High-performance liquid chromatographic method for determination of vanillin and vanillic acid in human plasma, red blood cells and urine

A simple high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for t he determination of vanillin and its vanillic acid metabolite in human plas ma, red blood cells and urine, The mobile phase consisted of aqueous acetic acid (1%, v/v)-acetonitrile (85:15, v/v), pH 2.9 and was used with an octa decylsilane analytical column and ultraviolet absorbance detection. The pla sma method demonstrated linearity from 2 to 100 mu g/ml and the urine metho d was linear from 2 to 40 mu g/ml. The method had a detection limit of 1 mu g/ml for vanillin and vanillic acid using 5 mu l of prepared plasma, red b lood cells or urine. The method was utilized in a study evaluating the phar macokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects of vanillin in patients undergoing treatment for sickle cell anemia. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.