Optimization of multidimensional high-performance liquid chromatography for the determination of drugs in plasma by...

Improvements in a multidimensional liquid chromatography system for the direct determination of drug substances in blood plasma are reported. The system employs an on-line micellar chromatographic cleanup followed by a reversed-phase analytical separation. The limit of detection of propranolol is improved by a factor 10 compared to previously reported work. The technique is applied towards the determination of a multicomponent mixture of tricyclic anti-depressants in blood plasma. A protocol for optimization is described.