SIMULTANEOUS DETERMINATION OF ALBENDAZOLE SULFOXIDE ENANTIOMERS AND ALBENDAZOLE SULFONE IN PLASMA

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed fo r the simultaneous determination of albendazole sulfoxide (ABZSO) enan tiomers and albendazole sulfone (ABZSO(2)) in human plasma. The resolu tion of ABZSO enantiomers and ABZSO(2) was obtained on a Chiralpak(R) AD column using hexane-isopropanol-ethanol (81:14.25:4.75, v/v/v) as t he mobile phase. The drugs were detected by fluorescence (lambda(exc)= 280 nm, lambda(em)=320 nm). The drugs were extracted from 500 mu l pla sma with ethyl acetate, and after solvent evaporation, the residues we re dissolved in the mobile phase and chromatographed. The method was p recise and accurate for the three compounds, as judged by the coeffici ents of variation and relative errors observed. Linear standard curves were obtained in the concentration range of 5-2500 ng/ml for ABZSO en antiomers and 1-500 ng/ml for ABZSO(2). A typical plasma concentration -time profile is presented for one patient under treatment for neurocy sticercosis. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.