Direct analysis of clomipramine in human plasma by microbore high performance liquid chromatography with column-switching

An automated microbore, liquid chromatographic method with column-switching was developed for the determination of clomipramine from human plasma samples. After direct injection of samples (60 μL), plasma proteins and clomipramine were separated in size-exclusion mode using 20% acetonitrile in 20 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) on Capcell Pak MF Ph-1 precolumn (10×4 mm I.D.). By valve switching, a fraction containing clomipramine was directed to an intermediate column for subsequent main separation on a microbore C18 column (250×1.5 mm I.D.) using 50% acetonitrile in 20 mM phosphate buffer (pH 2.5) at 0.1 mL min−1. The method was advantageous for rapidity (total analysis time: 15 min), reproducibility (C.V.<4.8%), and increased sensitivity (1 ng mL−1). The linearity of response was good (r2≥0.999) over the concentration range 1–250 ng mL−1.