Trace quantitation of the novel cholinesterase inhibitor in human plasma by capillary gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry

This paper demonstrates the utility of an ion trap mass spectrometer as a detector for trace quantitative determinations of pharmaceuticals in human plasma by capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. A novel acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (CI-1002) was selected as an illustrative example for the technique. When coupled with a selective solid-phase extraction, this approach was capable of quantifying as little as 34 pg (0.50 ng ml-1, RSD = 12.7%) of compound on the column, and the inter-run precision was typically 3-4% RSD over a 0.5-25 ng ml-1 linear range. The advantages and requirements of the technique, in addition to the prospects for improvements in the detection limit, are discussed.