Development of potential candidate reference materials for drugs in bottom sediment, cod and herring tissues.

Regular use of a reference material and participation in a proficiency testing program can improve the reliability of analytical data. This paper presents the preparation of candidate reference materials for the drugs metoprolol, propranolol, carbamazepine, naproxen, and acenocoumarol in freshwater bottom sediment and cod and herring tissues. These reference materials are not available commercially. Drugs (between 7 ng/g and 32 ng/g) were added to the samples, and the spiked samples were freeze-dried, pulverized, sieved, homogenized, bottled, and sterilized by γ-irradiation to prepare the candidate materials. Procedures for extraction and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry were developed to determine the drugs of interest in the studied material. Each target drug was quantified using two analytical procedures, and the results obtained from these two procedures were in good agreement with each other. Stability and homogeneity assessments were performed, and the relative uncertainties due to instability (for an expiration date of 12 months) and inhomogeneity were 10-25% and 4.0-6.8%, respectively. These procedures will be useful in the future production of reference materials.

Degradation of benzotriazole and benzothiazole in treatment wetlands and by artificial sunlight.

Laboratory-scale experiments were performed using unsaturated subsurface-flow treatment wetlands and artificial sunlight (with and without TiO2) to study the efficiency of benzotriazole and benzothiazole removal and possible integration of these treatment methods. Transformation products in the effluent from the treatment wetlands and the artificial sunlight reactor were identified by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The removal of benzothiazole in the vegetated treatment wetlands was 99.7%, whereas the removal of benzotriazole was 82.8%. The vegetation positively affected only the removal of benzothiazole. The major transformation products in the effluents from the treatment wetlands were methylated and hydroxylated derivatives of benzotriazole, and hydroxylated derivatives of benzothiazole. Hydroxylation was found to be the main process governing the transformation pathway for both compounds in the artificial sunlight experiment (with and without TiO2). Benzotriazole was not found to be susceptible to photodegradation in the absence of TiO2. The integration of the sunlight-induced processes (with TiO2) with subsurface-flow treatment wetlands caused further elimination of the compounds (42% for benzotriazole and 58% for benzothiazole). This was especially significant for the elimination of benzotriazole, because the removal of this compound was 96% in the coupled processes.

Development and validation of a RP-UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for the chiral separation and determination of flavanone, naringenin and hesperetin enantiomers.

A quick and sensitive RP-UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for the separation of flavanone, naringenin and hesperetin enantiomers was developed. The separation of analytes was performed using a Chiralpak AD-3R column, and methanol was used as the mobile phase. Detection was carried out using a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer with an electrospray ionisation source. Positive ionisation and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) were used. The developed method showed satisfactory linearity with determination coefficients greater than 0.996 in the concentration ranges of 2.5-100.0ngmL(-1) for naringenin and flavanone enantiomers and 0.5-100.0ngmL(-1) for hesperetin enantiomers. The limits of quantification varied from 0.1 to 2.0ngmL(-1). The intra-day and inter-day precisions were below 15%, and the accuracy varied from -13.6% to 13.5%. The described method was successfully applied for the chiral separation and determination of flavonoid enantiomers in real samples of spices and herbal root. Due to the occurrence of the natural compounds in the forms of free aglycones and their glycosides, these samples were subjected to hydrolysis in order to obtain free aglycones from the glycosylated forms. Acid and enzymatic hydrolysis techniques were also compared. In the course of this study, the enzymatic hydrolysis technique was selected.

Fast, simple and efficient salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction of naringenin from fruit juice samples prior to their enantioselective determination by liquid chromatography.

In this study, an easy, simple and efficient method for the determination of naringenin enantiomers in fruit juices after salting-out-assisted liquid-liquid extraction (SALLE) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode-array detection (DAD) was developed. The sample treatment is based on the use of water-miscible acetonitrile as the extractant and acetonitrile phase separation under high-salt conditions. After extraction, juice samples were incubated with hydrochloric acid in order to achieve hydrolysis of naringin to naringenin. The hydrolysis parameters were optimized by using a half-fraction factorial central composite design (CCD). After sample preparation, chromatographic separation was obtained on a Chiralcel® OJ-RH column using the mobile phase consisting of 10mM aqueous ammonium acetate:methanol:acetonitrile (50:30:20; v/v/v) with detection at 288nm. The average recovery of the analyzed compounds ranged from 85.6 to 97.1%. The proposed method was satisfactorily used for the determination of naringenin enantiomers in various fruit juices samples.

Salting-out assisted extraction method coupled with hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography for determination of selected ß-blockers and their metabolites in human urine.

In this study, a new analytical method was developed and validated for the simultaneous analysis of ß-blockers (metoprolol, propranolol, carvedilol) and their metabolites (5'-hydroxycarvedilol, O-desmethylcarvedilol, α-hydroxymetoprolol, O-desmethylmetoprolol, 5-hydroxypropranolol) in human urine. A salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction (SALLE) procedure was used for sample preparation. Several parameters affecting the extraction efficiency and method sensitivity including the type and volume of the extraction solvent, the type and quantity of the inorganic salt, extraction time and sample pH were investigated. Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (HILIC-UV) was used for the determination of all analytes. During method development, the effects of mobile phase components (type, pH, concentration of salt, organic modifier type and content, flow rate, column temperature) on the retention and separation of ß-blockers and metabolites on the five different HILIC columns were examined. The method was linear for concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 8.0µg/mL, with determination coefficients higher than 0.993 for all analytes. The limits of quantification were in the range from 0.1 to 0.2µg/mL. Intra- and inter-day precision ranged from 0.1 to 8.9%, and accuracy was within±13% interval for all analytes. Under the optimized conditions, extraction efficiency was greater than 83.4% for determined compounds. The validated method was then applied to the measurement of ß-blockers and their metabolites in human urine samples.

Simultaneous Chiral Separation of Flavanone, Naringenin, and Hesperetin Enantiomers by RP-UHPLC-DAD.

A rapid and effective RP-UHPLC-DAD method for enantioseparation of three flavanones, i.e., flavanone, naringenin, and hesperetin, was developed and validated. Chromatographic separation of the analytes was performed using a Chiralpak AD-3R analytical column under reverse phase conditions with methanol as the mobile phase. The method was validated in the concentration range of 0.2 to 50 µg/mL for enantiomers of flavanone and 0.5 to 50 µg/mL for enantiomers of naringenin and hesperetin. The limits of quantification were between 0.03 to 0.5 µg/mL. Intraday and interday precision were below 14% and accuracy varied from 0.04 to 8.17%.

Enantioselective determination of metoprolol and its metabolites in human urine high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS).

A sensitive, stereoselective assay using solid phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection (FLD) was developed and validated for the analysis of enantiomers of metoprolol and its metabolites (α-hydroxymetoprolol, O-desmethylmetoprolol). Chiral separation was achieved using a CHIRALCEL OD-RH column, packed with cellulose tris-(3,5-dimethylphenyl-carbamate) stationary phase, employing a mobile phase composed by a mixture of 0.2% diethylamine in water and acetonitrile in gradient elution mode. Linear calibration curves were obtained over the range of 0.025-2.0µg/mL (R(2)>0.994) in urine for both enantiomers of metoprolol and its metabolites with quantitation limit of 0.025µg/mL. Intra and inter-day precision and accuracy were below 15% for both metoprolol and metabolites enantiomers. The recovery of enantiomer of metoprolol and its metabolite was greater than 68.0%, utilizing a SPE procedure. The method was tested with urine quality control samples and human urine fractions after administration of 50mg rac-metoprolol.

Effects of various factors of ultrasonic treatment on the extraction recovery of drugs from fish tissues.

In the present research, a combined extraction method of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) in conjunction with solid phase extraction (SPE) was applied to isolation and enrichment of selected drugs (metoprolol, ticlopidine, propranolol, carbamazepine, naproxen, acenocumarol, diclofenac, ibuprofen) from fish tissues. The extracted analytes were separated and determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (UHPLC-UV) technique. The selectivity of the developed UHPLC-UV method was confirmed by comparison with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) analysis. The important parameters, such as composition of type and pH of extraction solvent, solid/liquid rate volume of extraction solvent and number of extraction cycles were studied. The ultrasonic parameters, such as time, power and temperature of the process were optimized by using a half-fraction factorial central composite design (CCD). The mixture of 10 mL of methanol and 7 mL of water (pH 2.2) (three times) was chosen for the extraction of selected drug from fish tissues. The results showed that the highest recoveries of analytes were obtained with an extraction temperature of 40°C, ultrasonic power of 300 W, extraction time of 30 min. Under the optimal conditions, the linearity of method was 0.12-5.00 µg/g. The determination coefficients (R(2)) were from 0.979 to 0.998. The limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantification (LOQs) for the extracted compounds were 0.04-0.17 µg/g and 0.12-0.50 µg/g, respectively. The recoveries were between 85.5% and 115.8%.

Determination of carnitine and acylcarnitines in human urine by means of microextraction in packed sorbent and hydrophilic interaction chromatography-ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A method using semi-automatic microextraction by packed sorbent (eVol®-MEPS) and hydrophilic interaction chromatography-ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-UHPLC-MS/MS) was described for the simultaneous determination of carnitine and acylcarnitines in human urine. The optimal conditions of MEPS extraction were obtained using C2 of M1 (C8+SCX) phase as a sorbent. Chromatographic separation of the analytes was achieved within 2.5min on Acquity UPLC BEH HILIC column using a gradient elution program with water containing 5mM ammonium acetate and acetonitrile as the mobile phase. The detection was performed on a triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer in a positive ion mode via electrospray ionization (ESI). The linearity of the calibration curves for all compounds was found over a range from 0.1ng/mL to 500ng/mL. The method afforded satisfactory results in terms of sensitivity, specificity, precision, accuracy, recovery as well as stability of the analyte under various conditions. The method was used successfully for determination of carnitine and acylcarnitines in human urine.

Evaluation of a rapid method for the therapeutic drug monitoring of aliskiren, enalapril and its active metabolite in plasma and urine by UHPLC-MS/MS.

Given the increasing popularity of aliskiren, particularly in combination with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (e.g. enalapril), it is important to determine whether its use in combination with these agents is associated with potentially life threatening safety events. Analytical methods for the simultaneous determination of both drugs in plasma and urine utilized in clinical studies on efficacy and safety have not been fully described in the literature. In this work, a new, fast and reliable method using a digitally controlled microextraction by packed sorbent (eVol(®)-MEPS) followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) was developed and validated to quantify an aliskiren, enalapril and its active metabolite in both human plasma and urine. Chromatographic separation was accomplished on a Poroshell 120 EC-C18 column with a gradient elution system consisting of 0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile (1.5min of total analysis). Detection was performed by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode using electrospray ionization in the positive ion mode. This assay method has been fully validated in terms of selectivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, stability, recovery and matrix effect. The developed method can be applied to the routine determination of selected compounds in human plasma and urine and can be useful to elucidate the mechanisms of the potential risks triggered by the combination of aliskiren and enalapril as well as its active metabolite enalaprilat.

UHPLC-UV method for the determination of flavonoids in dietary supplements and for evaluation of their antioxidant activities.

A simple and rapid ultra-high performance liquid chromatographic (UHPLC) method coupled with an ultraviolet detector (UV) has been developed and validated for the separation and determination of 14 major flavonoids ((±)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, glycitin, (-)-epicatechin gallate, rutin, quercitrin, hesperidine, neohesperidine, daidzein, glycitein, quercetin, genistein, hesperetin, and biochanin A) in herbal dietary supplements. The flavonoids have been separated on a Chromolith Fast Gradient Monolithic RP-18e column utilizing a mobile phase composed of 0.05% trifluoroacetic acid in water and acetonitrile in gradient elution mode. Under these conditions, flavonoids were separated in a 5 min run. The selectivity of the developed UHPLC-UV method was confirmed by comparison with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) analysis. The validation parameters such as linearity, sensitivity, precision, and accuracy were found to be highly satisfactory. The optimized method was applied to determination of flavonoids in different dietary supplements. Additionally, the developed HPLC-UV method combined with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) assay was used in the evaluation of antioxidant activity of the selected flavonoids.

A new and fast strategy based on semiautomatic microextraction by packed sorbent followed by ultra high performance liquid chromatography for the analysis of drugs and their metabolites in human urine.

A novel analytical approach has been developed for the determination of selected drugs (milrinone, enalapril, carvedilol, spironolactone, acenocumarol, ticlopidine, cilazapril) and their metabolites (2-oxoticlopidine, cilazaprilat, canrenone, 5'-hydroxycarvedilol, O-desmethyl-carvedilol, enalaprilat) in human urine, based on a miniaturized extraction technique; semiautomatic microextraction by packed sorbent, using a new digitally controlled syringe, followed by ultra high pressure liquid chromatography separation combined with UV detection. During method optimization, the extraction parameters as the type of sorbent material, type and volume of elution solution, number of extraction cycles, volume and pH of sample, type and volume of washing solution were studied. The chromatographic separation of the target analytes was performed with a core-shell analytical column using 0.05% trifluoroacetic acid in water and acetonitrile in gradient elution mode. The limits of quantification ranged from 0.016 to 0.045 µg/mL. Under the optimized conditions, extraction efficiency was higher than 70.1% for drugs and their metabolites. Due to its simplicity and speed, this method was successfully applied to the quantitation of selected compounds in urine samples.

Comparison of different sorbent materials for solid-phase extraction of selected drugs in human urine analyzed by UHPLC-UV.

A procedure based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) with UV detection has been developed for the analysis of multiple drugs in human urine. The compounds evaluated were aliskiren, prasugrel, rivaroxaban, prednisolone, propranolol, ketoprofen, nifedipine, naproxen, terbinafine, ibuprofen, diclofenac, sildenafil and acenocoumarol. Seventeen different solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridges were tested to evaluate their applicability for the isolation of drugs from human urine. Comparison were recovery of different drugs and reproducibility. The samples were analyzed by UHPLC using a Poroshell 120 EC-C18 column and acetonitrile -0.05% TFA in water as the mobile phase under gradient elution conditions. SPE combined with UHPLC-UV allowed the determination of drugs over a linear range of 0.01-30.0µg/mL, with limits of detection at 0.003-0.217µg/mL and precision of 0.8-7.1%. Phenyl (C6H5) sorbent was found to provide the most effective clean-up, removing the greatest amount of interfering substance and simultaneously ensuring analyte recoveries higher than 85.5% with relative standard deviations (RSD) <10%. The method was applied with good accuracy and precision in the determination of drugs in human urine obtained from patients treated with selected drugs.

Ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the analysis of ibuprofen and its metabolites in human urine.

In this study, a fast, simple and efficient method based on ultrasound-assisted emulsification-microextraction (USAEME) coupled with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was successfully developed for the determination of ibuprofen (IBU) and its four metabolites (1-hydroxyibuprofen (1-HIBU), 2-hydroxyibuprofen (2-HIBU), 3-hydroxyibuprofen (3-HIBU), carboxyibuprofen (CIBU)) in human urine. For this purpose, the influence of the different parameters affecting the USAEME procedure was evaluated in order to optimize the efficiency of the process. The optimum conditions were found to be: 100µL of 1-octanol as extraction solvent, 2mL of urine sample, 15% (w/v) NaCl to control the ionic strength, ultrasonication for 10min; and centrifugation for 5min at 6500rpm. After sample preparation, chromatographic separation was achieved on a Zorbax Rapid Resolution High Definition (RRHD) SB-C18 column using the mobile phase consisting of 0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile in an elution gradient. Detection was performed in a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer using the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode and negative ionization. The proposed method showed satisfactory linearity over a wide concentration range (correlation coefficients over 0.9994). The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 0.0005ng/mL for IBU and its metabolites. The intra- and inter-day precisions were in the range of 2.19-10.8% and the accuracies were between -5.93% and 6.29%. The mean recovery of analytes ranged from 90.7 to 104%. As a result, this method has been successfully applied for the sensitive determination of IBU and its metabolites in human urine samples.

A rapid method for determination of 22 selected drugs in human urine by UHPLC/MS/MS for clinical application.

A rapid and sensitive ultra-HPLC/MSIMS (UHPLC/MSIMS) assay method for the simultaneous determination in human urine of 22 drugs belonging to different pharmaceutical groups was developed. The drugs were extracted from urine samples and then separated on a Zorbax Rapid Resolution High Definition SB-C18 column. The mobile phase consisted of methanol and water containing formic acid with gradient elution. The chromatographic separation time was 7 min. The MSIMS detector, equipped with an electrospray ionization source, was set up in both positive and negative modes. The lower LOQs for the drugs in this method were between 0.05 and 0.60 ng/mL. Calibration curves in human urine were generated in the range of 0.05-600 ng/mL. Method validation parameters such as intraday and interday precision, accuracy, extraction recovery, stability, selectivity, dilution integrity, and carryover effect for all the compounds were within the acceptable ranges. This simple and fast method was applied successfully to study the pharmacokinetics of four selected drugs in human urine collected from patients. This UHPLC/MS/MS method offers an attractive way forward for the development of a routine rapid analysis for selected substances, particularly given the growing amount of new information about drug properties.

Fast, simultaneous quantification of three novel cardiac drugs in human urine by MEPS-UHPLC-MS/MS for therapeutic drug monitoring.

A sensitive and selective ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for the fast, simultaneous quantification of three novel cardiac drugs (aliskiren, prasugrel and rivaroxaban) in human urine. Sample preparation was performed with microextraction with packed sorbent (MEPS), which is a miniaturization of solid phase extraction. The optimal conditions for MEPS extraction were obtained using C8 sorbent, small sample volumes and a short time period (about 3min for the entire sample preparation step). Chromatographic separation of the selected compounds was achieved in less than 1.5min on a Zorbax Rapid Resolution High Definition SB-C18 column using isocratic elution with 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile (70:30, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.8mLmin(-1). The detection was performed on a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer by multiple reaction monitoring via an electrospray ionization source with positive ionization mode. The method was fully validated according to the latest recommendations of international guidelines. The lower limit of quantification was 5.0pgmL(-1) for aliskiren and rivaroxaban and 0.5pgmL(-1) for prasugrel. The intra- and inter-day precision was within 7.12% and the accuracy ranged from -7.54% to 4.17%. The mean extraction recoveries of the MEPSC8 methodology were found to be 98.3% for aliskiren, 100.3% for rivaroxaban and 99.9% for prasugrel. This MEPSC8-UHPLC-MS/MS method offers a fast, simple and precise way to determine selected novel cardiac drugs in human urine that could be applied to therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacokinetic studies.

Application of statistical experimental design to the optimisation of microextraction by packed sorbent for the analysis of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in human urine by ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography.

A new approach based on microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS) and a reversed-phase ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC) method was developed and validated for the determination and quantification of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (acetylsalicylic acid, ketoprofen, diclofenac, naproxen and ibuprofen) in human urine. The important factors that could influence the extraction were previously screened using the Plackett-Burman design approach. The optimal MEPS extraction conditions were obtained using C18 phase as a sorbent, small sample volume (20µL) and a short time period (approximately 5min) for the entire sample preparation step. The analytes were separated on a core-shell column (Poroshell 120 EC-C18; 100mm×3.0mm; 2.7µm) using a binary mobile phase composed of aqueous 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid and acetonitrile in the gradient elution mode (4.5min of analysis time). The analytical method was fully validated based on linearity, limits of detection (LOD), limits of quantification (LOQ), inter- and intra-day precision and accuracy, and extraction yield. Under optimised conditions, excellent linearity (R(2)>0.9991), limits of detection (1.07-16.2ngmL(-1)) and precision (0.503-9.15% RSD) were observed for the target drugs. The average absolute recoveries of the analysed compounds extracted from the urine samples were 89.4-107%. The proposed method was also applied to the analysis of NSAIDs in human urine. The new approach offers an attractive alternative for the analysis of selected drugs from urine samples, providing several advantages including fewer sample preparation steps, faster sample throughput and ease of performance compared to traditional methodologies.

Clinical applications of fast liquid chromatography: a review on the analysis of cardiovascular drugs and their metabolites.

One of the major challenges facing the medicine today is developing new therapies that enhance human health. To help address these challenges the utilization of analytical technologies and high-throughput automated platforms has been employed; in order to perform more experiments in a shorter time frame with increased data quality. In the last decade various analytical strategies have been established to enhance separation speed and efficiency in liquid chromatography applications. Liquid chromatography is an increasingly important tool for monitoring drugs and their metabolites. Furthermore, liquid chromatography has played an important role in pharmacokinetics and metabolism studies at these drug development stages since its introduction. This paper provides an overview of current trends in fast chromatography for the analysis of cardiovascular drugs and their metabolites in clinical applications. Current trends in fast liquid chromatographic separations involve monolith technologies, fused-core columns, high-temperature liquid chromatography (HTLC) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC). The high specificity in combination with high sensitivity makes it an attractive complementary method to traditional methodology used for routine applications. The practical aspects of, recent developments in and the present status of fast chromatography for the analysis of biological fluids for therapeutic drug and metabolite monitoring, pharmacokinetic studies and bioequivalence studies are presented.

A liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of potential biomarkers of cardiovascular disease.

A simple, accurate and sensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the quantitation of α-ketoglutaric acid (α-KG), L-carnitine (L-CAR) and acetyl-L-carnitine (acetyl-L-CAR) in human urine as potential biomarkers of cardiovascular disease. The separation was performed using an isocratic elution of 0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile (97:3, v/v) on an Acclaim 120 C8 column (150 mm × 4.6 mm, 3.0 µm). The flow rate of the mobile phase was 1.2 mL/min and the total assay run time was 3 min. Detection was performed on a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode via an electrospray ionization (ESI) source in positive and negative ion modes. This method covered a linearity range of 0.1-500 ng/mL for L-CAR and acetyl-L-CAR and 1-1000 ng/mL for α-KG with lower limits of quantification (LLOQ) of 0.08 ng/mL for L-CAR, 0.04 ng/mL for acetyl-L-CAR and 0.8 ng/mL for α-KG. The intra-day and inter-day precision and accuracy of the quality control samples exhibited relative standard deviations of less than 5.54% and relative error values from -5.95% to 3.11%. Analyte stability was evaluated under various sample preparation, analysis and storage conditions and varied from -9.89% to -0.47%. A two-step solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure using silica gel and quaternary amine cartridges was used for urine sample cleanup. The average recoveries for all analyzed compounds were better than 86.64% at three concentrations. The method was successfully applied for the quantitation of α-KG, L-CAR and acetyl-L-CAR in human urine samples.

Development and validation of UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for the determination of selected cardiovascular drugs, polyphenols and their metabolites in human urine.

A sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method with electrospray ionisation (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS) was developed for the simultaneous determination of 52 compounds: ß-blockers, polyphenols (antioxidants) and their metabolites in mixture of standards and after addition the 52 standard solutions to human urine samples. The analyses of urine samples obtained from patients treated with ß-blockers were also carried out. The separation of analytes was performed on a Hypersil GOLD™ column (100 mm × 2.1mm, 1.9 µm) using a gradient elution profile for 10 min and mobile phase consisting of 0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile. In these conditions, some of the tested compounds were not separated, but this was compensated by the use of MS/MS detection. The drugs, polyphenols and their metabolites were detected with a tandem mass spectrometer after being ionised positively or negatively (depending on the molecule) using an electrospray ionisation (ESI) source. The MS system was operated in the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode, where one quantitation and one confirmation transition was done for each analyte. The quantitative method was validated for selectivity, linearity, low limits of quantitation, accuracy, precision, recovery, matrix effect and analyte stability. The LLOQ varied from 0.01 to 0.40 ng mL(-1) for ß-blockers and from 0.05 to 40.0 ng mL(-1) for polyphenols. The linear range was 0.08-1000 ng mL(-1) for the drugs and 0.10-2300 ng mL(-1) for the polyphenols. Intra-day and inter-day precision was less than 8%, and the accuracy ranged from -4.40 to 2.23% for all analytes. The average recoveries for all compounds analysed were better than 90%. The developed method can be successfully used to monitor cardiovascular drugs and their metabolites in urine samples of patients treated with ß-blockers and can also be used to study the effect of polyphenols on the metabolism of drugs.