RAPID AND SELECTIVE HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHIC METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF METRONIDAZOLE AND ITS ACTIVE METABOLITE IN HUMAN PLASMA, SALIVA AND GASTRIC-JUICE

A rapid and selective HPLC method has been developed for the separatio n and quantitation of metronidazole and its hydroxylated metabolite in human plasma, saliva and gastric juice. The assay requires a simple p rotein precipitation step prior to analysis and is selective, sensitiv e and reproducible. The limits of quantitation (0.5-ml sample) were at least 0.25 mu g/ml for metronidazole and 0.20 mu g/ml for its hydroxy metabolite. A Hypersil ODS 5 mu m (150x4.6 mm I.D.) column was used w ith a mobile phase of acetonitrile-aqueous 0.05 M potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7) containing 0.1% triethylamine (10:90) delivered at a flo w-rate of 1.0 ml/min.