Development of liquid chromatography.pdfVIP

Biomed. Chromatogr. 2010; 24: 91–103 Copyright ? 2009 John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Special Issue: Review Received 26 February 2009, Revised 13 May 2009, Accepted 13 May 2009 Published online in Wiley Interscience: 31 July 2009 () DOI 10.1002/bmc.1287 Development of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry methods for the quantitative analysis of herbal medicine in biological fl uids: a review Michael J. Graya, Dennis Changa*, Ying Zhangb, Jianxun Liub and Alan Bensoussana ABSTRACT: The development of liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and tandem MS/MS for the analysis of bioactive components and their metabolites of herbal medicines in biological fl uids is reviewed with the aim of providing an overview of the current techniques and methods used. The issues and challenges associated with various stages of the analyti- cal method development are discussed using Ginkgo biloba and Panax ginseng as case studies. LC-MS off ers selectivity and specifi city in both the chromatographic separation and detection steps. This is necessary in order to measure compounds at extremely low concentrations as is often observed in plasma and urine samples. Traditional methods of detection (UV–visible) do not off er suffi cient selectivity and specifi city needed. The strategies and pitfalls involved with the measurement of such compounds are discussed in this review. Matrix eff ects, ‘unseen’ matrix suppression and enhancement ionization eff ects can signifi cantly reduce the accuracy and precision of the measurement. The impact of the correct choice of chromatography column formats on signal-to-noise ratio is also discussed. Analytical methods from sample preparation to mass spectrometric detection is outlined in order to provide good direction for analysts intent on the measurement of bioavailable compounds from herbal medicines in plasma and urine samples. Copyright ? 2009 John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Keywords: liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry; Ginkgo biloba;