Determination of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine in rat plasma by HPLC with pre-column derivatization and fluorescence detection

Both fluoxetine (FLX) and its N-demethylated metabolite, norfluoxetine (NFLX), have been reported to be potent serotonin-reuptake inhibitors. A sensitive and reliable method that allows simultaneous quantification of their plasma levels would be valuable and was developed in this work. The procedure included extraction of FLX and NFLX from plasma, fluorescence derivatization with 4-(N-chloroformylmethyl-N-methyl) amino-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-COCl), separation of the derivatives on an octadecylsilica column with acetonitrile-water (55:45,v/v) as mobile phase and fluorescence detection with emission at 537 nm and excitation at 478 nm. The calibration curves were linear for FLX and NFLX concentration over the range of 10-1000 nM (r = 0.9992 and r = 0.9997) and the limits of quantitation were 10 nM in 100 micro L of plasma. Precision of intra- and inter-day RSD of less than 12% and accuracy of intra- and inter-day RE within -6.0-13% were achieved. The method described was applied to analysis of the plasma samples from rats treated with FLX hydrochloride and to the pharmacokinetic study.     

Fluorogenic and fluorescent labeling reagents with a benzofurazan skeleton

Fluorogenic and fluorescent labeling reagents having a benzofurazan (2,1,3-benzoxadiazole) skeleton such as 4-fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-F), 4-N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-F), 4-aminosulfonyl-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (ABD-F), ammonium 7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole-4-sulfonate (SBD-F), 4-hydrazino-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-H), 4-N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl-7-hydrazino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-H), 4-nitro-7-N-piperazino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-PZ), 4-N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl-7-N-piperazino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-PZ), 4-(N-chloroformylmethyl-N-methyl)amino-7-N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-COCl) and 7-N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl-4-(2,1,3-benzoxadiazolyl) isothiocyanate (DBD-NCS) are reviewed in terms of synthetic method, reactivity, fluorescence characteristics, sensitivity and application to analytes.     

Simultaneous determination of D-lactic acid and 3-hydroxybutyric acid in rat plasma using a column-switching HPLC with fluorescent derivatization with 4-nitro-7-piperazino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-PZ)

A highly sensitive method for the determination of D-lactic acid and 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) in rat plasma was developed using high-performance liquid chromatography with octadecylsilica (ODS) connected to a chiral column. At first, (D + L)-lactic acid and 3-HB in the plasma were derivatized with a fluorescent reagent, 4-nitro-7-piperazino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-PZ), separated on the ODS column and determined fluorimetrically at 547 nm with 491 nm of excitation wavelength. During the separation step on the ODS, the peak fraction of (D + L)-lactate derivative was introduced directly to a phenylcarbamoylated beta-cyclodextrin chiral column by changing the flow of the eluent via a six-port valve. Then, D-lactate derivative was separated enantiomerically from the L-lactate derivative, and the enantiomeric ratio was determined from the chromatogram. Intra- and inter-day accuracy values for the determination of D-lactic acid in 10 microL of rat plasma were 97.8-109.2 and 98.4-109.9%, and those for 3-HB were 99.8-108.4 and 99.8-103.8%, respectively. The intra- and inter-day precision values were within 4.6 and 5.1% for D-lactic acid, and 2.7 and 2.4% for 3-HB, respectively. The detection limits for D-lactic acid and 3-HB were approximately 2.0 and 0.04 microM, respectively (signal-to-noise ratio 3). The proposed method was applied to the plasma of diabetic rats induced by intraperitoneal administration of streptozotocin, and the significant increases of both D-lactic acid and 3-HB concentrations were observed in the diabetic rats as compared to the normal rats.     

A fluorimetric, column-switching HPLC and its application to an elimination study of LLU-alpha enantiomers in rat plasma

A method for the enantiomeric determination of 2,7,8-trimethyl-2-(beta-carboxyethyl)-6-hydroxy chroman (LLU-alpha, gamma-CEHC) in rat plasma was developed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a fluorimetric derivatization with 4-N, N-dimethylaminosulfonyl-7-piperazino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-PZ) followed by O-acetylation with acetyl chloride. The proposed HPLC system used two non-chiral columns (phenyl and octadecylsilica) and a chiral column (a modified cellulose type), which were connected via two column-switching valves. A derivatized sample prepared from rat plasma was first separated on the phenyl column, and the fraction including LLU-alpha derivative was introduced to the octadecylsilica column to quantify the concentration of the mixture of S- and R-LLU-alpha. Finally, the LLU-alpha derivative was directly injected into the chiral column to obtain the ratio of the enantiomers. The proposed HPLC system was applied to the enantiomeric determination of LLU-alpha in plasma after intravenous administration of racemic LLU-alpha. S-LLU-alpha was eliminated faster than R-LLU-alpha, and its concentration in plasma decreased to one-third at 2 min after dosing.     

A study of chiral recognition for NBD-derivatives on a Pirkle-type chiral stationary phase.

A chiral stationary phase (CSP 1) derived from an (S)-N-3,5-dinitrobenzoyl-1-naphthylglycine showed excellent enantiomeric separation for amino acid derivatives with a fluorogenic reagent, 4-fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-F), in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). We compared elution profiles (separation factor and elution order) of NBD-amino acids and their analogs on HPLC, to determine the diastereomeric complex between the chiral moiety of CSP 1 and NBD-amino acid, which is responsible for the chiral recognition. (1)H-NMR studies of a mixture of model compound of CSP 1 and NBD-Ala suggest that the diastereomeric complex is composed of two hydrogen bonding sites at the amino proton and oxygen atom, and a pi-pi interaction by the benzofurazan structure (2,1,3-benzoxadiazole) of NBD-amino acid. Furthermore CSP 1 was able to separate esters, amides and alpha-methyl amino acids derivatized with NBD-F.     

Direct and indirect high-performance liquid chromatography enantioseparation of trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenoic acid

trans-4-Hydroxy-2-nonenoic acid (HNEA) is a marker of lipid peroxidation resulting from the metabolism of trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE). Direct and indirect RP-HPLC methods for the separation of HNEA enantiomers were developed and compared. The indirect method involved pre-column derivatization with a chiral amino agent, (1S,2S)-(+)-2-amino-1-(4-nitrophenyl)-1,3-propanediol, and subsequent separation of diastereomers on a Spherisorb ODS2 column. The direct separation of HNEA enantiomers was performed using the chiral stationary phase, Chiralpak AD-RH. Validation parameters including limit of quantification, linear range, accuracy and precision were determined. The indirect separation method was successfully applied for the determination of enantiomeric ratio of HNEA in rat brain mitochondrial lysate, and showed that HNEA was formed (R)-enantioselectively from HNE.     

Development of a column-switching high-performance liquid chromatography for kynurenine enantiomers and its application to a pharmacokinetic study in rat plasma

Kynurenine (KYN), a tryptophan metabolite, is a precursor of kynurenic acid, which is an antagonist of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor. In this study, an enantiomeric separation of d,l-KYN derivatized with the benzofurazan fluorescence reagent 4-N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-F) (DBD-d,l-KYN) was first investigated by using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with several chiral columns. As a consequence, DBD-d,l-KYN was enantiomerically separated on a cellulose-type chiral column (CHIRALCEL OJ-RH) with a mobile phase of H₂O/CH₃CN/MeOH (40/50/10) containing 0.1% acetic acid. Under this condition, the separation factor and resolution were 1.48 and 1.28, respectively. Next, a column-switching HPLC consisting of both octadecylsilica and chiral columns was developed and used to determine both d- and l-KYN enantiomers in 10 μL of rat plasma following the intraperitoneal administration of d,l-KYN to rats (10 mg kg⁻¹). The result revealed that the concentration of l-KYN was higher than that of d-KYN, suggesting that d-KYN was eliminated faster than l-KYN.     

Simultaneous determination of hydrophilic amino acid enantiomers in mammalian tissues and physiological fluids applying a fully automated micro-two-dimensional high-performance liquid chromatographic concept

A validated two-dimensional HPLC system combining a microbore-monolithic ODS column and a narrowbore-enantioselective column has been established for a sensitive and simultaneous analysis of hydrophilic amino acid enantiomers (His, Asn, Ser, Gln, Arg, Asp, allo-Thr, Glu and Thr) and the non-chiral amino acid, Gly, in biological samples. To accomplish this goal, the amino acids were first tagged with 4-fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-F) to the respective fluorescent NBD derivatives which were separated in the first dimension by a micro-reversed-phase column. The automatically collected fractions of the target peaks were then transferred to the second dimension consisting of a Pirkle type enantioselective column generating separation factors higher than 1.13 for all the enantiomeric target analytes. The system was validated using standard amino acids and a rat plasma sample, and analytically satisfactory calibration and precision results were obtained. The present 2D-HPLC system enables the fully automated determination of hydrophilic amino acid enantiomers in mammalian samples. The d-isomers of all the investigated 9 amino acids were found in rat urine but at various enantiomeric ratios.     

Simultaneous determination of D- and L-serine in rat brain microdialysis sample using a column-switching HPLC with fluorimetric detection

Both D- and L-serine in rat brain microdialysis sample were simultaneously determined by pre-column fluorescence derivatization with 4-fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-F), separation of the derivatives on ODS column, TSKgel ODS-80TsQA, followed by Pirkle type chiral columns, Sumichiral OA-2500 (S), which gave a sufficient enantiomeric separation of NBD-D-serine and NBD-L-serine, and fluorimetric detection at a wavelength of 540 nm with an excitation wavelength of 470 nm. The peaks of NBD-D-serine and NBD-L-serine in the rat brain microdialysis sample were clearly found, and the validation study showed satisfactory results; the precision and accuracy were within 5.14 and 109%, respectively. Using the proposed HPLC method, the time-course profile of D-serine concentration in rat prefrontal cortex following intraperitoneal administration of D-serine was investigated. As a consequence, D-serine appeared to be rapidly distributed in the brain, and then decreased gradually with time in the extracellular fluid of the rat prefrontal cortex. The proposed HPLC method will be useful for in vivo studies on D-serine, which acts as a coagonist for N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, to the extracellular fluid of rat brain.     

Enantiomeric separation of amino acids and nonprotein amino acids using a particle-loaded monolithic column

A solution is prepared of 5 microm silica particles modified with (S)-N-3,5-dinitrobenzoyl-1-naphthylglycine (particle 1) or (S)-N-3,5-dinitrophenylaminocarbonyl-valine (particle 2) suspended in liquid tetraethylorthosilicate, ethanol, and aqueous hydrochloric acid. This solution is injected under pressure into a 30 cm long, 75 microm inner diameter capillary column and heated for 1 h at 120 degrees C after which the modified particles are embedded in a monolithic column of sol gel. The packed column measures approximately 15 cm from the inlet to the window used to view the laser-induced fluorescence. Thirteen different amino acids and three nonprotein amino acids are derivatized with the fluorogenic reagent 4-fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-F) before injection onto the column for capillary electrochromatographic separation. The enantiomeric separation of the monolithic column packed with particle 1 results in a resolution ranging from 1.14 to 4.45, whereas that packed with particle 2 results in a resolution ranging from 0.79 to 1.17. On the basis of resolution and amount of chiral packing material the enantiomeric separation obtained by capillary electrochromatography is judged to be superior to that obtained previously with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).     

Photopolymerized sol-gel frits for packed columns in capillary electrochromatography

Porous sol-gel frits are fabricated in a capillary column by filling it with a solution of 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate, hydrochloric acid, water, toluene (porogen), and a photoinitiator (Irgacure 1800) and exposing it to UV light at 365 nm for 5 min. The separation column (30 cm x 75 microm I.D.) contains between the inlet and outlet frits a 15-cm packed segment filled with 5-microm silica particles modified with the chiral compound (S)-N-3,5-dinitrobenzoyl-1-naphthylglycine. A detection window (1 mm long) is placed immediately after the outlet frit. To demonstrate the performance of this chiral separation column, mixtures of 16 different amino acids (three of which are not naturally occurring) derivatized with the fluorogenic reagent 4-fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole were separated by capillary chromatography. The enantiomeric separation of the column results in a resolution ranging from 1.21 to 8.29, and a plate height ranging from 8.7 to 39 microm.     

Chiral amines as reagents for HPLC-MS enantioseparation of chiral carboxylic acids

Mass spectrometry (MS) has become a popular analytical technique because of its high sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, the use of a chiral derivatization reagent for the MS detection seems to be efficient for the enantiomeric separation of racemates. However, the number of chiral reagents for the liquid chromatography (LC)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis is very limited. The applicability of commercially available chiral amines as the derivatization reagents for the enantiomeric separation of chiral carboxylic acids is reported in this paper by using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), i.e. ibuprofen, flurbiprofen, and loxoprofen. The efficiency of the chiral reagents was evaluated in terms of tagging easiness, separation by reversed-phase chromatography, and detection sensitivity by electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS/MS. Among the tested eight chiral amines, i.e. (R)-(+)-4-(3-aminopyrrolidin-1-yl)-7-(N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-APy), (S)-(+)-1-(2-pyrrolidinylmethyl)-pyrrolidine (PMP), L-prolinamide, (3R)-(-)-1-benzyl-3-aminopyrrolidine, (S)-(+)-1-cyclohexyl-ethylamine, (3R)-(+)-3-(trifluoroacetamido)-pyrrolidine (TFAP), (R)-(-)-1-aminoindan (AI), and (S)-(+)-tetrahydrofurfuryl-amine, DBD-APy, PMP, AI, and TFAP could be used as the chiral reagents for the enantiomeric separation of the NSAIDs. The Rs values and the detection limits of the derivatives were in the range of 1.29-3.85 and 0.57-0.96 fmol, respectively. These four reagents were applied for the determination of the NSAIDs in rat plasma.     

Preparation and evaluation of new Pirkle type chiral stationary phases with long alkyl chains for the separation of amino acid enantiomers derivatized with NBD-F.

In order to improve the high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of alpha-amino acids derivatized with the fluorogenic reagent 4-fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-F) on commercially available chiral stationary phases (CSPs) such as SUMICHIRAL OA-2500(S) (CSP 1) and OA-4700 (CSP 3), the preparation of two new CSPs (CSP 2 and CSP 4) having 11-aminoundecanoic acid between the aminopropyl silica gel support and the chiral moiety in CSP 1 and CSP 3 is described. CSP 2 and CSP 4 improved both the mutual and enantiomeric separation of NBD-amino acids compared with CSP 1 and CSP 3. Thus, 17 pairs of NBD-amino acid enantiomers and NBD-glycine were separated on CSP 2 except for six NBD-amino acids (D-Asn, D-Ser, D-Gln, L-Pro, L-Ser and Gly). CSP 2 and CSP 4 also showed better enantiomeric separation of NBD-amino acid esters and amides than CSP 1 and CSP 3. It was considered that the achiral long alkyl chains in the CSPs might form a hydrophobic space which assisted the stereoselective interaction of analytes with the chiral moiety by changing the environment around the chiral moiety. On CSP 1 and CSP 2, NBD-beta-amino acid was also enantiomerically separated.     

Amino acid composition analysis of minute amounts of cysteine-containing proteins using 4-(aminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole and 4-fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole in combination with HPLC

The simultaneous determination of amino acid composition including cysteine of egg albumin, a model protein containing a/s cysteine residue, is reported. All the thiol groups of the cysteine residue(s) of egg albumin were labelled with 4-(aminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole, a fluorogenic reagent for thiol groups. The labeled egg albumin was hydrolyzed in 6N HCl at 110 degrees C for 24 h. The hydrolysate was lyophilized, derivatized with 4-fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole, a fluorogenic reagent for amines, and subjected to HPLC. 18 derivatized amino acids including double labelled cysteine were separated within 90 min on a Nucleosil ODS column (150 mm X 4.6 mm i.d.; 5 microns), and detected at 530 nm (ex. 470 nm) in a range from 90 fmol (aspartic acid) to 1.3 pmol (cysteine) (S/N = 3). Composition ratios of amino acids of egg albumin were similar to theoretical values except for methionine, which would be destroyed under the present acid hydrolysis condition. Analytical methods for cysteine residues are reviewed, and the availability of fluorogenic reagents having the benzofurazan structure is also discussed.     

Synthesis of benzofurazan derivatization reagents for carboxylic acids and its application to analysis of fatty acids in rat plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

The derivatization regents for carboxylic acids, DAABD-AE (4-[2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethylaminosulfonyl]7-(2-aminoethylamino)-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole), MePZBD-AE ([4-(4-N-methyl)piperazinosulfonyl]-7-(2-aminoethylamino)-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole) and APZBD-NHMe ([4-(4-N-aminoethyl)piperazinosulfonyl]-7-methylamino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole) were developed for electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The derivatization reaction with fatty acids was completed at 60 degrees C within 30 min. The derivatives of fatty acids were separated on a reversed-phase column and detected with ESI-MS. The detection limits attained for fatty acids were femtomol range and the calibration curves were linear over the range from 0.1 to 100 pmol (r2 > 0.992) for DAABD-AE and MePZBD-AE. DAABD-NHMe was applied to the analysis of fatty acids in rat plasma samples.     

A fully automated amino acid analyzer using NBD-F as a fluorescent derivatization reagent

A fully automated amino acid analyzer using NBD-F (4- fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole) as a fluorescent derivatization reagent was developed. The whole analytical process was fully automated from derivatization, injection to HPLC separation and quantitation. The derivatization reaction conditions were re-evaluated and optimized. Amino acids were derivatized by NBD-F for 40 min at room temperature in the borate buffer (pH 9.5). The derivatives were separated within 100 min and fluorometrically detected at 540 nm with excitation at 470 nm. The detection limits for amino acids were in the range of 2.8-20 fmol. The calibration curves were linear over the range of 20 fmol to 20 pmol on column with the correlation coefficients of 0.999. The coefficients of variation were less than 5% at 3 pmol injection for all amino acids. Amino acids in rat plasma were determined by the proposed HPLC method.     

Direct enantiomeric analysis of amphetamine in plasma by simultaneous solid phase extraction and chiral derivatization

Summary An analytical approach has been developed for the one step determination of enantiomeric amphetamine composition in plasma, using on-line, pre-column solid phase derivatization with reversed phase HPLC separation. The high molecular weight protein components were excluded by the small pore structure of the polymer and washed out of the reaction column before derivatization. Spiked amphetamine in human plasma was extracted and derivatized by the polystyrene based FMOC-L-prolyl solid phase reagent. The derivatized diastereomers were separated on a conventional ODS column with an ACN/H₂O mobile phase. No kinetic resolution or racemization was observed in this solid phase derivatization. Calibration plots and reproducibility experiments were performed to demonstrate the validity of the new approach. Automation of the procedure provided a simple and reproducible method for direct chiral recognition in plasma samples.     

Enantiomeric separation and detection by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry of 2-arylpropionic acids derivatized with benzofurazan fluorescent reagents

The enantiomneric separation and the detection of 2-arylpropionic acids after derivatization with the fluorescent reagents with a benzofurazan structure, ( S )-(+)-4-( N,N -dimethylaminosulphonyl)-7-(3-aminopyrrolidin-1-yl)-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (( S )-DBD-Apy), (R)-(-)-4-nitro-7-(3-aminopyrrolidin-1-yl)-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (( R )-NBD-Apy), 4- N,N -dimethylaminosulphonyl-7-piperazino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-PZ) and N -hydrazinoformylmethyl- N -methylamino-4,4- N,N -dimethylaminosulphonyl-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-CO-Hz) by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) were examined. The diastereomeric derivatization with ( S )-DBD-Apy or ( R )-NBD-Apy and the separation on the reversed phase column afforded the high sensitivity. The separation on chiral stationary phase after non-chiral derivatization with DBD-PZ or DBD-CO-Hz provided less sensitivity. The signal-to-noise ratio of ( S )-DBD-Apy-( S )-ketoprofen of 200:1 was observed for 12.5 picomole (pmol) injection and selected ion monitoring (SIM) of the quasi-molecular ion after splitting 1:7 before entering into the electrospray ion sources. As a result, the usefulness of these reagents for MS detection has been demonstrated. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development of hydrophilic fluorogenic derivatization reagents for thiols: 4-(N-acetylaminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole and 4-(N-trichloroacetylaminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole

Sensitive, reactive, and hydrophilic fluorogenic reagents for thiols with the benzofurazan skeleton, 4-(N-acetylaminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (AcABD-F) and 4-(N-trichloroacetylaminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (TCAcABD-F) have been developed. These reagents reacted with thiols within 10 min at 60 degrees C. AcABD-F and TCAcABD-F themselves do not fluoresce but are strongly fluorescent after the reaction with thiol compounds. The generated derivatives were highly water-soluble, since they dissociated a proton and ionized in the neutral pH region. The derivatives with four biologically important thiol compounds were separated on a reversed-phase HPLC column and detected fluorometrically at 504 nm with excitation at 388 nm. The detection limit attained for homocysteine with AcABD-F was 25 fmol on column (11 nM) (signal-to-noise ratio = 3), and that for glutathione with TCAcABD-F was 45 fmol on column (20 nM).     

4-(N,N-dimethylaminosulphonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole as chemilumigenic reagent for high performance liquid chromatographic peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence detection

4-(N,N-Dimethylaminosulphonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-F), presented as a fluorogenic labelling reagent for amines and amino acids, is preferred for peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence (PO-CL) detection in high performance liquid chromatography. Amino acids and epinephrine derivatized with DBD-F were separated on a reversed phase column and detected at the femtomole level by the PO-CL detection system.