Determination by UPLC/MS-MS of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in Plasma of Healthy Volunteers before and after Oral Intake of Food Supplements Containing CoQ10

Giacomo Luca Visconti ,Lara Mazzoleni ,Chiara Rusconi ,Vittorio Grazioli ,Gabriella Roda ,Giorgio Manini ,Veniero Gambaro

doi:10.4172/2155-9872.s13-011

Abstract

To evaluate CoQ10 concentration a UPLC/MS-MS method for its analysis in plasma samples was developed. Before validation, the choice of the anticoagulant, of the Internal Standard (CoQ9; IS) and the stability of CoQ10 in plasma were evaluated. These determinations were necessary to assess the effect of the oral intake of CoQ10 in nine healthy volunteers after 10 days of treatment with a food supplement containing it. The basal levels of CoQ10 were determined and the analyses were repeated after four days to take into account the variability of endogenous substances. After oral intake, the increase in plasma concentration of CoQ10 resulted statistically significant (P<0.05), indicating that the assumption of food supplements containing this ubiquinone could be of help to increase its concentration, thus exploiting the its beneficial properties.

Highlights

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10; 2,3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-6-polipropenyl1,4-benzoquinone), known as ubiquinone 10, is a lipophilic naturally occurring compound located in all membranes of eukaryotic organisms [1]
In this paper we developed and validated a UPLC/MS-MS method, based on a liquid-liquid extraction procedure, for the determination of CoQ10 in human plasma, which differentiates from the other methods because of the rapidity of extraction and the fast analytical times requested
The method was applied to the analysis of CoQ10 in the plasma of nine healthy volunteers, assuming for 10 days food supplements containing it, in order to evaluate the increase of ubiquinone concentration in plasma after oral intake

Summary

Introduction

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10; 2,3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-6-polipropenyl1,4-benzoquinone), known as ubiquinone 10, is a lipophilic naturally occurring compound located in all membranes of eukaryotic organisms [1]. CoQ10 is the predominant ubiquinone species in humans and it originates from endogenous biosynthesis as well as from dietary intake. It is widely distributed in human tissues, especially in inner membranes of mitochondria where it affects their fluidity and permeability [3,5]. It has been demonstrated that the oral intake of CoQ10 may improve functional capacity and endothelial function in chronic heart failure [8] without any side effects.

Materials and Methods

Method validation

Conclusion