Simultaneous determination of zopiclone and its two major metabolites (N-oxide and N-desmethyl) in human biological fluids by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

A Le Liboux, A Frydman, J Gaillot

Index: J. Chromatogr. A. 417(1) , 151-8, (1987)

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Abstract

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of zopiclone and its main metabolites (N-oxide and N-desmethyl derivatives) in biological fluids. After selective extraction (dichloromethane-2-propanol) these compounds are chromatographed on a column packed with Spherisorb ODS-2 (5 micron) using monobasic sodium phosphate-methanol (45:55, v/v). The eluted compounds are measured by fluorescence detection. The limit of detection of the method is 5 ng/ml for zopiclone in plasma and urine and 10 ng/ml for its two main metabolites (coefficient of variation less than 10%). This method has been successfully applied to pharmacokinetic studies of zopiclone and its two main metabolites in healthy subjects and patients with chronic renal failure.