Atenolol determination by high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Accurate quantification of beta-blockers like atenolol is crucial for therapeutic drug monitoring.
• Existing analytical methods may lack the sensitivity or speed required for routine clinical analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a sensitive, rapid, and reproducible high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for atenolol determination.
• To establish a reliable analytical technique for atenolol quantification in biological matrices such as plasma and whole blood.

Main Methods:

• Utilized high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a fluorescence detector.
• Employed a simple and rapid sample preparation technique.
• Chromatographed atenolol and metoprolol (internal standard) as ion pairs with heptanesulfonic acid.

Main Results:

• Achieved accurate detection of atenolol at concentrations as low as 2 ng/ml in both plasma and whole blood.
• Demonstrated high reproducibility with a coefficient of variation of 4.7% across a concentration range of 2-1000 ng/ml.
• The developed method proved to be sensitive and reliable for atenolol analysis.

Conclusions:

• The described HPLC method offers a sensitive, rapid, and reproducible approach for atenolol analysis in plasma and whole blood.
• This method is suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacokinetic studies involving atenolol.
• The ion-pairing technique enhances the chromatographic separation and detection of atenolol.