Determination of antrafenine and its main acid metabolite, 2-{[7-(trifluoromethyl)-4-quinolinyl]amino}-benzoic acid,in biological fluids using high-performance liquid chromatography with large volume automatic injection and gas—liquid chromatography with derivative formation

Specific and sensitive analytical methods have been developed for the measurement of antrafenine and its main acid metabolite, 2-{7-(trifluoromethyl)-4-quinolinyl]amino} benzoic acid (FQB), at therapeutic concentrations in plasma and urine.Following the addition of internal standards (the methyl ester of FQB and 2-{8-(trifluoromethyl)-4-quinolinyl]amino}benzoic acid) the parent drug and the metabolite were extracted from biological material with diethyl ether at a weakly acid pH. Drug extracts were evaporated to dryness prior to chromatographic analysis.Antrafenine was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography using a Spherisorb 5-μm ODS column with acetonitrile—0.1 M sodium acetate as the mobile phase. Samples were injected automatically using a 500-μl injection loop. The detector wavelength was 353 nm corresponding to the maximum UV absorption of both drug and internal standard. The coefficient of variation (C.V.) for the determination of antrafenine concentrations between 5 and 250 ng/ml ranged between 24 and 3%, respectively.The acid metabolite of antranine was measured by gas—liquid chromatography with electron-capture detection using a 1-m column packed with 3% OV-225 on Gas-Chrom Q (100–120 mesh) at 240°C and on-column methylation with trimethylphenyl ammonium hydroxide. The C.V. of the methd for the analysis of metabolite concentrations between 10 and 500 ng/ml ranged between 3 and 9%, respectively.