Validated LC-MS/MS Method for the Determination of Rosuvastatin in Human Plasma: Application to a Bioequivalence Study in Chinese Volunteers

A sensitive and selective liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of rosuvastatin in human plasma using gliclazide as an internal standard (IS). Rosuvastatin and gliclazide in plasma were extracted with ethyl acetate, separated on a C18 reversed phase column, eluted with mobile phase of acetonitrile-methanoic acid (0.1%) (60:40, v/v), ionized by positive ion pneumatically assisted electrospray and detected in the multi-reaction monitoring mode using precursor → product ions of m/z 482.1 → 258.1 for rosuvastatin and m/z 324.2 → 127.2 for IS, respectively. The calibration curve was linear (r > 0.99, n = 5) over the concentration range of 0.1 60 ng/mL. The specificity, matrix effect, recovery, sensitivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, and stabilities were validated for rosuvastatin in human plasma. In conclusion, the validation results showed that this method was sensitive, economical and less toxic and it can successfully fulfill the requirement of bioequivalence study of rosuvastatin calcium tablets in Chinese healthy volunteers.