Determination of erythromycin and related substances in commercial samples using liquid chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry.
A sensitive, precise and accurate quantitative liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method for the measurement of erythromycin A (EA) and related substances in commercial samples was developed and validated. The samples were chromatographed on a reversed-phase column with a polar endcapping and analyzed by ion trap tandem mass spectrometry in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode using positive electrospray ionization. The method showed high recovery (>or=98.82%), high sensitivity (lower limit of quantitation of 0.25 ng/mL for EA and less than 7.3 ng/mL for the related substances) and high precision (<or=0.52%) as well as excellent linearity (r(2)>or=0.991) with a run time of only 13 min. The method was successfully applied to the determination of EA and related substances in commercial samples. Moreover, using the advanced data-dependent acquisition capability of the ion trap software two new unexpected EA related substances could be detected and possible structures for these substances were postulated.
Deubel
A
A
Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany.
Fandiño
A S
AS
Sörgel
F
F
Holzgrabe
U
U
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000032:analysis*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004917:Erythromycin