Non-extractive procedure followed by LC/APCI MS/MS analysis of trimetazidine in plasma samples for assessing bioequivalence of immediate/modified release formulations.

ABSTRACT

Trimetazidine and internal standard [1-(2,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl)piperazine] were isolated from plasma by protein precipitation with trifluoroacetic acid. The neutralized supernatant was separated on a C(8) column with methanol-aqueous 0.11% triethylamine adjusted to pH 3.3 with formic acid (14, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.85 mL/min. The separation was achieved within 8 min and the column ef fluent was transferred into an ion trap analyzer via an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization interface. The mass analyzer was used in the selected reaction monitoring mode, to enhance detection selectivity. The method was fully validated with a quantitation limit for trimetazidine of 1.5 ng/mL. The method was successfully applied to assess bioequivalence of two immediate and two modified commercially available pharmaceutical formulations containing 20 and 35 mg of trimetazidine, respectively.