Determination of tigecycline in turkey plasma by LC-MS/MS: validation and application in a pharmacokinetic study

Tigecycline (TIG), a novel glycylcycline antibiotic, plays an important role in the management of complicated skin and intra-abdominal infections. The available data lack any description of a method for determination of TIG in avian plasma. In our study, a selective, accurate and reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for the determination of TIG in turkey plasma. Sample preparation was based on protein precipitation and liquid-liquid extraction using 1,2-dichloroethane. Chromatographic separation of TIG and minocycline (internal standard, IS) was achieved on an Atlantis T3 column (150 mm × 3.0 mm, 3.0 μm) using gradient elution. The selected reaction monitoring transitions were performed at 293.60 m/z → 257.10 m/z for TIG and 458.00 m/z → 441.20 m/z for IS. The developed method was validated in terms of specificity, selectivity, linearity, lowest limit of quantification, limit of detection, precision, accuracy, matrix effect, carry-over effect, extraction recovery and stability. All parameters of the method submitted to validation met the acceptance criteria. The assay was linear over the concentration range of 0.01-100 μg/ml. This validated method was successfully applied to a TIG pharmacokinetic study in turkey after intravenous and oral administration at a dose of 10 mg/kg at various time-points.