title: Development and validation of a sensitive LC/MS/MS method for the determination of γ-tocotrienol in rat plasma: application to pharmacokinetic studies.
abstract: γ-Tocotrienol has attracted much attention owing to its multiple health benefits. This study developed and validated a simple, specific, sensitive and reliable LC/MS/MS method to analyze γ-tocotrienol in rat plasma. Plasma samples (50 μL) were extracted with internal standard solution (25 ng/mL of itraconazole) in acetonitrile (200 μL) with an average recovery of 44.7% and an average matrix effect of -2.9%. The separation of γ-tocotrienol and internal standard from the plasma components was achieved with a Waters XTerra® MS C(18) column with acetonitrile-water as mobile phase. Analysis was performed under positive ionization electrospray mass spectrometer via the multiple reaction monitoring. The standard curve was linear over a concentration range of 10-1000 ng/mL with correlation coefficient values >0.997. The method was validated with intra- and inter-day accuracy (relative error) ranging from 1.79 to 9.17% and from 2.16 to 9.66%, respectively, and precision (coefficient of variation) ranged from 1.94 to 9.25% and from 2.37 to 10.08%, respectively. Short-term stability, freeze-thaw stability and the processed sample stability tests were performed. This method was further applied to analyze γ-tocotrienol plasma concentrations in rats at various time points after administration of a 2 mg/kg single intravenous dose, and a pharmacokinetic profile was successfully obtained.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Su
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Xiaomei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bian
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Motolani
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arogunjo
authors.forename: Amit A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Deorukhkar
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krishnan
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002839:Chromans / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D004355:Drug Stability; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D002839:Chromans; D014810:Vitamin E; C013649:plastochromanol 8