A novel LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous quantification of topiramate and its main metabolites in human plasma

The aim of the present report was to develop and validate simple, sensitive and reliable LC-MS/MS method for quantification of topiramate (TPM) and its main metabolites: 2,3-desisopropylidene TPM, 4,5-desisopropylidene TPM, 10-OH TPM and 9-OH TPM in human plasma samples. The most abundant metabolite 2,3-desisopropylidene TPM was isolated from patients urine, characterized and afterwards used as an authentic standard for method development and validation. Sample preparation method employs 100μL of plasma sample and liquid-liquid extraction with a mixture of ethyl acetate and diethyl ether as extraction solvent. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a 1290 Infinity UHPLC coupled to 6460 Triple Quad Mass Spectrometer operated in negative MRM mode using Kinetex C18 column (50×2.1mm, 2.6μm) by gradient elution using water and methanol as a mobile phase and stable isotope labeled TPM as internal standard. The method showed to be selective, accurate, precise and linear over the concentration ranges of 0.10-20μg/mL for TPM, 0.01-2.0μg/mL for 2,3-desisopropylidene TPM, and 0.001-0.200μg/mL for 4,5-desisopropylidene TPM, 10-OH TPM and 9-OH TPM. The described method is the first fully validated method capable of simultaneous determination of TPM and its main metabolites in plasma over the selected analytical range. The suitability of the method was successfully demonstrated by the quantification of all analytes in plasma samples of patients with epilepsy and can be considered as reliable analytical tool for future investigations of the TPM metabolism.