| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1220964 | Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis | 2016 | 5 Pages |
•An LC–MS/MS method for the quantification of STS in human plasma is proposed.•The pharmacokinetic profile of STS in human is reported.•Sample preparation should be under yellow light to ensure the stability of the STS.
An assay based on protein precipitation and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) has been developed and validated for the quantitative analysis of Sodium Tanshinone IIA Sulfonate (STS) in human plasma. After the addition of dehydroepiandrosterone-D5-3-sulfate sodium salt (DHEAS-D5) as internal standard (IS) and formic acid, plasma samples were prepared by one-step protein precipitation with a mixture of acetonitrile and methanol. Isocratic mobile phase consisted of 0.4 mmol/L ammonium formate buffer (16 ppm formic acid)/acetonitrile (40/60, v/v) on a XSELECT™ HSS T3 column. Detection was performed on a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer utilizing an electrospray ionization (ESI) interface operating in positive ion and selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode with the precursor to product ion transitions m/z 373.3 → 357.1 for STS and m/z 373.0 → 97.8 for the IS. Calibration curves of STS in human plasma were linear (r = 0.9957–0.9998) over the concentration range of 2–1000 ng/mL with acceptable accuracy and precision. The lower limit of quantification in human plasma was 2 ng/mL. The validated LC–MS/MS method has been successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of STS in Chinese healthy male volunteers.
