A Validated Enantioselective Assay for the Determination of Ibuprofen in Human Plasma Using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography with Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS)

A modified ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the quantitation of ibuprofen enantiomers in human plasma. Ibuprofen and flurbiprofen (internal standard) were extracted from human plasma at acidic pH, using a single-step liquid-liquid extraction with methyl-tert-butyl ether. The enantiomers of ibuprofen and flurbiprofen were derivatized to yield the corresponding diastereomers. Chromatographic separation was achieved using a phenyl column with a run time of 20 min. (R)and (S)-ibuprofen were quantitated at the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) transition of m/z 360.2  232.1, and (R)and (S)-flurbiprofen were monitored at the MRM transition of m/z 398.3  270.1. The method was validated for accuracy, precision, linearity, range, limit of quantitation (LOQ), limit of detection (LOD), selectivity, absolute recovery, matrix effect, dilution integrity, and evaluation of carry-over. Accuracy for (R)-ibuprofen ranged between –11.8% and 11.2%, and for (S)-ibuprofen between –8.6% and –0.3%. Precision for (R)-ibuprofen was ≤ 11.2%, and for (S)-ibuprofen ≤ 7.0%. The calibration curves were weighted (1/X, n = 7) and were linear with r for (R)-ibuprofen ≥ 0.988 and for (S)-ibuprofen ≥ 0.990. The range of the method was 50 to 5000 ng/mL with the LOQ of 50 ng/mL, and LOD of 1 ng/mL, for (R)and (S)-ibuprofen requiring 100 μL of sample. The method was applied successfully to a pharmacokinetic study with the administration of a single oral dose of ibuprofen capsules to human subjects.