Comparison of HPLC with electrochemical detection and LC-MS/MS for the separation and validation of artesunate and dihydroartemisinin in animal and human plasma.
High-performance liquid chromatography with reductive electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) method has been used for assaying artemisinins since 1985. Although the methods have been remarkably improved, tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) systems with significant advantages have gradually replaced HPLC-ECD to analyze artesunate and dihydroartemisinin in plasma. In the present study, the two methods were evaluated for linearity, quantitation limits, selectivity, precision, and accuracy. The HPLC-ECD performed well in terms of various validation parameters, and showed a good agreement with the LC-MS/MS when calibrated in plasma. However, the major benefit of LC-MS/MS is that it requires only one-tenth the plasma volume needed by HPLC-ECD assay.
Gu
Yuanchao
Y
Division of Experimental Therapeutics, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
Li
Qigui
Q
Melendez
Victor
V
Weina
Peter
P
D000818:Animals; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000097:blood*; D000077332:Artesunate; D002138:Calibration; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*
D037621:Artemisinins; D000077332:Artesunate; C039060:artenimol