RAPID, SENSITIVE PROCEDURE TO DETERMINE BUSPIRONE LEVELS IN RAT BRAINS USING GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY WITH NITROGEN-PHOSPHORUS DETECTION

Reported here is a rapid, sensitive and relatively inexpensive procedu re using gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection (GC-NPD ) to quantify buspirone levels in brains of rats. The analyte was dire ctly extracted from brain homogenate with toluene after basification a nd then subjected to GC-NPD analysis using a capillary column. The cal ibration curves were linear over the range of 10 to 320 ng per 2 ml of brain homogenate, with typical r(2) values >0.99. The assay was highl y reproducible and gave peaks with excellent chromatographic propertie s. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.