Development and validation of a plasma assay for acyclovir using high-performance capillary electrophoresis with...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Pharmacokinetics
• Biomedical Science

Background:

• Accurate quantification of antiviral drugs in plasma is crucial for therapeutic drug monitoring.
• Existing methods like High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) may have limitations in sensitivity or throughput.
• Acyclovir is a widely used antiviral medication requiring reliable plasma concentration measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a sensitive plasma assay for acyclovir.
• To establish a robust analytical method for acyclovir quantification in biological matrices.
• To provide a potentially superior alternative to current analytical techniques for nucleoside analogs.

Main Methods:

• Plasma samples were processed using Oasis HLB columns for initial separation.
• Micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) with SDS and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin was employed for high-resolution separation.
• Large volume sample introduction and stacking techniques were utilized to enhance sensitivity.

Main Results:

• The developed assay demonstrated high sensitivity with a limit of quantitation of 20 ng/ml.
• A wide linear range from 20 to 10000 ng/ml was established for acyclovir quantification.
• Effective separation from plasma components was achieved with no interference.

Conclusions:

• The validated micellar electrokinetic chromatography assay is a sensitive and reproducible method for acyclovir plasma analysis.
• This technique offers a viable alternative to HPLC, excelling in separation efficiency and sensitivity.
• The method's adaptability suggests potential for analyzing other nucleoside analogs.