An HPLC method is described for the determination of the new oxazolidinone antibiotic linezolid (I) in human biofluids. After precipitation of serum proteins with perchloric acid the protein free supernatant was separated by isocratic reversed-phase chromatography on a Nucleosil-100 5C18 column. The mobile phase consisted of a mixture of acetonitrile: sodium acetate buffer: water (180:100:720, v/v) adjusted to pH 3.7. Urine was diluted with aqueous buffer solution. The column eluate was monitored at 250 nm. Validation of the method yielded satisfactory results for serum (and urine); detection limit 0.07 mg/l (2.4), lower limit of quantitation 0.14 mg/l (4.7), linear range 20 mg/l (500), imprecision within series (c.v.) 1.8-2.5% (0.8-1.0), imprecision between series (c.v.) 1.8-9.3 (0.4-9.3), recovery 99-102% (93-103). Comparison of HPLC results with results obtained using a quantitative microbiological assay yielded acceptable agreement both for serum and urine. The method was successfully used in a pharmacokinetic study with human volunteers.

Summary A new and simple HPLC method is described for the separation and quantitative determination of the (+)-and (−)-enantiomers of lansoprazole. The analytes were extracted from serum as previously described for whole lansoprazole [K. Borner, Chromatographia 45, 450–452 (1997)]. The enantiomers were separated by chromatography on a CHIRAL-AGP R column which contained covalently bound acid α 1 -glycoprotein as chiral selector. In the pure drug the (−)/(+) ratio was 0.99:1.01. In serum of twelve human volunteers the concentration of the (−)-enantiomer was 3 to 5 times higher than that of the (+)-enantiomer. Both enantiomers differ remarkably in their pharmacokinetics.

Lansoprazole is a new inhibitor of gastric proton secretion. An HPLC method for the quantitative determination of lansoprazole in serum is described. The method consists of liquid-liquid extraction and enrichment of the analyte and subsequent reverse-phase liquid chromatography with UV detection. The method is specific, sensitive and practical. It has been applied to serum from healthy volunteers.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of a new-broad spectrum cephalosporin (I, SCE-2787) has been developed. The analyte was extracted from serum by precipitation of serum proteins with acetonitrile. Acetonitrile was extracted from the protein-free supernatant by dichloromethane. Urine was simply diluted with mobile phase. Separation was performed by ion-pair chromatography on a reversed-phase column (Nucleosil 5C18; 125 mm × 4.0 mm I.D.; 5 μm average particle size). The guard column was Perisorb RP18 (30 mm × 4.0 mm I.D.; 30–40 μm particle size). The mobile phase was acetonitrile—buffer solution containing 15 mM heptanesulphonic acid (pH 3.2) (4.5:95.5, v/v). Detection was performed at 235 nm with a diode-array detector, which also served to record ultraviolet spectra. The assay was sensitive, precise, accurate and fast. Specificity was controlled by on-line recording the ultraviolet spectrum of I and also by enzymic degradation with β-lactamase. No interferences were observed during the analysis of serum and urine of healthy volunteers in pharmacokinetic studies.

A specific and sensitive analytical method for the determination of sparfloxacin in serum and urine is described. Serum proteins are removed by precipitation with acetonitrile after the addition of ofloxacin as an internal standard. The supernatant solvent is evaporated in a vacuum concentrator and the dry residue is redissolved in the mobile phase. Separation is performed on a cation-exchange column (Nucleosil 100 5SA, 125 x 4.0 mm I.D., 5 microns particle size) protected by a guard column (Perisorb RP-18, 30 x 4.0 mm I.D., 30-40 microns particle diameter). The mobile phase consisted of 750 ml of acetonitrile and 250 ml of 100 mmol/l phosphoric acid (v/v) to which sodium hydroxide had been added. The final concentration of sodium was 23 mmol/l and the pH was 3.82. Sparfloxacin and ofloxacin were determined by spectrofluorimetry (excitation wavelength 295 nm; emission wavelength 525 nm). The flow-rate was 1.5 ml/min and the retention times were 4.7 (sparfloxacin) and 8.0 (ofloxacin) min. Validation of the method yielded the following results for serum: detection limit 0.05 mg/l; precision between series 10.4-3.6%; recovery 99.5-100.0%; comparison with a microbiological assay c(bioassay) = 1.035c(HPLC) - 0.06. The test organism was Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633. For urine the results were: detection limit 0.5 mg/l; precision between series 7.8-5.0%; recovery 97.0-97.8%; method comparison c(bioassay) = 1.092c(HPLC) - 1.09. No interferences were observed in human volunteers. The method can also be applied to stool samples.

Der neue Theophyllin-Test verfügt, wie vorliegende Untersuchungen gezeigt haben, über gute Präzision und Richtigkeit, so daß zuverlässige Ergebnisse erhalten werden und der Einsatz größerer Serien möglich wird.

For the quantitative determination of trovafloxacin (a new naphthyridinone antibacterial agent) in serum and urine a simple isocratic HPLC method with fluorimetric detection is described. Serum was deproteinised with a mixture of acetonitrile and perchloric acid. The protein-free extract was separated on a reversed-phase column (Nucleosil 100-5 C18) and quantified by means of fluorescence (excitation 275 nm, emission 405 nm). The mobile phase consisted of a mixture of 250 ml acetonitrile and 750 ml distilled water containing 10 mmol/l tetrabutylammonium phosphate. Urine was diluted with 0.25 mol/l phosphoric acid 1:20 (v/v) which was adjusted to pH 3.6 with sodium hydroxide solution. Diluted urine samples were separated on a cation-exchange column (Nucleosil 100-5 SA) and also detected by means of fluorescence. Trovafloxacin was sufficiently separated from endogenous compounds. Results of validation are given. The method was applied successfully to a study of healthy volunteers.