Analysis of carminomycin in human serum by fluorometric high-performance liquid chromatography

A method is given for the determination of carminomycin (CMM) and a major metabolite carminomycinol (CMMOH) in serum from cancer patients after intravenous administration of carminomycin as the free drug. CMM and CMMOH are extracted from serum with chloroform, the extract evaporated and the residue dissolved in methanol. High performance liquid chromatography analysis utilized a C18 microBondapak reversed-phase column eluted with 0.1 mol/l acetate buffer (pH 4)-acetonitrile (60:40, v/v) with fluorescence detection. The assay is linear, reproducible, and precise with a limit of detection of 2 ng/ml. Representative serum levels of CMM and CMMOH in a cancer patients are presented.