Direct liquid inlet liquid chromatographic/mass spectrometric identification and high-performance liquid...

The glucuronide of N-1-hydroxy-ethyl flurazepam has been analysed by a direct liquid inlet liquid chromatographic/mass spectrometric system using MeOH/H2O (70:30 v/v) as mobile phase, at a flow rate of 0.7 ml min-1. Urine samples were purified by amberlite XAD-2 chromatography; the glucuronide was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography using a counterion (tetrabutyl ammonium nitrate in methanol). Chromatographic results were validated by an enzymatic method: treatment of the samples with beta-glucuronidase and extraction of the parent drug with ethyl ether at pH 9. The biological application of this method was demonstrated by determination of this glucuronide in the urine of healthy human volunteers following a single intravenous administration of 50 mg of N-1-hydroxy-ethyl flurazepam.