomeric acetone carbonyl oxides terminated as hydroperoxides, [HOOC(CH(3))(2){OOC(CH(3))(2)}(n)OOH + Na](+) (n = 1, 2 ... 8). The ESI-MS spectra for this homologous series of oligoperoxides have previously been observed from the ozonolysis of tetramethylethylene at low temperatures. Precipitates from the incomplete reaction mixture, under an applied fragmentor voltage of 100 V in ESI, produced an additional ion observed at m/z 99 [C(2)H(4)O(3) + Na](+), and a set of ions separated by 74 m/z units occurring at m/z 173, 247, 321, 395, 469 and 543, proposed to correspond to [CH(3)CO{OOC(CH(3))(2)}(n)OOH + Na](+) (n = 1,2 ... 5). Support for the assigned structures was obtained through the analysis of both protiated and perdeuterated TATP samples.     

液相色谱-串联质谱检测蔬菜和茶叶中吡虫啉的残留量

介绍了利用液相色谱-串联质谱（LC-MS/MS）快速、准确地测定蔬菜、茶叶产品中吡虫啉残留量的方法。前处理方法为用乙腈提取,再用弗罗里硅土和活性炭混合柱净化。用多反应监测技术确定吡虫啉的两对离子(m/z 256.0/209.3,m/z 256.0/175.2)为定性离子对,m/z 209.3为定量离子。方法的定量限为0.01 mg/kg,线性范围为0.01～0.5 mg/L,加标回收率为76%～90%,相对标准偏差（RSD）为7.4%～11.0%。     

Metastable ion study of organosilicon compounds. Part XIV-trimethylsilylacetic acid, (CH(3))(3)SiCH(2)COOH, and its methyl ester, (CH(3))(3)SiCH(2)COOCH(3)

The unimolecular metastable decompositions of trimethylsilylacetic acid, (CH(3))(3)SiCH(2)COOH (1), and its methyl ester, (CH(3))(3)SiCH(2)COOCH(3) (2), were investigated by mass-analyzed ion kinetic energy (MIKE) spectrometry in conjunction with thermochemical data. The abundance of the molecular ions of both compounds, generated by electron ionization, is extremely low. However, the abundance of the ions generated by the loss of (.)CH(3) and observed at m/z 117 and 131 is moderate. These fragment ions further decompose to form the most abundant m/z 75 and 89 ions, respectively, by the loss of CH(2)CO through a (CH(3))(2)Si group migration. The loss of CH(2)CO is also observed to occur from 2(+.) and its fragment ion at m/z 115 generated by the loss of (.)OCH(3). The former reaction is proposed to occur via an ion-radical complex.     

Enantioselective LC‐ESI‐MS/MS determination of dropropizine enantiomers in rat plasma and application to a pharmacokinetic study

We developed and validated a simple, sensitive, selective and reliable LC–ESI‐MS/MS method for direct quantitation of dropropizine enantiomers namely levodropropizine (LDP) and dextrodropropizine (DDP) in rat plasma without the need for derivatization as per regulatory guidelines. Dropropizine enantiomers and carbamazepine (internal standard) were extracted from 50 μL rat plasma using ethyl acetate. LDP and DDP resolved with good baseline separation (R_s = 4.45) on a Chiralpak IG‐3 column. The mobile phase consisted of methanol with 0.05% diethylamine pumped at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. Detection and quantitation were done in multiple reaction monitoring mode following the transitions m/z 237 → 160 and 237 → 194 for dropropizine enantiomers and the internal standard, respectively, in the positive ionization mode. The proposed method provided accurate and reproducible results over the linearity range of 3.23–2022 ng/mL for each enantiomer. The intra‐ and inter‐day precisions were in the ranges of 3.38–13.6 and 5.11–13.8 for LDP and 4.19–11.8 and 8.89–10.1 for DDP. Both LDP and DDP were found to be stable under different stability conditions. The method was successfully used in a stereoselective pharmacokinetic study of dropropizine enantiomers in rats following oral administration of racemate dropropizine at 100 mg/kg. The pharmacokinetic results indicate that the disposition of dropropizine enantiomers is not stereoselective and chiral inversion does not occur in rats.     

婴幼儿奶瓶中迁移双酚A的高效液相色谱-电喷雾串联质谱检测方法研究

建立了婴幼儿奶瓶中双酚A(BPA)迁移量的高效液相色谱-电喷雾串联质谱(HPLC-ESI-MS/MS)测定方法。奶瓶食品模拟浸泡液经过弗罗里硅土玻璃层析柱净化,高效液相色谱分离,采用选择反应性监测模式(SRM)检测。以一级质谱得到的准分子离子m/z 227作为母离子,进行二级质谱(MS2)分析。选择MS2的碎片离子m/z 212、133、93定性确证,m/z 212作为定量离子定量。实验优化了质谱条件,并对二级质谱碎裂机理和特征离子进行了研究。测定结果的相对标准偏差不大于8.2%(n=7),回收率在87.7%～105%之间;检出限为2μg/L,能够满足欧盟、美国等对奶瓶中双酚A的限制要求。该法已成功应用于婴幼儿奶瓶中BPA迁移量的测定。     

Metastable decompositions of gem-dialkoxyalkanes upon electron impact. III. Diethoxymethane (CH(2)(OCH(2)CH(3))(2))

Unimolecular metastable decomposition of diethoxymethane (CH(2)(OCH(2)CH(3))(2), 1) upon electron impact has been investigated by means of mass-analyzed ion kinetic energy (MIKE) spectrometry and theD-labeling technique in conjunction with thermochemistry. The m/z 103 ion ([M - H](+) : CH(OCH(2)CH(3)) = O(+)CH(2)CH(3)) decomposes into the m/z 47 ion (protonated formic acid, CH(OH) = O(+)H) by consecutive losses of two C(2)H(4) molecules via an m/z 75 ion. The resulting product ion at m/z 47 further decomposes into the m/z 29 and 19 ions by losses of H(2)O and CO, respectively, via an 1,3-hydroxyl hydrogen transfer, accompanied by small kinetic energy release (KER) values of 1.3 and 18.8 meV, respectively. When these two elimination reactions are suppressed by a large isotope effect, however, another 1,1-H(2)O elimination with a large KER value (518 meV) is revealed. The m/z 89 ion ([M - CH(3)](+) : CH(2)(OCH(2)CH(3))O(+) = CH(2)) decomposes into the m/z 59 ion (CH(3)CH(2)O(+) = CH(2)) by losing CH(2)O in the metastable time window. The source-generated m/z 59 ion ([M - OCH(2)CH(3)](+) : CH(2) = O(+)CH(2)CH(3)) decomposes into the m/z 41 (CH(2) = CH(+)CH(2)) and m/z 31 (CH(2) = O(+)H) ions by losses of H(2)O and C(2)H(4), respectively, with considerable hydrogen scrambling prior to decomposition. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stereochemical analysis of deuterated alkyl chains by MS/MS

Vicinally deuterated sec-alkyl phenyl ethers, CH(3)(CH(2))(m)()CH(OPh)CHD(CH(2))(n)()CH(3), display significant differences in mass spectra between threo and erythro stereoisomers. MS/MS experiments, in which parent ions of a single mass are selected and their fragmentation patterns subsequently measured, show that alkene expulsion represents virtually the only decomposition pathway. Two types of MS/MS experiment are reported: mass-analyzed ion kinetic energy (MIKE) spectroscopy of metastable ions and collisionally activated decomposition (CAD) of stable ions. The expulsion of a deuterated alkene from a monodeuterated precursor yields ionized phenol, PhOH(*)()(+) (m/z 94). The expulsion of an undeuterated alkene yields PhOD(*)()(+) (m/z 95). Without exception, the ratios (PhOD(*)()(+)/PhOH(*)()(+)) from precursors in the threo series have values greater than their diastereomers in the erythro series. The ratio of ratios, r = PhOD(*)()(+)/PhOH(*)()(+) for the threo divided by PhOD(*)()(+)/PhOH(*)()(+) for the erythro, has a value of 1.2 for the 2-phenoxy-3-deuteriobutanes and larger values for all of the higher homologues up through the monodeuterated phenoxyoctanes (m + n = 4). The highest degree of stereoselectivity, r = 5.8, is measured for 3-phenoxy-4-deuteriohexane. Experiments with multiply deuterated analogues show that alkene elimination is highly regioselective, unlike the corresponding decompositions of ionized sec-alcohols or their acetates. The fact that a large fraction of ionized sec-alkyl phenyl ethers undergo stereospecific syn-elimination means that mass spectrometry has a useful capacity to distinguish one isotopically labeled diastereomer from another.     

Quantification of zolpidem in human plasma by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A simple and robust method for quantification of zolpidem in human plasma has been established using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI MS/MS). Es-citalopram was used as an internal standard. Zolpidem and internal standard in plasma sample were extracted using solid-phase extraction cartridges (Oasis HLB, 1 cm3/30 mg). The samples were injected into a C8 reversed-phase column and the mobile phase used was acetonitrile-ammonium acetate (pH 4.6; 10 mm) (80:20, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.7 mL/min. Using MS/MS in the selected reaction-monitoring (SRM) mode, zolpidem and Es-citalopram were detected without any interference from human plasma matrix. Zolpidem produced a protonated precursor ion ([M+H]+) at m/z 308.1 and a corresponding product ion at m/z 235.1. The internal standard produced a protonated precursor ion ([M+H]+) at m/z 325.1 and a corresponding product ion at m/z 262.1. Detection of zolpidem in human plasma by the LC-ESI MS/MS method was accurate and precise with a quantification limit of 2.5 ng/mL. The proposed method was validated in the linear range 2.5-300 ng/mL. Reproducibility, recovery and stability of the method were evaluated. The method has been successfully applied to bioequivalence studies of zolpidem.     

Unimolecular metastable decompositions of gem-dimethoxyalkanes (RR'C(OCH(3))(2)) upon electron impact. I. Dimethoxymethane and 1, 1-dimethoxyethane

The unimolecular metastable decompositions of dimethoxymethane (CH(2)(OCH(3))(2), 1) and 1,1-dimethoxyethane (CH(3)CH(OCH(3))(2), 2) upon electron impact have been investigated by means of mass-analyzed ion kinetic energy (MIKE) spectrometry, collision-induced dissociation (CID) spectrometry and D-labeling techniques. Both molecular ions are formed at extremely low abundance. Sequential transfers of a methyl group and a hydrogen atom to an ether oxygen are observed during the decomposition of [M - H](+) ions from 1 and 2. The [M - H](+) ion from 2 also decomposes into the m/z 43 ion by the loss of dimethyl ether. Almost complete hydrogen exchange is observed prior to the loss of CH(4) from the m/z 45 ion ([M - OCH(3)](+)) of 1. The m/z 59 ions ([M - OCH(3)](+)) of 2 decompose competitively into the m/z 31 and 29 ions by the losses of C(2)H(4) and CH(2)O, respectively. The former loss occurs via two different fragmentation pathways. The relative abundances of the ions in the MIKE spectra increase with decreases in the total heat of formation (Sigma DeltaH(f)) of the ion plus the neutral fragment. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

液相色谱串联质谱法测定猪肉和猪肝中9种磺胺类药物的残留

建立了高效液相色谱-串联质谱法(HPLC/MS/MS)同时测定猪肉及猪肝中9种磺胺类药物残留的检测方法.样品经10％的Na2SO4溶液和乙腈-氯仿(10:1)提取,乙腈饱和正己烷去脂,使用乙二胺-N-丙基硅烷(PSA)和十八烷基键合相硅胶(ODS C18-N)两种基质分散净化剂净化,采用LC-MS/MS多反应监测(MRM)正离子模式测定,内标法定量.9种磺胺检出限为0.1 ～0.8 μg/kg,在5,10,20μg/kg 3个浓度添加水平,回收率为74.1％ ～ 115.8％,相对标准偏差均小于6.2％(n=6).     

A chiral LC‐MS/MS method for the enantioselective determination of R‐(+)‐ and S‐(–)‐pantoprazole in human plasma and its application to a pharmacokinetic study of S‐(–)‐pantoprazole sodium injection

Pantoprazole, a proton pump inhibitor, is clinically used for the treatment of peptic diseases. An enantioselective LC‐MS/MS method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of pantoprazole enantiomers in human plasma. Pantoprazole enantiomers and the internal standard were extracted from plasma using acetonitrile. Chiral separation was carried on a Chiralpak IE column using the mobile phase consisted of 10 mm ammonium acetate solution containing 0.1% acetic acid–acetonitrile (28 : 72, v /v). MS analysis was performed on an API 4000 mass spectrometer. Multiple reactions monitoring transitions of m /z 384.1→200.1 and 390.1→206.0 were used to quantify pantoprazole enantiomers and internal standard, respectively. For each enantiomer, no apparent matrix effect was found, the calibration curve was linear over 5.00–10,000 ng/mL, the intra‐ and inter‐day precisions were below 10.0%, and the accuracy was within the range of –5.6% to 0.6%. This method was applied to the stereoselective pharmacokinetic studies in human after intravenous administration of S ‐(–)‐pantoprazole sodium injections. No chiral inversion was observed during sample storage, preparation procedure and analysis. While R ‐(+)‐pantoprazole was detected in human plasma with a slightly high concentration, which implied that S ‐(–)‐pantoprazole may convert to R ‐(+)‐pantoprazole in some subjects.     

Determination of sodium cromoglycate in human plasma by liquid chromatography with tandem mass

A sensitive and selective liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of sodium cromoglycate (SCG) in human plasma after a nasal dose of 10.4 mg sodium cromoglycate nasal spray, using pravastatin sodium as the internal standard. The method was validated over a linear range of 0.300-20.0 ng/mL. SCG and I.S. were extracted from 1.0 mL of heparinized plasma by C(18) solid-phase extraction cartridges using methanol as eluting solvent. The dried residue was reconstituted with 100 microL of mobile phase, and 10 microL was injected onto the LC-MS/MS system. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a C(18) column (250 x 4.6 mm i.d., 5 microm particle size) with a mobile phase of methanol-acetonitrile-water (containing 2 mmol/L ammonium acetate; 42.5:42.5:15, v/v/v) at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. The analytes were detected with a triple quad LC-MS/MS using ESI with positive ionization. Ions monitored in the multiple reaction monitoring mode were m/z 469.0 (precursor ion) to m/z 245.0 (product ion) for SCG and m/z 447.2 (precursor ion) to m/z327.1 (product ion) for pravastatin sodium (internal standard) The average recovery of SCG from human plasma was 94.88% and the lower limit of quantitation was 0.3 ng/mL. Results from a 3-day validation study demonstrated excellent precision and accuracy across the calibration range of 0.3-20 ng/mL. The method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of SCG in healthy Chinese volunteers. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of darusentan enantiomers in rat plasma by enantioselective liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry using cellulose-based chiral stationary phase

A sensitive, specific and rapid liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method has been developed and validated for enantioselective determination of darusentan enantiomers, orally active potent endothelin-A receptor antagonist, in rat plasma. The plasma samples were pretreated by protein precipitation with methanol and baseline chromatographic separation was performed on a Chiralcel OD-RH column with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile/water/formic acid (50:50:0.1, v/v/v) at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The detection was accomplished by multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) scanning via electrospray ionization (ESI) source operating in the negative ionization mode. The calibration curve was linear over the investigated concentration from 0.500 to 2500 ng/mL (r≥0.995) for each enantiomer using 50 μL of rat plasma. The lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) for each enantiomer was 0.500 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-day precisions were not more than 10.2% and the accuracy was within the range from -5.4 to 6.3% for darusentan enantiomers. No chiral inversion was observed during the plasma preparation, storage and analysis. The method proved adequate for enantioselective pharmacokinetic studies of darusentan enantiomers after oral administration of three different doses of racemic darusentan.