A strategy for the determination of beta blockers in plasma using solid-phase extraction in combination with high-performance liquid chromatography.

This paper describes a general approach for the therapeutic drug monitoring of 13 different beta blockers in plasma. The chromatographic system contains a cyanopropyl-bonded phase as a stationary phase in combination with a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile and phosphate buffer (pH = 3, mu = 0.05). Two modes of detection are used, namely, UV detection and fluorescence detection. The sample pretreatment is performed with a nitrile-sorbent in combination with methanol-phosphate buffer (pH = 3, mu = 0.05) or with methanol containing 0.1% propylamine as eluent. Acceptable recoveries are obtained for practolol, acebutolol, pindolol, oxprenolol, mepindolol, atenolol, propranolol, prenalterol, alprenolol, metoprolol, sotalol and nadolol. For labetalol, however, the elution recovery has to be improved. Finally, this approach is illustrated by the assay of nadolol in the plasma of patients suffering from hypertension, who had received an oral formulation of the drug.