Simultaneous quantification of total eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid in plasma by high‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract

A method for the simultaneous quantification of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (AA) in human plasma by HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was developed and validated. Free and esterified forms of fatty acids were hydrolysed from plasma samples in the presence of an internal standard and subjected to liquid-liquid extraction. The chromatographic run time was 3.5 min per sample. The assay was linear from 0.5 to 300 mg/L (r(2) > 0.997, n = 18). Based on matrix addition, accuracy deviation was <15%, except for AA at 10 mg/L (30-90%), whereas precision was <8% for all fatty acids studied. The method was applied to the measurement of these omega-3 fatty acids in a fish oil supplement study with healthy volunteers. Healthy males (n = 4) were administered a supplement containing 465 mg EPA and 375 mg DHA per capsule (Omacor®). A dose of two capsules was given daily over a 4 week period. Pre-treatment concentrations varied between subjects for EPA (17-68 mg/L), DHA (36-63 mg/L) and AA (121-248 mg/L). During the dosing period EPA increased 460-480% from the baseline concentration, while DHA increased 150-160%. The EPA-AA ratio increased from 0.07-0.56 to 0.3-3.1 after 4 weeks of dosing. In conclusion, the method described could be suitable for monitoring EPA, DHA and AA in clinical studies that may aid in achieving optimal concentrations of these fatty acids in patients who could be at risk of sudden cardiac death.