High-performance liquid chromatographic assay for the alpha-melanotropin[4,10] fragment analogue (Melanotan-II) in rat plasma. |
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Authors: | S O Ugwu J Blanchard |
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Affiliation: | Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson 85721. |
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Abstract: | A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) procedure has been developed for the quantification of Melanotan-II (MT-II), a cyclic heptapeptide which promotes rapid tanning of the skin, in rat plasma. The method involves precipitation of plasma proteins followed by direct-injection HPLC with ultraviolet detection. Calibration curves were linear over the range 100-1000 ng/ml for rat plasma. The method is reproducible and reliable with a detection limit of 50 ng/ml in plasma. Within- and between-day precision and accuracy reported as coefficient of variation and relative error, respectively, were < 7%. The application of the assay was successfully demonstrated by quantifying the concentration of MT-II in rat plasma samples following an intravenous dose of 0.3 mg/kg. |
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