title: Quantitative analysis of phenibut in rat brain tissue extracts by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
abstract: Phenibut (3-phenyl-4-aminobutyric acid) is a gamma-aminobutyric acid mimetic drug, which is used clinically as a mood elevator and tranquilizer. In the present work, a rapid, selective and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for quantification of phenibut in biological matrices has been developed. The method is based on protein precipitation with acidic acetonitrile followed by isocratic chromatographic separation using acetonitrile-formic acid (0.1% in water; 8:92, v/v) mobile phase on a reversed-phase column. Detection of the analyte was performed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in multiple reaction monitoring mode with the precursor-to-product ion transition m/z 180.3 --> m/z 117.2. The calibration curve was linear over the concentration range 50-2000 ng/mL. The lower limit of quantification for phenibut in rat brain extracts was 50 ng/mL. Acceptable precision and accuracy were obtained over the whole concentration range. The validated method was successfully applied in a pharmacological study to analyze phenibut concentration in rat brain tissue extract samples.
authors.affiliation: Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles Str. 21, LV1006, Riga, Latvia.
authors.forename: Solveiga
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grinberga
authors.forename: Liga
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zvejniece
authors.forename: Edgars
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Liepinsh
authors.forename: Maija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dambrova
authors.forename: Osvalds
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pugovics
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; C008842:4-amino-3-phenylbutyric acid