Extraction and quantification of nicardipine in human plasma

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Clinical Chemistry

Background:

• Nicardipine is a crucial calcium channel blocker used in cardiac surgery.
• Accurate quantification of nicardipine in plasma is essential for pharmacokinetic studies.
• Existing extraction methods may have limitations in efficiency and interference.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel, simple method for nicardipine extraction, separation, identification, and quantification in human plasma.
• To compare the efficiency of solid-phase extraction (SPE) with liquid-liquid (L/L) extraction for nicardipine analysis.
• To establish a reliable method for pharmacokinetic profiling of nicardipine in cardiac surgical patients.

Main Methods:

• Human plasma samples were purified using solid-phase extraction (SPE) with a C18 cartridge.
• Nicardipine was quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a reversed-phase C18 column.
• A mobile phase of 60% acetonitrile in 0.02 M NaH2PO4 (pH 6.3) and UV detection at 254 nm were employed.

Main Results:

• SPE achieved a high recovery rate of nicardipine (91+/-6.0%) from plasma samples.
• SPE resulted in fewer interfering compounds during HPLC analysis compared to L/L extraction.
• Optimization of mobile phase pH allowed for the elimination of interfering peaks, enhancing analytical specificity.

Conclusions:

• The developed SPE-HPLC method is a simple, efficient, and accurate technique for nicardipine quantification in human plasma.
• This method offers advantages over L/L extraction due to higher recovery and reduced interference.
• The validated method is suitable for pharmacokinetic studies of nicardipine in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.