Gas chromatographic assay of glycerol mononitrates in biological samples

A new gas chromatographic analysis of glycerol 1-nitrate and glycerol 2-nitrate is described. The method is suitable for a variety of biological samples and can detect down to the low nanogram range. An extract of the sample to be analysed is treated with phenylboronic acid. The glycerol mononitrates rapidly form cyclic boronates, with five- and six-membered rings, respectively, which can then be separated by gas chromatography and detected by an electron-capture detector.