Development of a high sensitivity bioanalytical method for alprazolam using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid, specific, assay was developed for the benzodiapine alprazolam in rat plasma using sub-2 μm particle liquid chromatography (LC) and tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The limit of quantification using protein precipitation was determined to 10 pg/mL, whereas the limit of quantification using solid-phase extraction (SPE) was determined to be 1.0 pg/mL. The assay was optimized for throughput and resolution of the analyte of interest from the hydroxy metabolite. During the method development process the plasma matrix signal was monitored, for lipids and other endogenous metabolites, to maximize signal response and minimize ion suppression. This was achieved by using a tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer equipped with a novel collision cell design which allowed for the simultaneous collection of full scan MS and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) data. The lipid profile from the SPE process was significantly less than obtained with the protein precipitation approach.