Clonazepam quantification in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry in a bioequivalence study

A rapid, sensitive and specific method for quantifying clonazepam in human plasma using diazepam as the internal standard (IS) is described. The analyte and the IS were extracted from plasma by liquid-liquid extraction using a hexane/diethylether (20 : 80, v/v) solution. The extracts were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS-MS). Chromatography was performed on a Jones Genesis C8 4 microm analytical column (100 x 2.1 mm i.d.). The method had a chromatographic run time of 3.0 min and a linear calibration curve over the range 0.5-50 ng/ml (r2 > 0.9965). The limit of quantification was 0.5 ng/ml. This HPLC/MS/MS procedure was used to assess the bioequivalence of two clonazepam 2 mg tablet formulations (clonazepam test formulation from Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd and Rivotril from Roche Laboratórios Ltda as standard reference formulation).     

High-performance liquid chromatographic assay for mitoxantrone in plasma using electrochemical detection

A sensitive and specific high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay was developed for the quantitation of mitoxantrone in plasma using electrochemical detection. Bisantrene was chosen as the internal standard. A reversed-phase, 10-microns muBondapak C18 analytical column (30 cm X 3.9 mm) with an isocratic mobile phase of 28% acetonitrile in 80 mM sodium formate buffer (pH 3.0) was used. The eluent was monitored by both electrochemical detection at an applied potential of +0.75 V vs. Ag/AgCl and visible absorbance at 660 nm. Only electrochemical detection was able to quantitate the internal standard and provided ten times higher sensitivity than visible absorbance for mitoxantrone with a detection limit as low as 0.1 ng/ml. Calibration curves in the range 0.1-1000 ng/ml showed good linearity (r = 0.998) and precision (coefficient of variation less than 10%). This HPLC method utilized a reproducible and inexpensive liquid-liquid extraction procedure. Using methylene chloride, the extraction efficacy of mitoxantrone from plasma was 85.3% with a coefficient of variation less than 2.1%. This new assay was then applied to measure mitoxantrone concentrations in plasma obtained from two leukemic patients receiving 12 mg/m2 mitoxantrone as a 1-h infusion.     

High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Acetazolamide in Human Plasma

Abstract

A simple, rapid and specific HPLC method has been developed to determine acetazolamide concentrations in human plasma. The assay procedure requires only 250 μl of sample with direct injection of the organic supernatant after protein precipitation with acetonitrile. Chlorothiazide was used as an internal standard. A reversed-phase C₁₈ μBondapak column was employed for the chromatographic separation. The eluent was monitored at 265 nm using a UV variable wavelength detector. The retention times for acetazolamide (ACZ) and chlorothiazide (CTZ) were 6 and 8 min respectively. A linear relationship (r).995) was obtained over the 1-20 μg/ml concentration range. The limit of sensitivity for ACZ was 0.5 μg/ml, with greater than 85% recovery of ACZ and internal standard. The method was applied to human plasma samples obtained after administration of a 250 mg acetazolamide tablet.     

Simultaneous determination of vinburnine and 6-hydroxyvinburnine in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography

An isocratic high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed to allow the simple and rapid determination of both vinburnine (I) and its main metabolite, 6-hydroxyvinburnine (II), in heparinized human plasma (0.5 ml). Compounds I and II and p-chlorodisopyramide (internal standard) were first extracted with alkalinized ethyl acetate and then with sulphuric acid. Separation was achieved on a reversed-phase muBondapak C18 column with a mobile phase of acetonitrile-water-0.1 M heptanesulphonate in acetic acid and with detection at 254 nm. Each run required 20 min. The within-day coefficients of variation for identical samples (20 ng/ml) were 7 and 6% and between-day coefficients of variation 8 and 26% for I and II, respectively. The detection limit was 5 ng/ml (normal therapeutic concentration, 10-300 ng/ml). The application of the method to drug monitoring was compared to that of a thin-layer chromatographic procedure.     

Sensitive High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Mebeverine in Plasma Using Fluorescence Detection

Abstract

A sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for mebeverine (MB) determination in plasma is described. Sample preparation involves extraction of MB and Ibuprofen (internal standard) from 0.5 ml plasma. The analysis is carried out on reversed-phase chromatographic system using U-Bondapack C₁₈ column with a mobile phase consisting of water: acetonitrile:acetic acid (59:40:1) mixture. The effluent was monitored using a fluoremetric detection at excitation and emission wave lengths 270 and 362 nm, respectively. The method gave accurate, precise and reproducible results with high sensitivity. The within-day coefficients of variation ranged from 2.5 to 6.1% and between-days from 7.5 to 13.5% at four different concentrations. Injection-volumes containing as small amount of MB as 0.5 ng in plasma was detected. This method was applied to a bioavailability study with a single 10 mg/kg oral dose in two rabbits.     

Determination of aniracetam and its main metabolite, N-anisoyl-GABA, in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography

Two different reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic methods for the determination of aniracetam (I) and its metabolite N-anisoyl-GABA (II) in human plasma are described. The procedure for I involves direct injection of plasma samples spiked with the internal standard on a clean-up column followed by reversed-phase chromatography on a C18 column. The limit of quantification was 5 ng/ml, using a 200-microliters specimen of plasma. The mean inter-assay precision of the method up to 800 ng/ml was 3%. The procedure for II involved liquid-liquid extraction of II and the internal standard from plasma with ethyl acetate, and reversed-phase chromatography on a C18 column. The limit of quantification was 50 ng/ml using a 0.5-ml plasma specimen. The mean inter-assay precision up to 50 micrograms/ml was 6%. The applicability and accuracy of the methods were demonstrated by the analysis of over 1000 plasma samples from two bioavailability studies in healthy volunteers.     

A Rapid Liquid Chromatographic Method for Determination of Flecainide in Human Blood Plasma Using Ultraviolet Detection

Abstract

A liquid chromatographic method for the assay of the antiarrhythmic drug flecainide in plasma has been developed. The method is rapid, simple and with sufficient detection sensitivity to render it suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring. Flecainide and added internal standard, a non-fluorinated analogue, were extracted by a single ether extraction from alkalinized plasma followed by a back-extraction of the ether with dilute phosphoric acid. A portion of the acid extract was then applied directly to a 30 cm ODS column eluting isocratically with 30% acetonitrile in water containing 0.01M dibutylamine phosphate. Monitoring was by ultraviolet detection at 214 nm and the total run time was 8 min. This method is specific and can quantitate plasma levels to less than 30 ng/ml (free base) from 0.5 ml of plasma without interference from antiarrhythmic drugs commonly used in therapy.     

Sensitive HPLC Assay for Ketoprofen in Human Plasma and its Application to Pharmacokinetic Study

Abstract

A selective and sensitive HPLC method was developed for the analysis of ketoprofen in human plasma. The assay involves an extraction of the drug and the internal standard (piroxicam) into diethyl ether from acidified plasma and then back-extracted into a small volume of alkaline aqueous solution before injection onto the HPLC column. A microbore column (2 mm I.D. × 10 cm) packed with a C18 reversed-phase material (5 pm ODS Hypersil) was used. The chromatographic separation was accomplished with a mobile phase comprising a mixture of acetonitrile-methanol-water (15 :20 : 65, v/v) containing 10 mM Na2HP04 buffer, pH 4. The mobile phase was pumped at a flow rate of 0.5 dmin. The eluant was monitored at 258 nm. With this procedure coefficients of variation were less than 10%. The detectionlimit was 0.05 μg/ml (i.e., 50 ng/ml) of plasma. The highly sensitive nature of this method was applied successfully to the dewmination of ketoprofen in human plasma for phmacokinetic studies.     

Bioanalysis of the investigational anti-tumour drug 5,10-dideaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolic acid by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method with ultraviolet detection at 278 nm is presented for the determination of 5,10-dideaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolic acid in plasma. Sample pretreatment was achieved by using cation-exchange solid-phase extraction columns with methotrexate as internal standard. Chromatographic separation was based on ion-pair HPLC with 1-octanesulphonic acid as the ion-pairing compound. The detection limit was 10 ng/ml using an 500-microliters sample volume. The assay was linear from the detection limit up to 5000 ng/ml with good reproducibility. The applicability of the assay was demonstrated in a study in the rat.     

High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Determination of (-)-N-Formylnorephedrine in Plasma

Abstract

An HPLC procedure for the detection and quantitative estimation of (-)-N-formylnorephedrine in rabbit plasma had been developed. The procedure involved the extraction of (-)-N-formylnorephedrine from plasma spiked with the internal standard (phenacetin), using ethyl acetate. The ethyl acetate extract is evaporated under nitrogen and the residue is reconstituted in water and injected onto the column. A u-Bondapak-C18 column 30 cm × 3.9 mm ID was used. The mobile phase is 20% acetonitrile in water; at a flow rate of 1.5 ml/min and uv detection at 256 nm. A linear relationship between concentration and peak height ratio (I/internal standard) was obtained (r = 1.00). The reported procedure allows the measurement of (-)-formylnorephedrine in concentrations as low as 150 ng/ml of plasma with total procedure time of about 10 min. The applicability of the procedure to pharmacokinetic studies is illustrated and metabolites are shown not to interfere with the assay procedure.     

Body fluid analysis of a phosphonic acid angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor using high-performance liquid chromatography and post-column derivatization with o-phthalaldehyde

A method is described for the extraction of a phosphonic acid angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor from either urine or plasma, and subsequent quantitation using high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis and post-column o-phthalaldehyde reagent derivatization. The compound cannot be quantitatively extracted from the body fluids, but use of a fluorinated internal standard allowed for the computation of accurate results. With the use of an internal standard, excellent precision, linearity, and recovery were obtained for analyte response in both urine and plasma. In urine a working range of 0.2-10 micrograms/ml was found, with a limit of detection of 0.1 micrograms/ml. For plasma the working range was found to be 2-500 ng/ml, and the limit of detection was established as 1 ng/ml. Due to the non-polar character of the analyte at low pH values, it was possible to use novel extraction (solid-phase C8 column) and HPLC [poly(styrenedivinyl benzene) HPLC column] conditions to separate and quantitate the compound from plasma and urine.     

Development of a high-performance liquid chromatographic-post-column fluorogenic assay for digoxin in serum

A quantitative, sensitive and specific assay for digoxin was developed using a high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) system with post-column (PC) fluorogenic derivatization. Separation of digoxin from its metabolites was accomplished using a 15 cm X 4.6 mm I.D., 3-microns octadecylsilyl HPLC column and an optimum mobile phase of methanol-ethanol-isopropanol-dehydroascorbic acid (52:3:1:45, v/v). Concentrated hydrochloric acid, used as the PC derivatization reagent, was delivered by hexane displacement from a polyvinyl chloride pressure vessel. Construction of the pressure vessel is described. The mixture of HPLC effluent and PC reagent was passed into a 20-m knitted reactor (PTFE tubing) maintained at 79.0 +/- 0.2 degrees C. The resultant fluorophores were monitored by a fluorescence detector equipped with a 360-nm excitation filter and a 425-nm emission filter. Specificity of this HPLC-PC assay for digoxin in the presence of its metabolites was demonstrated. Also, numerous steroids evaluated did not produce fluorescence under these conditions. An extraction procedure for evaluating digoxin in serum without interference from endogenous compounds was also developed. Detector response to digoxin was linear from 0.5 to 3.3 ng extracted from serum.     

High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Amiodarone in Plasma and Tissues

Abstract

A simple and rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the determination of amiodarone (AD) in plasma and tissues was developed. The method involved deproteinization of plasma or homogenized tissue with acetonitrile containing an internal standard (N-Cetylpyridinium chloride) followed by reversed phase chromatography using μ bondapack C₁₈ column (10μm) with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile - methanol - sodium dihydrogen phosphate buffer (70:10:20%, v/v), the pH adjusted to 4.0 and pumped at flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. The column effluent was monitored at 242 nm. A linear relationship was obtained between peak height ratios (drug to internal standard) versus drug levels over the concentration range of 50–750 ng/ml. The detection limit of AD in plasma and tissues by this method was 20 ng/ml.     

Sensitive one-step extraction procedure for column liquid chromatographic determination of fluvoxamine in human and rat plasma

A normal-phase column liquid chromatographic assay for fluvoxamine, a recently introduced atypical antidepressant, has been developed. Prior to analysis, aliquots of alkalinized plasma were extracted with n-hexane. These extracts were then injected into a 5-microns Resolve spherical silica column. Fluvoxamine and the internal standard, clovoxamine, were detected at a wavelength of 254 nm. Standard curves were linear over the concentration range 2-400 ng/ml. Acceptable coefficients of variation were obtained for both within-run and day-to-day studies. The estimated limit of detection is 0.5 ng/ml, and selected drugs checked for coadministration show no analytical interference. This assay was used to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of fluvoxamine in rats.     

High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Analysis of Desipramine in Human Plasma Using a Microbore Column Technique

Abstract

A reversed-phase, isocratic HPLC method has been developed for the quantitation of desipramine in human plasma. the method involved the use of cloimpramine as an internal standard. the chromatographic separation was accomplished with a mobile phase comprising acetonitrile-aqueous solution (60:40. v/v) containing 10 mM disodium hydrogenphosphate and 80 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate adjusted to pH 2. the mobile phase was pumped at a flow rate of 0.5 ml/min. the column used was a microbore column (2 mm I.D. × 100 mm) packed with a C18 reversed-phase material (5μm ODS Hypersil). Plasma samples were extracted at basic pH with diethyl ether followed by back-extraction into 0.1 N sulfuric acid. Using UV detection at 250 nm, the lower limit of sensitivity was 10 ng/ml. the inter- and intra-assay coefficients of variation were found to be less than 10%. the assay procedure was applied to a long term oral dosing study in patients to monitor the plasma concentration of desipramine.     

Measurement of bumetanide in plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography and application to bumetanide disposition.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the measurement of bumetanide in plasma and urine is described. Following precipitation of proteins with acetonitrile, bumetanide was extracted from plasma or urine on a 1-ml bonded-phase C18 column and eluted with acetonitrile. Piretanide dissolved in methanol was used as the internal standard. A C18 Radial Pak column and fluorescence detection (excitation wavelength 228 nm; emission wavelength 418 nm) were used. The mobile phase consisted of methanol-water-glacial acetic acid (66:34:1, v/v) delivered isocratically at a flow-rate of 1.2 ml/min. The lower limit of detection for this method was 5 ng/ml using 0.2 ml of plasma or urine. Nafcillin, but not other semi-synthetic penicillins, was the only commonly used drug that interfered with this assay. No interference from endogenous compounds was detected. For plasma, the inter-assay coefficients of variation of the method were 7.6 and 4.4% for samples containing 10 and 250 ng/ml bumetanide, respectively. The inter-assay coefficients of variation for urine samples containing 10 and 2000 ng/ml were 8.1 and 5.7%, respectively. The calibration curve was linear over the range 5-2000 ng/ml.     

Simple High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Method for the Analysis of Quinine in Human Plasma without Extraction

Abstract

A simple, rapid and sensitive assay, capable of quantitating quinine (Q) in human plasma samples is reported. The assay uses a reversed-phase C18 HPLC column packed with 5 μ ODS Hypersil. The chromatographic separation was accomplished with an isocratic mobile phase comprising acetonitrile-aqueous phosphate buffer pH 2 (50:50, v/v) containing 25 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate and 3 mM tetrabutylammonium bromide at a flow rate of 0.5 ml/min. The eluant was monitored by a fluorescence detector (excitation wavelength at 350 nm and emission wavelength at 450 nm). The assay was based on a simple plasma protein precipitation technique. To 200 μ of plasma sample, 400 μ of internal standard (cinchocaine 30 μ/ml in methanol) was added. After brief vortexing and centrifugation, the clear supernatant was injected onto the HPLC column. The inter- and intra-assay coefficients of variation were found to be less than 10%. The lowest limit of detection for Q in plasma was 18 ng/ml.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic measurement of 8-methoxypsoralen in plasma

Summary A simple high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the measurement of 8-Methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) in human plasma following a single 40mg dose has been described. After addition of phosphate-NaOH buffer, pH 12, and internal standard (trimethylpsoralen), the sample is vortex-mixed with diisopropylether. The resulting extract is analysed on a reverse phase column using phosphoric acid (0.05% v/v): acetonitrile (1:1) as mobile phase, and U.V. detection at 220nm. No interference from endogenous sources has been observed. The limit of sensitivity of the assay is 5ng/ml plasma. The measuring range is between 10–700ng 8-MOP/ml plasma, to be expected from oral doses of 0.6mg 8-MOP/kg body weight, and corresponds to the therapeutic plasma concentration. The relative standard deviation at 50ng/ml level of 8-MOP is 3.6%.     

A Sensitive High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Clopamide in Human Plasma

Abstract

A simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method for quantitation of clopamide in human plasma has been developed. the assay uses a reversed-phase C18 microbore column (2 mm I.D. × 100 mm) packed with 5 μm ODS Hypersil. the chromatographic separation was achieved by using an isocratic mobile phase comprising acetonitrile-10 mM phosphate buffer pH 4 (17:83, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.5 ml/min. the eluant was monitored by a UV detector operating at 241 nm. the assay was based on an organic extraction before chromatographic separation. to 1 ml plasma sample, 100 μl of the internal standard, methylparaben (300 ng/ml), and 8 ml of diethyl ether were added. the samples were shaken and centrifuged, the organic layer was then transferred to a tapered centrifuge tube and evaporated to dryness. the residue was reconstituted and injected onto the HPLC column. the inter-and intra-assay coefficients of variation were found to be less than 10%. the lowest limit of detection for clopamide in plasma was 5 ng/ml. the method is sensitive, specific and allows for routine analysis in the pharmacokinetic studies.     

Chromatographic analysis of methylmercaptopurine riboside in human plasma and urine.

An isocratic reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the determination of methylmercaptopurine riboside (MMPR) in human plasma and urine is reported. Plasma samples were prepared for analysis by addition of internal standard (6-dimethylaminopurine 9-riboside) followed by extraction using disposable C18 cartridges. Urine samples were filtered through a 0.22-micron membrane prior to HPLC separation. The column effluent was monitored at 289 nm and quantitation performed using peak heights. The linear range for MMPR determination was from 10 to 500 ng/ml in plasma and from 0.25 to 50 micrograms/ml in urine. The reported method is convenient, sensitive, and reproducible, illustrating its usefulness for application in pharmacokinetic studies.