Sensitive High-performance Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Research Articles

Quantification of nine bufadienolides of Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pills in rat plasma and tissues using UPLC-MS/MS and its application to healthy and ischemia-reperfusion rats pharmacokinetic studies

Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill (STDP) is a well-known compound preparation used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating cardiovascular diseases. Bufadienolides are the major active compounds of toad venom and are the key to the seven medicinal herbs that comprise STDP. In this study, a reliable and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the quantitative determination of nine bufadienolides (bufalin, gamabufotalin, resibufogenin, marinobufagin, arenobufagin, desacetylcinobufagin, telocinobufagin, hellebrigenin, and hellebrigenol) in rat plasma and tissues (heart and liver). The chromatography column used was a Waters ACQUITY UPLC HSS-T3 column with gradient elution using mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile–water (0.1% formic acid added) at a flow rate of 0.25 mL/min. This method passed the methodological validation of plasma and tissues and was successfully applied to pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution studies after oral administration of STDP in healthy and ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) rats. This indicated that most bufadienolides were well absorbed and quickly distributed in the heart and liver. The area-under-the-curve (AUC)(0−t) of most analytes increased in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, most of the tested components showed lower plasma and higher tissue concentrations in I/R rats than in healthy rats. The above results on the oral pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution may be helpful for the clinical application of STDP.

Development of Simultaneous Determination Method of Pesticide High Toxic Metabolite 3,4-Dichloroaniline and 3,5 Dichloroaniline in Chives Using HPLC-MS/MS.

3,4-dichloroaniline (3,4-DCA) and 3,5-dichloroaniline (3,5-DCA) are, respectively, the primary metabolites deriving from the breakdown of phenylurea herbicides and dicarboximide fungicides in both soils and plants, whose residues in vegetable products have a heightened concern considering their higher health risks to humans and greater toxicity than the parent compounds in the environment. In this study, a sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 3,4-DCA and 3,5-DCA residues in chive products based on the optimization of HPLC-MS/MS chromatographic and mass-spectrometric conditions using the standard substances and the modified QuEChERS preparation technique. The preparation efficiency of 3,4-DCA and 3,5-DCA from chive samples showed that acetonitrile was the best extractant. The combination of the purification agent graphite carbon black + primary secondary amine and the eluting agent acetonitrile + toluene (4:1, v/v) had a satisfactory purification effect. The linear correlation coefficients (R2) were more than 0.996 with the six concentration range of 0.001-1.000 mg/L for 3,4-DCA and 3,5-DCA. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation of this method was 0.6 and 2.0 µg/kg for 3,4-DCA, as well as 1.0 and 3.0 µg/kg for 3,5-DCA, respectively. The matrix effect range of 3,4-DCA and 3,5-DCA in chive tissues was from -9.0% to -2.6% and from -4.4% to 2.3%, respectively. The fortified recovery of 3,4-DCA and 3,5-DCA in chive samples at four spiked levels of 0.001-1.000 mg/kg was 75.3-86.0% and 78.2-98.1%, with the relative standard deviation of 2.1-8.5% and 1.4-11.9%, respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of the method were 0.6, 2.0, and 1.0, 3.03 for 4-DCA and 3,5-DCA, respectively. This study highlights that the analytical method established here can efficiently and sensitively detect residues of 3,4-DCA and 3,5-DCA residues for monitoring chive products. The method was successfully applied to 60 batches of actual vegetable samples from different regions.

The Quantification of Paclitaxel and Its Two Major Metabolites in Biological Samples by HPLC-MS/MS and Its Application in a Pharmacokinetic and Tumor Distribution Study in Xenograft Nude Mouse.

A rapid and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for the quantification of Paclitaxel (PTX), 6α-hydroxypaclitaxel (6α-OHP), and p-3'-hydroxypaclitaxel (3'-OHP) in mouse plasma and tumor tissue. The analytes were separated using a C18 column (50 × 2.1 mm, 1.8 μm), and a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry device equipped with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source was applied for their detection. PTX, 6α-OHP, and 3'-OHP were extracted from the biological samples with the solid-phase extraction cartridge. The method was fully validated according to the FDA's guidance. The method was linear over the concentration ranges of 0.5~1000.0 ng/mL for PTX and 0.25~500.0 ng/mL for 6α-OHP and 3'-OHP. The precision, accuracy, extraction recovery, and matrix effects were within acceptable limits. The present method was successfully applied to the study of the pharmacokinetics and distribution of PTX, 6α-OHP, and 3'-OHP in the tumors of post xenograft nude mice intravenously injected with PTX solution.

A high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for quantification of perampanel in human plasma: Effect of concomitant anti-seizure medications on perampanel concentration in patients with epilepsy

Perampanel is a first-in-class α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor antagonist and a novel anti-seizure medication. It is currently used as adjunctive treatment for partial seizures in patients over 12 years of age. With the increasing clinical application of perampanel, monitoring its concentration under certain clinical conditions is important. This study developed a rapid and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method to quantify perampanel in human plasma. Protein precipitation with acetonitrile was performed for sample preparation. Perampanel and perampanel-d5 (internal standard) were analyzed under gradient conditions using a C18 column. The mobile phase was composed of 0.1% (v/v) formic acid in water (solvent A) and 0.1% (v/v) formic acid in acetonitrile (solvent B) at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. Mass detection was performed using multiple reaction monitoring in the positive ionization mode. The proposed method was validated over a range of 0.5–500 ng/mL for perampanel. The linearity (r2 value) was higher than 0.999, and the linear equation was y = 0.00116x + 0.0116. The accuracy of the low-, middle-, and high-quality control samples was between 103% and 113%, and the intra- and inter-day precisions were below 6.81%. The quality of the proposed method was evaluated in accordance with the US Food and Drug Administration Bioanalytical Method Validation Guidance for Industry. The plasma concentrations of perampanel in 25 patients were successfully determined to be 38.7–577.7 ng/mL using the validated method.

Highly Sensitive Determination of Antibiotic Residues in Aquatic Products by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Antibiotic drug residues are crucial to ensure food safety and minimize risk to human health. Herein, a sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of antibiotic residues (mainly amphenicols) consisting of chloramphenicol (CAP), thiamphenicol (TAP), florfenicol (FF), and florfenicol amine (FFA) in aquatic products. Amphenicols were well separated on a Kinetex F5 (100 mm × 3.0 mm, 2.6 µm) chromatographic column with the mobile phases of 1 mM ammonium acetate aqueous solution and methanol solution and measured after positive and negative electrospray ionizations using four internal standards. To our knowledge, it was the first time to report the good performance of F5 column and four internal standards for the determination of amphenicols. The established method featured a good linear relationship between chromatographic peak area ratios and the concentrations of amphenicols (R2 > 0.992), a wide and low detection matrix-based range of 0.01–5 μg/L, a low detection limit of 0.01 μg/kg, etc. The spiked assays evidenced the accuracy and reliability of the developed method with the recoveries between 84.0 and 105%, the intraday relative standard deviations (RSDs) over the range of 0.769–13.7%, and the interday RSDs over the range of 0.582–13.3%. Finally, the proposed method was applied to investigate amphenicol residues in various aquatic products, including fish, shrimp, crab, shellfish, and other aquatic species.

A validated LC-MS/MS method for the quantitation of cefazolin in human adipose tissue: Application of EMR-Lipid sorbent as an efficient sample clean-up before mass spectrometric analyses

A novel, simple, rapid, and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed to determine cefazolin concentrations in human adipose tissue. Sample preparation was performed by protein precipitation followed by using Captiva EMR-Lipid plates. The mobile phase consisted of 5 mM ammonium formate and 0.1% formic acid in water and 0.1% formic acid in ACN, and was pumped through a Synergi Fusion-RP column with a gradient elution program at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The mass spectrometer was operated in a positive ion mode. Cloxacillin was used as an internal standard due to the observed cross-signal contribution between cefazolin and 13C2,15N-cefazolin. The method was validated according to the FDA and EMA guidelines and passed all the acceptance criteria. The calibration range was 0.05–50 µg/mL in adipose tissue homogenate (0.15–150 µg/g in adipose tissue), precision CV < 4.5%, accuracy within 93.1–100.4%. The carry-over was negligible, recovery of the method was high, and no significant matrix effect was present. Rat subcutaneous adipose tissue was demonstrated to be a suitable surrogate matrix for human adipose tissue. The validated method was successfully applied in a pilot pharmacokinetic study and will further be used in a large cohort of non-obese and obese patients dosed prophylactically with cefazolin before surgeries.

Analysis of sodium 2-mercaptoethane sulfonate in rat plasma using high performance liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry

Sodium 2-mercaptoethane sulfonate (MESNA) is a thiol-containing compound that has proven to be effective in inactivating acrolein, the toxic metabolite of some anti-cancer drugs (e.g., cyclophosphamide and ifosphamide). Also, it scavenges free radicals which cause numerous disorders by attacking biological molecules. Current methods available to analyze MESNA in biological matrices include colorimetry and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet, fluorescence, or electrochemical detection. These methods have several limitations including low sensitivity, poor selectivity, a high degree of difficulty, and long analysis times. Hence, a rapid, simple, and sensitive HPLC tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) method was developed and validated to quantify MESNA in rat plasma following IP administration. The analysis of MESNA was accomplished via plasma protein precipitation, centrifugation, supernatant evaporation, reconstitution, and HPLC-MS/MS analysis. The method showcases an outstanding limit of detection (20 nM), excellent linearity (R2 = 0.999, and percent residual accuracy >90%) and a wide linear range (0.05–200 μM). The method also produced good accuracy and precision (100 ± 10% and <10% relative standard deviation, respectively). The validated method was successfully used to analyze MESNA from treated animals and will allow easier development of MESNA for therapeutic purposes.

Development and validation of LC-MS/MS method for amlexanox in rat plasma and its application in preclinical pharmacokinetics.

Amlexanox, an anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic agent, has been widely used clinically for the treatment of canker sores, asthma, and allergic rhinitis. Recently, amlexanox has received considerable attention in curing nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases and hepatitis virus infection. Herein, we first established a sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrum (LC-MS/MS) method for the determination of amlexanox in rat plasma. Propranolol was used as the internal standard (IS). Using a simple protein precipitation method, the amlexanox and IS were separated with Capcell Pak C18 column (2.0 × 50 mm, 5μm) and eluted with water and acetonitrile each containing 0.1% formic acid using gradient elution condition at a flow rate of 0.4mL·min-1 . Amlexanox and IS were detected by a triple quadrupole mass in multiple reactive monitoring (MRM) under the transitions of m/z 299.2 → 281.2 and m/z 259.9 → 116.1 with positive electrospray ionization, respectively. The calibration curves of amlexanox were established with the range of 50 to 2000 ng·mL-1 (r2 > 0.99). The validation method consisted of selectivity, accuracy, precision, carryover effect, matrix effect, recovery, dilution effect, and stability. The fully validated method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of amlexanox in Wistar rats.

An LC-APCI+-MS/MS-based method for determining the concentration of neurosteroids in the brain of male mice with different gut microbiota

BackgroundAlthough the interaction between the gut microbiota and central nervous system (CNS) is well-known, the effects of gut microbiota on different brain regions remain obscure. New methodIn present study, we developed a simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization in positive mode (LC-APCI+-MS/MS) for simultaneous detection of 12 analytes in the rodent’ brain with different housing conditions ResultsThe results showed that male mice in XZ group had significantly higher brain levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione (A4), testosterone (T), progesterone (P), corticosterone (CORT), aldosterone (ALD) and 11-dehydrocorticosterone (11-DHC) than those in SPF group. CORT level was higher in the left prefrontal cortex, whereas ALD and 11-DHC levels were higher in the left hypothalamus than in the right symmetrical areas in both groups. DHEA and CORT levels were highest in the striatum than in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, regardless of the region and group (XZ and SPF). Comparison with existing methodsThese results demonstrated that the method developed in this study provides, for the first time, direct quantitation of neurosteroids in male mice brain. ConclusionsDHEA levels showed a left-lateralized pattern in the hippocampus and hypothalamus. Mice in the XZ group showed significantly elevated levels of CORT and/or its metabolites, ALD and 11-DHC in brain than mice in the SPF group. Insanitation living conditions increased more diverse gut microbiota.

Study on the Pharmacokinetic Profiles of Three Ingredients in Qilong Capsules and Their Potential Interactions in Rats by LC-MS/MS.

Qilong capsule (QLC) is a well-known Traditional Chinese Medicine, and it has a long history for the treatment of ischemic stroke. Its major ingredients are saponins, such as paeoniflorin, amygdalin and calycosin-7-glucoside, contributing to vasodilation function. In this study, a simple, rapid and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed to determine three bioactive ingredients in rat plasma after oral administration of QLC. A simple acetonitrile precipitation method was introduced during the sample preparation. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Shiseido CAPCELL PAC MGIII-C18 column using a gradient elution with acetonitrile and water (0.1% formic acid) as a mobile phase, and the chromatographic separation was 5 min. The methodological evaluation showed that this method had a high sensitivity (the lower limit of quantification was 1 ng/mL for calycosin-7-glucoside, 5 ng/mL for paeoniflorin, 5 ng/mL for amygdalin), satisfactory accuracy (relative error ≤ ±15%) and precision (relative standard deviation ≤15%). Then, the analytical method was applied to the pharmacokinetic study in rats following oral administration of the extracts in QLC. Meanwhile, the pharmacokinetic parameters of complex system in QLC were analyzed and the potential interaction between ingredients was explored. The present quantification method and pharmacokinetic study will provide a meaningful reference for the formulas research of QLC in the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Establishment of LC-MS/MS method for determination of aloperine in rat plasma and its application in preclinical pharmacokinetics

Aloperine, a novel natural active alkaloid derived from Sophora alopecuroides L., has attracted much attention for its anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-tumor, anti-allergy and other pharmacological activities. In this study, we first established and validated an efficient and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the quantification of aloperine in rat plasma. Cytisine was used as the internal standard (IS). The separation of aloperine and IS was conducted on a Phenomenex Luna Omega Polar C18 column (2.1 × 50 mm, 1.6 μm) with 0.3% (v/v) formic acid aqueous (containing 5 mM ammonium acetate) and 0.3% (v/v) formic acid acetonitrile using isocratic elution condition at a flow rate of 0.20 mL/min. Aloperine and IS were determined under the transitions of m/z 233.2 → 98.1 and m/z 191.2 → 148.2 (positive ionization mode), respectively. The calibration curve of aloperine was established in the range of 5 (LLOQ) to 2000 ng/mL (r2 = 0.994). The well validated method was full compliance with the bioanalytical method validation of FDA, and was applied to the pharmacokinetic study of aloperine in Sprague-Dawley rats after 50 mg/kg oral administration and 5 mg/kg intravenous injection. This study provides valuable references for the further study of Sophora alopecuroides L., especially for the drug development and clinical application of aloperine.

A rapid and sensitive High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry method for determining apremilast in beagle dog plasma and urine: Application in a pharmacokinetic study

AbstractA rapid and sensitive High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS) method for determining apremilast in beagle dog plasma and urine samples was developed and validated using clopidogrel as the internal standard (IS). Apremilast was extracted from the plasma and urine samples by liquid–liquid extraction using methyl tert-butyl ether. Chromatographic separation was performed using a C8 column with gradient elution and a mobile phase containing methanol and 0.1% formic acid. Quantification was achieved in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with a transition of m/z 461.3→178.2 for apremilast and m/z 322.2→184.1 for clopidogrel (IS). This method was validated regarding its specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, and stability. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) for this method was 5 ng/mL, and the calibration curve was linear over 5–1,000 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-run coefficients of variance (CV) of aprelimast in plasma samples were less than 12.92% and 10.64%, respectively, while in urine samples, the CV were less than 11.84% and 10.20%, respectively. The samples were stable under the tested conditions. This method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study in beagle dogs following oral administration of 10 mg of apremilast.

UPLC-MS/MS for the Simultaneous Determination of Sildenafil and N-Desmethyl Sildenafil.

A sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was established for the simultaneous determination of sildenafil and N-desmethyl sildenafil in human plasma. The protein precipitation was used for extraction and the gradient elution of the mobile phase A of water (containing 0.01% formic acid) and the mobile phase B of acetonitrile, and methanol (V:V=1:1, containing 0.01% formic acid) was used for chromatographic separation on a C18 column. Quantification was performed by multiple reaction monitoring mode to monitor the precursor-to-product ion transitions of m/z 475.4→m/z 283.3 for sildenafil, m/z 461.4→m/z 283.2 for N-desmethyl sildenafil, m/z 483.3→m/z 108.1 for sildenafil-d8 (IS) and m/z 469.2→m/z 283.3 for N-desmethyl sildenafil-d8 (IS) at the positive ionization mode. The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations were less than 6.8% and 4.1% for sildenafil and N-desmethyl sildenafil, respectively. Accuracy at four levels ranged from 93.1% to 115.9% for sildenafil and 95.6% to 112.5% for N-desmethyl sildenafil. The present method was sensitive and reliable for simultaneous quantification of sildenafil and its active metabolite and was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of an oral low dose of sildenafil in Chinese healthy volunteers.

The rapid profiling and simultaneous determination of 12 major alkaloids in Nauclea officinalis by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and HPLC-ESI-MS/MS.

For the first time, we determined the phytochemical profile of alkaloids from N. officinalis using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS). A rapid, specific, and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was subsequently developed and fully validated for the simultaneous determination of 12 major alkaloid constituents in N. officinalis: pumiloside; naucleoxoside A; naucleoxoside B; nauclefine; angustidine; angustoline; (3S,19S)-3,14-dihydroangustoline ([α]20D: (-)191°); (3S,19R)-3,14-dihydroangustoline ([α]20D: (-)294.7°); strictosamide; angustine; vincosamide; and 3,14-dihydroangustine. The analytes were detected with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) using positive scanning mode. Three pairs of epimers (naucleoxoside A and naucleoxoside B; (3S,19S)-3,14-dihydroangustoline ([α]20D: (-)191°) and (3S,19R)-3,14-dihydroangustoline ([α]20D: (-)294.7°); and strictosamide and vincosamide) were successfully separated using an ACQUITY UPLC® BEH C18 column (2.1 mm × 100 mm, 1.7 μm) at 30 °C, with a gradient mobile phase consisting of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution (A) and acetonitrile (B), a flow rate of 0.2 mL min-1, and a total run time of 30 min. All calibration curves exhibited excellent linear regression (r > 0.999) within the test range. The precision, repeatability, and stability of the method toward the 12 alkaloid compounds were less than 2.0% in terms of the relative standard deviation (RSD) values. The mean recoveries for all compounds were between 98.7% and 101.1%, with RSD values ranging from 0.55% to 1.7% for N. officinalis samples.

Simultaneous quantification of Daclatasvir and Sofosbuvir in human plasma and pharmacokinetic study by LCMS/MS

In the treatment of hepatitis C, direct-acting antivirals (DAA) are highly efficient and well tolerated with a series of DAA combinations available for treatment. A sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of Sofosbuvir (SOF) and Daclatasvir (DAC) in human plasma. Sofosbuvir D6 (SOF D6) and Daclatasvir 13 C 2 2 H 6 (DAC 13 C 2 2 H 6) are used as internal standard (IS). Quantification for both the analytes has been attained with MS-MS detection in positive ion mode using an Acquity UPLC system (Waters) equipped with Waters Xevo TQ MS system with a Gemini NX 5µ C18 (50 × 2.0mm) (Phenomenex) column, and a gradient mobile phase consisting 5 mM Ammonium Formate buffer: Acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.300 mL/min is used as mobile phase to separate the analytes and detection is performed by electrospray ionization technique using the mass spectrometer. Full validation is performed for bio-analytical methods with respect to linearity, precision, accuracy, selectivity, carry-over, stability and dilution integrity. Linearity is obtained over a concentration range of 10.002 -3000.488 and 10.004 -3001.218 ng mL -1 for SOF and DAC respectively by applying weighted least-squares linear regression method (1/ x 2). The developed method was applied successfully in bioequivalence and/or clinical studies in 48 male subjects for the simultaneous quantification of SOF and DAC.

Simultaneous quantification of Darunavir and Ritonavir in human plasma and pharmacokinetic study by LC MS/MS

The combination of Darunavir (DRV) and Ritonavir (RTV) at a dose of 800/100mg has exhibit durable efficacy in both untreated and treated HIV positive patients with no observed DRV resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) and the RTV improves the pharmacokinetic profile of DRV by enhancing its bioavailability. Hence a sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of Darunavir (DRV) and Ritonavir (RTV) in human plasma. The chromatographic separation has been accomplished on Thermo Hypersil Gold (50×4.6mm, 3μ) analytical column using isocratic elution using 0.1% Formic Acid buffer solution/Acetonitrile (50:50, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.6 mL/min. The linearity of the method ranged 150.000 ng/mL to 15000.000 ng/mL &amp; 10.000 ng/mL to 3000.00 ng/mL for DRV &amp; RTV respectively, using 100 μL of plasma. The method was completely validated for its sensitivity, selectivity, linearity, accuracy and precision, recovery, matrix effect, stability, and dilution integrity. The absolute recovery for DRV ranged from 79.12 to 72.71 % while for RTV it ranged from 63.39% to 66.99 %. For DRV-D9 and RTV-D6 the recovery rates are 94.19 and 80.05% respectively. The method exhibit good intra-day and inter-day precision with low % CV of less than 5.0% at each quality control level for both the analytes. The developed method has been applied successfully for pharmacokinetic study in healthy humans by oral administration of Darunavir/Ritonavir tablets 400/50 mg (dose; 02x400/50 mg) in 77 healthy male volunteers under fed condition.

A Sensitive HPLC-MS/MS Method for the Quantification of Selegiline in Beagle Dog Plasma: Application to a Pharmacokinetic Study

Objective: To develop a reliable and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method for the quantification of selegiline in Beagle dog plasma and apply the validated method to study the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of oral selegiline lyophilizate in Beagle dogs. Methods: Following alkalization with 1 M sodium hydroxide solution, selegiline and the Internal Standard (IS) zolmitriptan were extracted using tert-butyl methyl ether and separated on a CAPCELL PAK C18 column under isocratic conditions. They were detected by MS/MS using electrospray ionization (ESI) in the positive mode. Quantification was performed using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) with transitions of m/z 188.05→90.9 for selegiline and m/z 288.05→57.95 for IS. Results: Calibration curves were constructed in the concentration range of 0.2–200 ng/mL with a lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 0.21 ng/mL. The matrix effect of dog plasma on the selegiline signal ranged from 98.8 to 105.6%, and the mean extraction recovery ranged from 79.0% to 81.4% at concentrations of 1.04, 20.8, and 166 ng/mL. The intra-day precision was lower than 6.86% and the inter-day precisions were lower than 4.63%. Conclusion : The validation results demonstrated the reliability of this bioanalytical method, which was successfully applied to study the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of 1.25 mg of orally administered selegiline lyophilizate in Beagle dogs. The pharmacokinetic results were also compared with those obtained following intragastric (i.g.) and intravenous (i.v.) administration. Buccal delivery of selegiline was found to significantly increase its bioavailability.

Simultaneous Determination of Five Components of Chaihu-Shugan-San in Beagle Plasma by HPLC-MS/MS and Its Application to a Pharmacokinetic Study after a Single Dose of Chaihu-Shugan-San.

Chaihu-shugan-san (CHSGS) has been widely used in China to treat depression and gastrointestinal diseases for thousands of years, but little is known about its pharmacokinetic properties. The purpose of our study is to develop a reliable and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method to detect five components in beagle plasma and study their pharmacokinetic after oral administration of CHSGS in beagles. An Agilent C18 column (2.1 × 150 mm, 3.5 μm) was used to separate the analytes, and the column temperature was maintained at 40°C. A gradient elution procedure was used with solvent A (acetonitrile) and solvent B (0.1% formic acid, aqueous) as mobile phases. The elution procedure was 60% B—10% B (0–3 min) and 10% B—60% B (3.1–4 min). The flow rate was 0.3 mL/min, and the total measurement time was 4 min. Within the determined range, the standard calibration curves of the five analytes had a satisfactory linear relationship (r2 ≥ 0.9923). The recovery rate (n = 6) of the five analytes was between 85.42% and 90.85%, and the matrix effects (n = 6) were between 94.52% and 103.91%. These results show that the validated method could be successfully applied to study the pharmacokinetic in beagles after a single dose of CHSGS.

Quantitation and Taste Contribution of Sensory Active Molecules in Oat (Avena sativa L.).

A total of 59 taste-active molecules were quantitated and then rated for their individual taste impact on the basis of dose-over-threshold factors in oat flour (Avena sativa L.). A sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed to quantitate bitter-tasting steroidal and furostanol saponins as well as avenanthramides. Four monoglycerides, five free fatty acids and four saponins were confirmed for the first time to be major contributors to the bitter off-taste of oats, among them 1-linoleoyl-rac-glycerol, 1-stearoyl-rac-glycerol, 1-oleoyl-rac-glycerol, 1-palmitoyl-rac-glycerol, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid as well as avenacosides A and B and the recently identified furostanosides 3-(O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl(1→2)-[β-d-glucopyranosyl(1→3)-β-d-glucopyranosyl(1→4)]-β-d-glucopyranosid)-26-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(25R)-furost-5-ene-3β,22,26-triol and 3-(O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl(1→2)-[β-d-glucopyranosyl(1→4)]-β-d-glucopyranosid)-26-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(25R)-furost-5-ene-3β,22,26-triol. By means of a stable isotope dilution assay, quantitated avenanthramides 2c, 2p, 2f, 1p, 1c, 1f, and 3f were found in concentrations below their thresholds and, therefore, did not contribute to the bitter sensation of the tested oat flour.

Determination of Isosorbide-5-Mononitrate in Human Plasma by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry and Its Application to a Bioequivalence Study.

Isosorbide-5-mononitrate (5-ISMN), an organic nitrate vasodilator, has been widely used worldwide to prevent angina pectoris for more than two decades. A simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of 5-ISMN in human plasma. 13C6-5-ISMN is an internal standard, and 5-ISMN was extracted from human plasma (50 µL) with ethyl acetate (200 µL) by a simple liquid-liquid extraction method. The chromatographic separation was carried out on LC-20A (Shimadzu, Japan) using an analytical column ZORBAX XDB-C18 (4.6 × 50 mm, 5 µm), coupled with API 4000 tandem mass spectrometers in a multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The mobile phase was composed of acetonitrile (organic phase A) and 2 mM ammonium acetate in water (aqueous phase B) with an isocratic elution of A/B = 90 : 10 (v/v). The total run time was 3.5 min with a small injection volume (5 µL). This method was fully validated in every aspect of selectivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, matrix effect, extraction recovery, and different stabilities. It was proved that the calibration standards within the 5.00–1000 ng/mL concentration range were linear. The lower limit of quantification was 5.00 ng/mL for 5-ISMN. The intrabatch and interbatch accuracy (RE) ranged from −8.8% to 7.1% with precision between 2.4% and 6.6%. The mean values of 5-ISMN extraction recovery and matrix effect were 87.0% and 102.0%, respectively. The fully validated method was successfully applied for a bioequivalence clinical trial of oral 20 mg 5-ISMN tablets in healthy Chinese subjects.