Determination of ospemifene in human plasma by LC–MS/MS and its application to a human pharmacokinetic study

A highly sensitive, specific and rapid liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analytical method has been developed and validated for the determination of ospemifene in human plasma using ospemifene‐d₄ as an internal standard. Solid‐phase extraction technique with Phenomenex Strata X‐33 μm polymeric sorbent cartridges (30 mg/1 mL) was used to extract the analytes from the plasma. The chromatographic separation was achieved on Agilent Eclipse XDB‐Phenyl, 4.6 × 75 mm, 3.5 μm column using the mobile phase composition of methanol and 20 mm ammonium formate buffer (90:10, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.9 mL/min. A detailed method validation was performed as per the US Food and Drug Administration guidelines and the calibration curve obtained was linear (r² = 99) over the concentration range 5.02–3025 ng/mL. The API‐4500 MS/MS was operated under multiple reaction monitoring mode during the analysis. The proposed method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study in healthy human volunteers after oral administration of an ospemifene 60 mg tablet under fed conditions.     

Development and validation of a sensitive UHPLC‐MS/MS method for the simultaneous analysis of tramadol,dextromethorphan chlorpheniramine and their major metabolites in human plasma in forensic context: application to pharmacokinetics

The prerequisites for forensic confirmatory analysis by LC/MS/MS with respect to European Union guidelines are chromatographic separation, a minimum number of two MS/MS transitions to obtain the required identification points and predefined thresholds for the variability of the relative intensities of the MS/MS transitions (MRM transitions) in samples and reference standards. In the present study, a fast, sensitive and robust method to quantify tramadol, chlorpheniramine, dextromethorphan and their major metabolites, O‐desmethyltramadol, dsmethyl‐chlorpheniramine and dextrophan, respectively, in human plasma using ibuprofen as internal standard (IS) is described. The analytes and the IS were extracted from plasma by a liquid–liquid extraction method using ethyl acetate–diethyl‐ether (1:1). Extracted samples were analyzed by ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS). Chromatographic separation was performed by pumping the mobile phase containing acetonitrile, water and formic acid (89.2:11.7:0.1) for 2.0 min at a flow rate of 0.25 μL/min into a Hypersil‐Gold C₁₈ column, 20 × 2.0 mm (1.9 µm) from Thermoscientific, New York, USA. The calibration curve was linear for the six analytes. The intraday precision (RSD) and accuracy (RE) of the method were 3–9.8 and ?1.7–4.5%, respectively. The analytical procedure herein described was used to assess the pharmacokinetics of the analytes in 24 healthy volunteers after a single oral dose containing 50 mg of tramadol hydrochloride, 3 mg chlorpheniramine maleate and 15 mg of dextromethorphan hydrobromide. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simultaneous determination of sibutramine and its active metabolites in human plasma by LC‐MS/MS and its application to a pharmacokinetic study

A simple and sensitive liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐ESI‐MS/MS) technique was developed and validated for the determination of sibutramine and its N‐desmethyl metabolites (M1 and M2) in human plasma. After extraction with methyl t‐butyl ether, chromatographic separation of analytes in human plasma was performed using a reverse‐phase Luna C₁₈ column with a mobile phase of acetonitrile–10 mm ammonium formate buffer (50:50, v/v) and quantified by ESI‐MS/MS detection in positive ion mode. The flow rate of the mobile phase was 200 μL/min and the retention times of sibutramine, M1, M2 and internal standard (chlorpheniramine) were 1.5, 1.4, 1.3 and 0.9 min, respectively. The calibration curves were linear over the range 0.05–20 ng/mL, for sibutramine, M1 and M2. The lower limit of quantification was 0.05 ng/mL using 500 μL of human plasma. The mean accuracy and the precision in the intra‐ and inter‐day validation for sibutramine, M1 and M2 were acceptable. This LC‐MS/MS method showed improved sensitivity and a short run time for the quantification of sibutramine and its two active metabolites in plasma. The validated method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study in human. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of trimethylamine‐N‐oxide in combination with l‐carnitine and γ‐butyrobetaine in human plasma by UPLC/MS/MS

An ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the quantification of trimethylamine‐N‐oxide (TMAO) simultaneously with TMAO‐related molecules l ‐carnitine and γ‐butyrobetaine (GBB) in human blood plasma. The separation of analytes was achieved using a Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC)‐type column with ammonium acetate–acetonitrile as the mobile phase. TMAO determination was validated according to valid US Food and Drug Administration guidelines. The developed method was successfully applied to plasma samples from healthy volunteers. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

LC‐MS/MS determination of pogostone in rat plasma and its application in pharmacokinetic studies

Pogostone is an important constituent of Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth., and possesses various known bioactivities. A rapid, simple and sensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) method was developed for the analysis of pogostone in rat plasma using chrysophanol as internal standard (IS). The analytes were extracted with methanol and separated using a reversed‐phase YMC‐UltraHT Pro C₁₈ column. Elution was achieved with a mobile phase consisting of methanol–water (75:25, v/v) for 5 min at a flow rate of 400 μL/min. The precursor/product transitions (m/z) under MS/MS detection with negative electrospray ionization (ESI) were 223.0 → 139.0 and 253.1 → 224.9 for pogostone and IS, respectively. The calibration curve was linear over the concentration range 0.05–160 µg/mL (r = 0.9996). The intra‐ and inter‐day accuracy and precision were within ±10%. The validated method was successfully applied to the preclinical pharmacokinetic investigation of pogostone in rats after intravenous (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg) and oral administration (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg). Finally, the oral absolute bioavailability of pogostone in rats was calculated to be 70.39, 78.18 and 83.99% for 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg, respectively. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simultaneous determination of spinosad,temephos, and piperonyl butoxide in animal‐derived foods using LC–MS/MS

Pesticides, which are used as plant protection products, can enter the food chain, and exposure to these xenobiotics can cause a wide array of health problems in humans. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to develop an analytical method for the simultaneous determination of residual spinosad (sum of spinosyn A and D), temephos and piperonyl butoxide in porcine muscle, egg, milk, eel, flatfish and shrimp (sampling period: February to June 2018) using liquid chromatography–triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The target analytes were extracted with a combination of acidified acetonitrile and ethyl acetate and subsequently purified with original QuEChERS kits (composed of magnesium sulfate and sodium chloride) as well as n‐hexane. All analytes were separated on a reversed‐phase analytical column using a mobile phase of (A) 0.1% formic acid containing 10 mm ammonium formate in distilled water and (B) methanol. Good linearity (R² ≥ 0.980) was achieved over the tested concentration range (3.5–35 μg/kg for spinosyn A; 1.5–15 μg/kg for spinosyn D; 5–50 μg/kg for temephos and piperonyl butoxide) in matrix‐matched standard calibrations. Fortified samples at three spiking levels yielded recoveries in the range of 71–105% with relative standard deviations ≤9.2%. The applicability of the method was evaluated via evaluating samples collected from a large wholesale market located in Seoul, and none of the samples contained any of the target analytes. In conclusion, the current approach is simple, efficient and reliable and can successfully determine the residual levels of spinosad, temephos and piperonyl butoxide in complex animal‐derived food products.     

UPLC‐MS/MS assay for the simultaneous quantification of carvedilol and its active metabolite 4′‐hydroxyphenyl carvedilol in human plasma to support a bioequivalence study in healthy volunteers

An ultra‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC‐MS/MS) method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of carvedilol and its pharmacologically active metabolite 4′‐hydroxyphenyl carvedilol in human plasma using their deuterated internal standards (IS). Samples were prepared by solid‐phase extraction using 100 μL human plasma. Chromatographic separation of analytes was achieved on UPLC C18 (50 × 2.1 mm, 1.7 µm) column using acetonitrile‐4.0 mm ammonium formate, pH 3.0 adjusted with 0.1% formic acid (78:22, v/v) as the mobile phase. The multiple reaction monitoring transitions for both the analytes and IS were monitored in the positive electrospray ionization mode. The method was validated over a concentration range of 0.05–50 ng/mL for carvedilol and 0.01‐10 ng/mL for 4′‐hydroxyphenyl carvedilol. Intra‐ and inter‐batch precision (% CV) and accuracy for the analytes varied from 0.74 to 3.88 and 96.4 to 103.3% respectively. Matrix effect was assessed by post‐column analyte infusion and by calculation of precision values (coefficient of variation) in the measurement of the slope of calibration curves from eight plasma batches. The assay recovery was within 94–99% for both the analytes and IS. The method was successfully applied to support a bioequivalence study of 12.5 mg carvedilol tablets in 34 healthy subjects. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sensitive, selective and rapid determination of bupropion and its major active metabolite, hydroxybupropion, in human plasma by LC-MS/MS: application to a bioequivalence study in healthy Indian subjects

A sensitive, selective and rapid liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of bupropion (BUP) and its major active metabolite hydroxybupropion (HBUP) in human plasma. Separation of both the analytes and venlafaxine as internal standard (IS) from 50 μL human plasma was carried out by solid‐phase extraction. The chromatographic separation of the analytes was achieved on a Zorbax Eclipse XDB C₁₈ (150 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) analytical column using isocratic mobile phase consisting of 20 mm ammonium acetate–methanol (10:90, v/v), with a resolution factor of 3.5. The method was validated over a wide dynamic concentration range of 0.1–350 ng/mL for BUP and 0.1–600 ng/mL for HBUP. The matrix effect was assessed by post‐column infusion and the mean process efficiency was 96.08 and 94.40% for BUP and HBUP, respectively. The method was successfully applied to a bioequivalence study of 150 mg BUP (test and reference) extended release tablet formulation in 12 healthy Indian male subjects under fed conditions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simultaneous quantitation of rosuvastatin and ezetimibe in human plasma by LC–MS/MS: Pharmacokinetic study of fixed‐dose formulation and separate tablets

A simple, high‐throughput and highly sensitive liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method has been developed for the simultaneous estimation of rosuvastatin and free ezetimibe. Liquid–liquid extraction was carried out using methyl‐tert butyl ether after prior acidification from 300 μL human plasma. The recovery for both the analytes and their deuterated internal standards (ISs) ranged from 95.7 to 99.8%. Rosuvastatin and ezetimibe were separated on Symmetry C₁₈ column using acetonitrile and ammonium formate buffer, pH 3.5 (30:70, v/v) as the mobile phase. The analytes were well resolved with a resolution factor of 3.8. Detection and quantitation were performed under multiple reaction monitoring using ESI(+) for rosuvastatin (m/z 482.0 → 258.1) and ESI(−) for ezetimibe (m/z 407.9 → 271.1). A linear response function was established in the concentration ranges of 0.05–50.0 ng/mL and 0.01–10.0 ng/mL for rosuvastatin and ezetimibe, respectively, with correlation coefficient, r² ≥ 0.9991. The IS‐normalized matrix factors for the analytes ranged from 0.963 to 1.023. The developed method was successfully used to compare the pharmacokinetics of a fixed‐dose combination tablet of rosuvastatin‐ezetimibe and co‐administered rosuvastatin and ezetimibe as separate tablets to 24 healthy subjects. The reliability of the assay was also assessed by reanalysis of 115 subject samples.     

Simultaneous LC‐MS/MS bioanalysis of etoposide and paclitaxel in mouse tissues and plasma after oral administration of self‐microemulsifying drug‐delivery systems

In this study, a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) method was developed and validated to simultaneously determine the anticancer drugs etoposide and paclitaxel in mouse plasma and tissues including liver, kidney, lung, heart, spleen and brain. The analytes were extracted from the matrices of interest by liquid–liquid extraction using methyl tert‐butyl ether–dichloromethane (1:1, v/v). Chromatographic separation was achieved on an Ultimate XB‐C₁₈ column (100 × 2.1 mm, 3 μm) at 40°C and the total run time was 4 min under a gradient elution. Ionization was conducted using electrospray ionization in the positive mode. Stable isotope etoposide‐d3 and docetaxel were used as the internal standards. The lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) of etoposide was 1 ng/g tissue for all tissues and 0.5 ng/mL for plasma. The LLOQ of paclitaxel was 0.4 ng/g tissue and 0.2 ng/mL for all tissues and plasma, respectively. The coefficients of correlation for all of the analytes in the tissues and plasma were >0.99. Both intra‐ and inter‐day accuracy and precision were satisfactory. This method was successfully applied to measure plasma and tissue drug concentrations in mice treated with etoposide and paclitaxel‐loaded self‐microemulsifying drug‐delivery systems.     

Quantitative bioanalysis of bavachalcone in rat plasma by LC–MS/MS and its application in a pharmacokinetics study

This study aims to develop and validate a simple and sensitive liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method for investigating the pharmacokinetic characteristics of bavachalcone. Liquid–liquid extraction was used to prepare plasma sample. Chromatographic separation of bavachalcone and IS was achieved using a Venusil ASB C₁₈ (2.1 × 50 mm, 5 μm) column with a mobile phase of methanol (A)–water (B) (70:30, v /v). The detection and quantification of analytes was performed in selected‐reaction monitoring mode using precursor → product ion combinations of m/z 323.1 → 203.2 for bavachalcone, and m/z 373.0 → 179.0 for IS. Linear calibration plots were achieved in the range of 1–1000 ng/mL for bavachalcone (r ² > 0.99) in rat plasma. The recovery of bavachalcone ranged from 84.1 to 87.0%. The method was precise, accurate and reliable. It was fully validated and successfully applied to pharmacokinetic study of bavachalcone.     

Validated UPLC‐MS/MS method for quantification of seven compounds in rat plasma and tissues: Application to pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution studies in rats after oral administration of extract of Eclipta prostrata L.

A rapid, sensitive and specific ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC‐MS/MS) method was developed to investigate the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of Eclipta prostrata extract. Rats were orally administrated the 70% ethanol extract of E. prostrata, and their plasma as well as various organs were collected. The concentrations of seven main compounds, ecliptasaponin IV, ecliptasaponin A, apigenin, 3′‐hydroxybiochanin A, luteolin, luteolin‐7‐O‐glucoside and wedelolactone, were quantified by UPLC‐MS/MS through multiple reactions monitoring method. The precisions (RSD) of the analytes were all <15.00%. The extraction recoveries ranged from 74.65 to 107.45% with RSD ≤ 15.36%. The matrix effects ranged from 78.00 to 118.06% with RSD ≤ 15.04%. To conclude, the present pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution studies provided useful information for the clinical usage of Eclipta prostrata L.     

Simultaneous quantification of vortioxetine,fluoxetine and their metabolites in rat plasma by UPLC–MS/MS

In this study, a specific and quick ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) method was fully developed and validated for simultaneous measurement of the rat plasma levels of vortioxetine (VOR), Lu AA34443 (the major metabolite of VOR), fluoxetine and its metabolite norfluoxetine with diazepam as the internal standard (IS). After a simple protein precipitation with acetonitrile for sample preparation, the separation of the analytes were performed on an Acquity UPLC BEH C18 (2.1 × 50 mm, 1.7 μm) column, with acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid in water as mobile phase by gradient elution. The detection was achieved on a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer by multiple reaction monitoring mode via an electrospray ionization source. Good linearity was observed in the calibration curve for each analyte. The data of precision, accuracy, matrix effect, recovery and stability all conformed to the bioanalytical method validation of acceptance criteria of US Food and Drug Administration recommendations. The newly developed UPLC–MS/MS method allowed simultaneous quantification of VOR, fluoxetine and their metabolites for the first time and was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study in rats.     

A UFLC‐MS/MS method with a switching ionization mode for simultaneous quantitation of polygalaxanthone III,four ginsenosides and tumulosic acid in rat plasma: application to a comparative pharmacokinetic study in normal and Alzheimer's disease rats

A fast, sensitive and reliable ultra fast liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC‐MS/MS) method has been developed and validated for simultaneous quantitation of polygalaxanthone III (POL), ginsenoside Rb1 (GRb1), ginsenoside Rd (GRd), ginsenoside Re (GRe), ginsenoside Rg1 (GRg1) and tumulosic acid (TUM) in rat plasma after oral administration of Kai‐Xin‐San, which plays an important role for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The plasma samples were extracted by liquid–liquid extraction using ethyl acetate–isopropanol (1:1, v/v) with salidrdoside as internal standard (IS). Good chromatographic separation was achieved using gradient elution with the mobile phase consisting of methanol and 0.01% acetic acid in water. The tandem mass spectrometric detection was performed in multiple reaction monitoring mode on 4000Q UFLC‐MS/MS system with turbo ion spray source in a negative and positive switching ionization mode. The lower limits of quantification were 0.2–1.5 ng/ml for all the analytes. Both intra‐day and inter‐day precision and accuracy of analytes were well within acceptance criteria (±15%). The mean absolute extraction recoveries of analytes and IS from rat plasma were all more than 60.0%. The validated method has been successfully applied to comparing pharmacokinetic profiles of analytes in normal and AD rat plasma. The results indicated that no significant differences in pharmacokinetic parameters of GRe, GRg1 and TUM were observed between the two groups, while the absorption of POL and GRd in AD group were significantly higher than those in normal group; moreover, the GRb1 absorbed more rapidly in model group. The different characters of pharmacokinetics might be caused by pharmacological effects of the analytes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of silodosin and its active glucuronide metabolite KMD‐3213G in human plasma by LC–MS/MS for a bioequivalence study

A sensitive and selective liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method is described for the simultaneous determination of silodosin (SLD) and its active metabolite silodosin β‐d ‐glucuronide (KMD‐3213G) in human plasma. Liquid–liquid extraction of plasma samples was carried out with ethyl acetate and methyl tert‐butyl ether solvent mixture using deuterated analogs as internal standards. The extraction recoveries of SLD and KMD‐3213G were in the ranges 90.8–93.4 and 87.6–89.9%, respectively. The extracts were analyzed on a Symmetry C₁₈ (50 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column under gradient conditions using 10 mm ammonium formate in water and methanol–acetonitrile (40:60, v/v), within 6.0 min. For MS/MS measurements, ionization of the analytes was carried out in the positive ionization mode and the transitions monitored were m/z 496.1 → 261.2 for SLD and m/z 670.2 → 494.1 for KMD‐3213G. The method showed good linearity, accuracy, precision and stability in the range 0.10–80.0 ng/mL for SLD and KMD‐3213G. The IS‐normalized matrix factors obtained were highly consistent, ranging from 0.962 to 1.023 for both analytes. The method was used to support a bioequivalence study of SLD and its metabolite in healthy volunteers after oral administration of 8 mg silodosin capsules.     

LC–MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of ramelteon and its metabolite M‐II in human plasma: Application to a clinical pharmacokinetic study in healthy Chinese volunteers

A sensitive liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of ramelteon and its active metabolite M‐II in human plasma. After extraction from 200 μL of plasma by protein precipitation, the analytes and internal standard (IS) diazepam were separated on a Hedera ODS‐2 (5 μm, 150 × 2.1 mm) column with a mobile phase consisted of methanol–0.1% formic acid in 10 mm ammonium acetate solution (85:15, v/v) delivered at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. Mass spectrometric detection was operated in positive multiple reaction monitoring mode. The calibration curves were linear over the concentration range of 0.0500–30.0 ng/mL for ramelteon and 1.00–250 ng/mL for M‐II, respectively. This method was successfully applied to a clinical pharmacokinetic study in healthy Chinese volunteers after a single oral administration of ramelteon. The maximum plasma concentration (C_max), the time to the C_max and the elimination half‐life for ramelteon were 4.50 ± 4.64ng/mL, 0.8 ± 0.4h and 1.0 ± 0.9 h, respectively, and for M‐II were 136 ± 36 ng/mL, 1.1 ± 0.5 h, 2.1 ± 0.4 h, respectively.     

Highly sensitive determination of Schisandrin and Schisandrin B in plasma of rats after administration of Wurenchun (Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis Extracts) preparations by LC‐ESI‐MS/MS

A sensitive and specific method based on liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry using electrospray ionization (LC‐ESI‐MS/MS) has been developed for the determination of Schisandrin and Schisandrin B in rat plasma. A 100 μL plasma sample was extracted by methyl tert‐butyl ether after spiking the samples with nimodipine (internal standard) and performed on an XTerra®MS‐C₁₈ column (150 mm × 2.1 mm, 3.5 μm) with the mobile phase of acetonitrile–water–formic acid (80:20:0.2, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min in a run time of 8.5 min. The lower limit of quantification of the method was 40 ng/mL for Schisandrin and 20 ng/mL for Schisandrin B. The method showed reproducibility with intra‐day and inter‐day precision of less than 13.8% RSD, as well as accuracy, with inter‐ and intra‐assay accuracies between 93.5 and 107.2%. Finally, the LC‐ESI‐MS/MS method was successfully applied to study the pharmacokinetics of Schisandrin and Schisandrin B in rats after administration of Wurenchun commercial formulations to rats. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development and validation of a sensitive UHPLC–MS/MS method for quantitative analysis of farrerol in rat plasma: Application to pharmacokinetic and bioavailability studies

Farrerol is a 2,3‐dihydro‐flavonoid isolated from rhododendron. In this study, a sensitive and selective ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) method was developed for the determination of farrerol in rat plasma. Liquid–liquid extraction by ethyl ether was used for sample preparation. Chromatographic separation was achieved on an Agilent UHPLC XDB‐C₁₈ column (2.1 × 100 mm, 1.8 μm) with water and methanol (30:70, v /v) as the mobile phase. An electrospray source was applied and operated in negative ion mode; selection reaction monitoring was used for quantification using target fragment ions m/z 299 → 179 for farrerol and m/z 267 → 252 for internal standard. Calibration plots were linear in the range of 2.88–1440 ng/mL for farrerol in rat plasma. Intra‐ and inter‐day precisions were <11.6%, and the accuracy ranged from −13.9 to 11.9%. The UHPLC–MS/MS method was successfully applied in pharmacokinetics and bioavailability studies of farrerol in rats.     

Pharmacokinetic comparison of five tanshinones in normal and arthritic rats after oral administration of Huo Luo Xiao Ling Dan or its single herb extract by UPLC‐MS/MS

A fast, sensitive and reliable ultra performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC‐MS/MS) method has been developed and validated for simultaneous quantitation and pharmacokinetic study of five tanshinones (tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA, tanshinone IIB, dihydrotanshinone I, cryptotanshinone), the bio‐active ingredients of Huo Luo Xiao Ling Dan (HLXLD) in rat plasma. After liquid–liquid extraction, chromatographic separation was accomplished on a Shim‐pack XR‐ODS column (75 × 3.0 mm, 2.2 µm particles) and eluted with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile–0.05% formic acid aqueous solution (80:20, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min, and the total run time was 7.0 min. The detection was performed on a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry equipped with an electrospray ionization source in positive ionization and multiple reaction monitoring mode. The lower limits of quantification were 0.050–0.400 ng/mL for all the analytes. Linearity, precision and accuracy, the mean extraction recoveries and matrix effects all satisfied criteria for acceptance. This validated method was successfully applied to a comparative pharmacokinetic study of five bio‐active components in rat plasma after oral administration of HLXLD or Salvia miltiorrhiza extract in normal and arthritic rats. The results showed that there were different pharmacokinetic characteristics among different groups. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development and validation of a sensitive LC‐MS/MS method for determination of tacrolimus on dried blood spots

A bioanalytical method for the quantification of tacrolimus (TAC) on dried blood spots (DBS) using liquid chromatography, electrospray ionization coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐ESI‐MS/MS) was developed and validated. It involves solvent extraction of a punch disk of DBS followed by liquid–liquid extraction. The analyte and the internal standard (IS, ascomycin) were separated on a phenyl column using an isocratic mobile phase elution at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The assay was linear from 1 to 80 ng/mL. The mean recovery of TAC was 76.6%. Intra‐assay, inter‐assay imprecision and biases were all less than 15%. TAC on DBS was stable for at least 10 days at room temperature, and at least 24 h at 50°C. A chromatographic effect of the filter paper (Whatman 903) was not detected. The volume of blood (15–50 μL) and hematocrit of blood (ranging from 23.2 to 48.6%) did not show a significant influence on detection of TAC concentration by DBS‐LC‐MS/MS. Fifty samples from patients were detected by both DBS‐LC‐MS/MS and microparticle enzyme‐linked immunoassay (MEIA). TAC concentrations measured by DBS‐LC‐MS/MS method tended to be lower than those by MEIA. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.