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A quantitative method for the simultaneous determination of propranolol and its active metabolite 4-hydroxypropranolol in human plasma is described. Plasma samples are extracted at pH 9.6 with ethyl acetate after the addition of sodium bisulphite and the internal standard oxprenolol. The extracts are derivatized with trifluoroacetic anhydride before separation on a gas chromatograph—mass spectrometer. Detection and quantitation of the trifluoroacetyl derivatives are made by single-ion monitoring. The minimum detectable concentration of propranolol is 1 ng/ml and of 4-hydroxypropranolol 5 ng/ml using 1-ml plasma samples. No interferences from normal plasma constituents or from drugs commonly prescribed together with propranolol were detected.

A method for the quantitative determination of propranolol and two of its active metabolites, 3-(alpha-naphthoxy)-1,2-propanediol (propranolol glycol) and N-des-isopropylpropranolol, in brain tissue of mice is described. Tissues are homogenized in perchloric acid-acetonitrile. Propranolol and its metabolites are isolated from the supernatant by solvent extraction and separated and detected as their trifluoroacetyl derivatives by electron capture gas chromatography. Chemical structures of the derivatives were confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The electron capture detector response of all three compounds is high, 0.7-2.0 X 10(-16) moles/sec. Brain levels of 10-250 ng/g can be detected of all three compounds with high specificity and good precision.

A specific method for the gas chromatographic determination of chloroquine (CQ) after derivatization with chloroformates, using 9-bromophenanthrene as the internal standard and a column filled with 3% OV-17 on 80-100 mesh Supelcoport is described. Derivatization with chloroformates produced a pyrrolidine derivative, 4-(2-methyl-1-pyrrolidyl)-7-chloroquinoline with CQ, and a carbamate with desethylchloroquine. The chloroformate reaction for CQ is thus selective in the presence of CQ metabolites. The method based on flame ionization detection is highly suitable for quantitation of CQ in urine.