title: Determination of melatonin in blood plasma, using capillary gas chromatography and electron impact medium-resolution mass spectrometry.
abstract: Determination of the low concentrations (less than 10-100 pg ml-1) of melatonin in blood plasma by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry has previously required the use of negative ionization (electron capture) mass spectrometry, a technique particularly delicate to set up. We show that a general-purpose medium-resolution instrument gives adequate sensitivity in electron impact mode, when used with a capillary gas chromatographic column-switching device. A straightforward extraction procedure gives good specificity, and the limit of useful measurement is better than 10 pg per 1 ml sample.
authors: Laboratoires d'Etudes et de Recherches Synthélabo (LERS), Bagneux, France.
authors: C R
authors: CR
authors: Lee
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Esnaud
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004285:Dogs; D004583:Electrons; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008550:Melatonin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D008550:Melatonin