Simple and sensitive determination of 2,3-butanediol in biological samples by gas chromatography with...

2,3-Butanediol was quantitatively oxidized into diacetyl by reaction with MnO4- at 20 degrees C for 30 min under neutral conditions. The reaction of diacetyl with 4,5-dichloro-1,2-diaminobenzene afforded 6,7-dichloro-2,3-dimethyl-quinoxaline (DCDMQ), which was extracted with n-hexane and determined by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. As an internal standard 1,2-cyclohexanediol was used. The detection limit of DCDMQ (or 2,3-butanediol) was 10 fmol/microliter in the extract, and the determination limit of DCDMQ (or 2,3-butanediol) was at least from 50 fmol/microliter to 20 pmol/microliter in the extract. Recoveries from normal rat urine and rat liver homogenate were 97.8 +/- 3.4% and 98.4 +/- 2.9%, respectively. The method is very simple and sensitive and is applicable to the determination of 2,3-butanediol in normal rat tissues.