Electrospray ionization LC–MS/MS validated method to quantify griseofulvin in human plasma and its application to bioequivalence study

A simple, sensitive and rapid liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method has been developed and validated to quantify griseofulvin in human plasma using propranolol hydrochloride as internal standard (IS). Samples were prepared using solid phase extraction and analysed without drying and reconstitution. The analytes were chromatographed on Hypersil, hypurity C18 reverse phase column under isocratic conditions using 0.05% formic acid in water:acetonitrile (30:70, v/v) as the mobile phase. Total chromatographic run time was 3.0 min. Quantitation was done on a triple quadrupole mass analyzer API-3000, equipped with turbo ion spray interface and operating in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode to detect parent → product ion transition for analyte and IS. The method was validated for sensitivity, matrix effect, accuracy and precision, linearity, recovery and stability studies. Linearity in plasma was observed over the concentration range 20–3000 ng/mL for griseofulvin. Lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) achieved was 20 ng/mL with precision (CV) less than 10% using 5 μL injection volume. The absolute recovery of analyte (87.36%) and IS (98.91%) from spiked plasma samples was consistent and reproducible. Inter-batch and intra-batch coefficients of variation across four validation runs (LLOQ, LQC, MQC and HQC) was less than 7.5%. The accuracy determined at these levels was within ±4.2% in terms of relative error. The method was applied to a pilot bioequivalence study of 500 mg griseofulvin tablet in six healthy human subjects under fed condition.