title: The evaluation of the applicability of a high pH mobile phase in ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analysis of benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine-like hypnotics in urine and blood.
abstract: A sensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for simultaneous detection of benzodiazepines, benzodiazepine-like hypnotics and some metabolites (7-aminoflunitrazepam, alprazolam, bromazepam, brotizolam, chlordiazepoxide, chlornordiazepam, clobazam, clonazepam, clotiazepam, cloxazolam, diazepam, ethylloflazepate, flunitrazepam, flurazepam, loprazolam, lorazepam, lormetazepam, midazolam, N-desmethylflunitrazepam, nitrazepam, N-methylclonazepam (internal standard), nordiazepam, oxazepam, prazepam, temazepam, tetrazepam, triazolam, zaleplon, zolpidem, zopiclone) in urine and whole blood. Sample preparation was performed on a mixed-mode cation exchange solid phase extraction cartridge. Electrospray ionization was found to be more efficient than atmospheric pressure chemical ionization. The use of a mobile phase of high pH resulted in higher retention and higher electrospray ionization signals than the conventional low pH mobile phases. Considering the benefits of a high pH mobile phase on both chromatography and mass spectrometry, its use should be encouraged. In the final method, gradient elution with 10 mM ammonium bicarbonate (pH 9) and methanol was performed on a small particle column (Acquity C18, 1.7 μm, 2.1 mm × 50 mm). The optimized method was fully validated.
authors: Laboratory of Toxicology, KULeuven, Campus Gasthuisberg O&N 2, PO Box 922, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. ruth.verplaetse@pharm.kuleuven.be
authors: Ruth
authors: R
authors: Verplaetse
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Cuypers
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Tytgat
mesh_terms: D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D012015:Reference Standards; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D001569:Benzodiazepines