Rapid HPLC method for acetyl starch determination in blood

Summary Colloidal plasma substitutes of chemically modified starch are used in surgery and in emergency medicine. Acetyl starch (ACS) is a new plasma substitute based on an amylopectin acetic ester. Metabolic cleavage of the ACS ester substituents leads to improved degradation and elimination of infused polymer. To determine the metabolic fate of ACS a rapid LC-method for ACS quantitiation in blood samples was needed. For this purpose a size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) system with improved sensitivity is outlined using a refractive index detector. The limit of detection is 0.005 mg mL⁻¹. From 0.10–5.00 mg mL⁻¹ a linear relationship (correlation coefficient R=0,9999) between the RI signal and ACS concentration is obtained. Recoveries of ACS from blood plasma range 102.3–107.7% for ACS 200/0.5 (range 0.20–7.94 mg mL⁻¹) and 103.0–111.4% for ACS 200/0.7 (range 0.19–9.33 mg mL⁻¹). Only small differences between runs are obtained. In the inter assay test coeficients of variation of 1.8% and of 2.6% respectively are obtained for ACS 200/0.5 and ACS 200/0.7.