title: Analytical sample preparation strategies for the determination of antimalarial drugs in human whole blood, plasma and urine.
abstract: Antimalarial drugs commonly referred to as antimalarials, include a variety of compounds with different physicochemical properties. There is a lack of information on antimalarial distribution in the body over time after administration, e.g. the drug concentrations in whole blood, plasma, and urine, which must be improved in order to advance curing the parasitic disease malaria. A key problem also lies in that pharmacokinetic studies not always are performed in patient groups that may benefit most of the treatment such as children, pregnancy and lower-weight ethnic populations. Here we review the available sample preparation strategies combined with liquid chromatographic (LC) analysis to determine antimalarials in whole blood, plasma and urine published over the last decade. Sample preparation can be done by protein precipitation, solid-phase extraction, liquid-liquid extraction or dilution. After LC separation, the preferred detection tool is tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) but other detection methods have been used e.g. UV, fluorescence and electrochemical detection. Major trends for sample preparation of the different groups of antimalarials for each matrix and its detection have been summarized. Finally, the main problems that the researchers have dealt with are highlighted. This information will aid analytical chemists in the development of novel methods for determining existing antimalarials and upcoming new drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
authors.forename: Monica Escolà
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Casas
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Yang & Yamazaki Environment & Energy Bldg., Stanford University, 473 Via Ortega, Room 259, Stanford, CA 94305, United States; Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Denmark.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Laboratory, Analytical Biosciences, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Kristine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Krogh
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Laboratory, Analytical Biosciences, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Bjarne
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Styrishave
authors.affiliation: School of Education and Environment, Division of Natural Sciences, Kristianstad University, SE-291 88 Kristianstad, Sweden. Electronic address: erland.bjorklund@hkr.se.
authors.forename: Erland
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Björklund
mesh_terms: D000962:Antimalarials / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000652:urine*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods; D059788:Dried Blood Spot Testing / Q000379:methods; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D059625:Liquid-Liquid Extraction / Q000379:methods; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction / Q000379:methods; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials
keywords: Antimalarials; Blood; Plasma; Sample preparation; Urine