Simultaneous determination of albendazole sulfoxide enantiomers and albendazole sulfone in plasma

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of albendazole sulfoxide (ABZSO) enantiomers and albendazole sulfone (ABZSO(2)) in human plasma. The resolution of ABZSO enantiomers and ABZSO(2) was obtained on a Chiralpak(R) AD column using hexane-isopropanol-ethanol (81:14.25:4.75, v/v/v) as the mobile phase. The drugs were detected by fluorescence (lambda(exc)=280 nm, lambda(em)=320 nm). The drugs were extracted from 500 mu l plasma with ethyl acetate, and after solvent evaporation, the residues were dissolved in the mobile phase and chromatographed. The method was precise and accurate for the three compounds, as judged by the coefficients of variation and relative errors observed. Linear standard curves were obtained in the concentration range of 5-2500 ng/ml for ABZSO enantiomers and 1-500 ng/ml for ABZSO(2). A typical plasma concentration-time profile is presented for one patient under treatment for neurocysticercosis. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.