J. Rodríguez Flores, A.M. Contento Salcedo and L. Muñoz Fernández

Department of Analytical Chemistry and Foods Technology, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain.

Abstract

Micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) was investigated for the simultaneous determination of letrozole, imipramine and their metabolites in human urine samples over a concentration range of therapeutic interest. Experimental parameters such as pH of the running electrolyte, sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) concentration, borate concentration, voltage, etc were investigated. Under optimal conditions of 25 mM SDS, 15 mM borate buffer (pH 9.2), 15% 2-propanol, as back- ground electrolyte; 28 kV and 40 ºC, as voltage and cartridge temperature, respectively; resolution between the peaks was greater than 1.7. Before the determination, a solid phase extraction (SPE) procedure with a C₁₈ cartridge was optimized. Good linearity, accuracy, precision, robustness and ruggedness were achieved and detection limits of 12.5 ng/mL for letrozole and its metabolite and 37.5 ng/mL, were obtained for imipramine and their metabolites. Real determinations of these analytes in two patient urines were carried out. Sensitivity achieved in this method is sufficient to perform kinetic studies in humans.