A rapid and sensitive HPLC–APCI-MS/MS method determination of fluticasone in human plasma: Application for a bioequivalency study in nasal spray formulations

Quantification of fluticasone propionate in human plasma by LC-MS/MS and its application in the pharmacokinetic study of nasal spray at clinical doses

We developed a method for quantifying fluticasone propionate (FP) using general-purpose liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry equipment to measure the plasma concentration of FP for the pharmacokinetic study of FP following the administration of a prescribed nasal spray dose (100 μg). Using ammonium acetate (0.01 M)-formic acid (pH 2.9; 499:1, v/v) and methanol as the mobile phase, 3 pg/mL of FP was quantified. The relative error and standard deviation of the lower limit of quantification were <3.1%. The intra- and interday assay reproducibility was <3.5%. After 15 min of administering 200 μg FP nasal spray as the first dose, the FP concentration detected in the plasma of the two participants was 3.99 and 3.69 pg/mL. Subsequent doses of 100 μg FP were administered twice daily. The area under the plasma concentration-time curve values after 8-10 days of repeated administration of 100 μg of FP were approximately 1.6-fold higher than those achieved following a single administration of 200 μg of FP, which confirmed drug accumulation. The bioavailability of nasal FP was estimated to be 2% and 4%. This knowledge might help in reducing anxiety among patients who avoid using FP nasal spray, fearing its adverse effects.

A sensitive, heart-cutting, two-dimensional liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of mometasone furoate in human plasma: Application for a bioequivalence study in nasal spray formulations

We developed and validated a sensitive, heart-cutting, two-dimensional liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (2D-LC‒MS/MS) method to determine the concentration of mometasone furoate in human plasma after nasal spray administration. Isotopically labeled mometasone furoate-13C,d6 was used as an internal standard (IS). Plasma samples were prepared using a solid-phase extraction (SPE) method. With this 2D-LC strategy, the analytes were trapped in the first dimension (1D) column, and only judiciously selected portions of the 1D effluent were transferred to the second dimension (2D) column for further separation to obtain high-resolution information. MS/MS quantification was performed in positive ionization mode via multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM). This analytical method was fully validated according to related regulatory guidance, and the results showed that the method is robust and sensitive enough for pharmacokinetic investigation of mometasone furoate with satisfactory linearity from 0.25 to 30 pg mL−1. This method was successfully applied to a bioequivalence (BE) study of mometasone furoate aqueous nasal sprays in healthy volunteers.

Quantitative proton nuclear magnetic resonance method for simultaneous analysis of fluticasone propionate and azelastine hydrochloride in nasal spray formulation

A facile, rapid, accurate and selective quantitative proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-qNMR) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of fluticasone propionate (FLP) and azelastine hydrochloride (AZH) in pharmaceutical nasal spray for the first time. The ¹H-qNMR analysis of the studied analytes was performed using inositol as the internal standard and dimethyl sulfoxide-d₆ (DMSO-d₆) as the solvent. The quantitative selective proton signal of FLP was doublet of doublet at 6.290, 6.294, 6.316 and 6.319 ppm, while that of AZH was doublet at 8.292 and 8.310 ppm. The internal standard (inositol) produced a doublet signal at 3.70 and 3.71 ppm. The method was rectilinear over the concentration ranges of 0.25-20.0 and 0.2-15.0 mg ml^-1 for FLP and AZH, respectively. No labelling or pretreatment steps were required for NMR analysis of the studied analytes. The proposed ¹H-qNMR method was validated efficiently according to the International Council on Harmonisation guidelines in terms of linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, accuracy, precision, specificity and stability. Moreover, the method was applied to assay the analytes in their combined nasal spray formulation. The results ensured the linearity (r ² > 0.999), precision (% RSD < 1.5), stability, specificity and selectivity of the developed method.

Determination of salmeterol, α-hydroxysalmeterol and fluticasone propionate in human urine and plasma for doping control using UHPLC-QTOF-MS

Salmeterol and fluticasone are included in the Prohibited List annually issued by the World Anti-Doping Agency. While for other permitted beta-2 agonists a threshold has been established, above which any finding constitutes an Adverse Analytical Finding, this is not the case with salmeterol. The salmeterol metabolite, α-hydroxysalmeterol, has been described as a potentially more suitable biomarker for the misuse of inhaled salmeterol. In this study, a new and rapid UHPLC-QTOF-MS method was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of salmeterol, α-hydroxysalmeterol and fluticasone in human urine and plasma, which can be used for doping control. The analytes of interest were extracted by means of solid phase extraction and were separated on a Zorbax Eclipse Plus C₁₈ column. Detection was performed in a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ionization source, in positive mode for the detection of salmeterol and its metabolite and in negative mode for the detection of fluticasone. Method was validated over a linear range from 0.10 to 2.00 ng/ml for salmeterol and fluticasone, and from 1.00 to 20.0 ng/ml for α-hydroxysalmeterol, in urine, whereas in plasma, the linear range was from 0.025 to 0.500 ng/ml for salmeterol and fluticasone, respectively.

HPLC-UV and spectrofluorimetric methods for simultaneous estimation of fluticasone furoate and vilanterol in rabbit plasma: A pharmacokinetic study

Fluticasone furoate (FF) and vilanterol trifenatate (VT) is a widely prescribed combination in the management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In the present study, two quantitative methods based on HPLC-UV and spectrofluorimetric analysis had been developed and validated for simultaneous estimation of FF and VT in rabbit plasma using baclomethasone as internal standard (ISTD). Analytes and ISTD were separated from plasma using simple step of protein precipitation with acetonitrile. Chromatographic separation was achieved on Spherisorb S5 ODS2 (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5.0 µm) column using mobile phase that constitute acetonitrile-0.01% glacial acetic acid in water (70:30, v/v) and then detected on a UV detector at 235 nm wavelength. Spectrofluorimetric detection was performed using absorption/emission wavelength (λ_abs/em) of 286/352 nm and 362/407 nm for FF and VT, respectively. For both analytes, linearity ranged from 4-200 ng/mL to 10-200 ng/mL using HPLC-UV and spectrofluorimetric method, respectively. Methods were validated as per FDA recommendations. Statistical analysis revealed that these detection methods are statistically insignificant difference and can be used interchangeably without any bias. Further, these methods were applied in pharmacokinetic study for simultaneous estimation of FF and VT in rabbit plasma.

Ultrasensitive and automated 1 pg/ml fluticasone propionate assay in human plasma using LC–MS/MS

Background: To develop and validate an ultrasensitive bioanalytical assay for quantitation of fluticasone propionate in human plasma, aliquots of 0.6 ml of K3EDTA human plasma were treated with zinc sulfate solution and loaded onto a preconditioned SPE plate. The sample solutions were washed, eluted, dried and reconstituted. The extracted sample was injected onto a LC–MS/MS system and separated by a reverse-phase HPLC column with a 5 min gradient program, and detected by MS/MS for fluticasone propionate quantitation. Results: Linearity was from 1 to 200 pg/ml. The intra- and inter-day accuracy and precision of the assay met validation acceptance criteria. Various stabilities were established and interference drug assessment was evaluated. The assay has been used for clinical studies. Conclusion: This ultrasensitive method has been successfully validated using LC–MS/MS for determination of fluticasone propionate in human plasma at low pg/ml level.

Simultaneous determination of montelukast as sparing therapy with some inhaled corticosteroids in plasma of asthmatic patients

Montelukast (MKST) is a leukotriene receptor antagonist that has been concomitantly used with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) for its steroid-sparing effect in the long-term management of asthma. However, the simultaneous determination of MKST, when used as ICS tapering therapy, with ICS in human plasma has not yet been reported. A fast and efficient reversed phase monolith HPLC method was developed for simultaneous determination of MKST with some ICS in plasma of asthmatic patients. The separation was achieved on monolith reversed phase column by isocratic mode at a flow rate of 1.0 ml min(-1) using a mobile phase consisted of a mixture of acetonitrile and 10mM phosphate buffer adjusted to pH 3.5 (40:60, v/v) and detected at 240 nm. Betamethasone dipropionate (BDP) was used as the internal standard. All the studied ICS and MKST were efficiently separated within less than 6 min. The obtained linearity range for the developed HPLC method was 0.03-10 μg ml(-1) with correlation coefficients>0.9995 and the detection limits were 0.009-0.016 μg ml(-1) in plasma for all the studied drugs. The method was validated in agreement with the requirements of US-FDA guideline and was recommended for the target applications. The method is valuable for investigations concerned with the effective tapering of ICS therapy with MKST in patients with chronic asthma in clinical practice without loss of asthma control.