High-sensitivity analysis of buprenorphine, norbuprenorphine, buprenorphine glucuronide, and norbuprenorphine glucuronide in plasma and urine by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

•A UFLC–MS/MS method for buprenorphine and metabolites plasma and urine was developed and validated.•Solid-phase microextraction was used as the sample preparation method.•LOQ (plasma): 1 pg/mL buprenorphine and glucuronide, 10 pg/mL norbuprenorphine and glucuronide.•Limit of quantification in urine was 10 pg/ml for all analytes.•Clinical plasma and urine buprenorphine and metabolite concentrations were measured.

A new method using ultra-fast liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC–MS/MS) was developed for the simultaneous determination of buprenorphine and the metabolites norbuprenorphine, buprenorphine-3β-glucuronide, and norbuprenorphine-3β-glucuronide in plasma and urine. Sample handling, sample preparation and solid-phase extraction procedures were optimized for maximum analyte recovery. All four analytes of interest were quantified by positive ion electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry after solid-phase microextraction. The lower limits of quantification in plasma were 1 pg/mL for buprenorphine and buprenorphine glucuronide, and 10 pg/mL for norbuprenorphine and norbuprenorphine glucuronide. The lower limits of quantitation in urine were 10 pg/mL for buprenorphine, norbuprenorphine and their glucuronides. Overall extraction recoveries ranged from 68–100% in both matrices. Interassay precision and accuracy was within 10% for all four analytes in plasma and within 15% in urine. The method was applicable to pharmacokinetic studies of low-dose buprenorphine.